Oldest Living Person May Be In Russian North

[Keni Morgan]

An Evenk woman from Yakutia may be the oldest living person in the world. Varvara Semennikova, who turned 117 in May 2007, grew up in a nomadic family, hunting and herding deer. In the course of her life, Semennikova reared four adopted cildren, teaching them midwifery and later sending them off to get a higher education. She is in good health and readily offers opinions on many social and political issues, Interfax news agency reported. Semennikova's age was determined when an employee of the National Archive found an entry in a church register documenting her birth on May 10, 1890. Yakutia's indigenous peoples have historically lived long lives, an archive representative said.

Prior to this, the world's oldest person was thought to be 114-year-old Edna Parker, who lives in Connecticut. She claimed the title after Japan's Yone Minagawa, also 114, passed away in August.

Sounds as if she is a strong woman of many opinions. Hope that we are all so lucky to live such a long, good life!