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Born in 1896, Walter Breuning's life story pretty much encapsulates the rise of modern America. Breuning, who died on Thursday at 114, lived in Montana and was just 26 days younger than Besse Cooper of Georgia who holds the record for the oldest living person. He could remember as far back as the turn-of-the-century when his father told him about killing Southerners in the Civil War.

The Minnesota-native started working for the railroad at the age of 16 and signed up to fight in World War I at age 20, though he was never called up for service. In 1919, the year women earned the right to vote, Breuning bought his first car and complained about how the noisy machine scared horses away. The Depression hit, and though he felt lucky to keep his job, Breuning thought President Franklin Roosevelt's signing Social Security into law was the nation's greatest achievement. By the time America joined World War II, Breuning was too old to fight, and by the time the Beatles released their first album, the rail veteran had retired. Computers changed the railroad industry, and even though many of his friends were made redundant in the process, the longtime clerk thinks the machines are a good thing.