World's oldest person to turn 116

WXIA-TV

The woman declared by gerontology experts to be the oldest person in the world is turning 116 Saturday.

Jeralean Talley was born in Montrose, Ga., on May 23, 1899. She's been in Michigan since 1935. Relatives say she remains active and aware of what's going on around her.

Talley was named world's oldest person in April after the death of Gertrude Weaver,who passed away at the age of 116. Weaver died just five days after 117-year-old Misao Okawa died in Japan.

Only one in 5 million people in the U.S. live to be 110 or older, according to experts.

Talley's husband, Alfred Talley, passed away in 1988. The couple had one child, Thelma Holloway, 77, who lives with her mother and helps take care of her. Holloway has a 2-year-old daughter who frequently visits her great-grandmother.

Talley has been consistent in her answer as to what she's lived so long.

"It's all in the good Lord's hands," she said. "There's nothing I can do about it."

Talley lived alone until just seven years ago, according to the Detroit Free Press.

She bowled until she was 104 and still mowed her lawn until a few years ago, according to previous Press reports.

After being told that she was the world's oldest person, Talley said, "I ain't got nothing more but to treat the other fellow like you want to be treated. You don't tell a lie on me so I won't tell a lie on you."

There's no word yet on how she'll celebrate her latest milestone.