Gertrude Baines

Gertrude Baines
Baines in her 115th Birthday on April 6, 2009, aged 115
Born	6 April 1894 Shellman, Georgia, United States
Died	11 September 2009 (aged 115 years, 158 days) Los Angeles, California, United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Ethnicity	African-American
Known for	Oldest verified person in the world (2 January 2009 – 11 September 2009)

Gertrude Baines (April 6, 1894 – September 11, 2009) was an American woman who was believed to have been the oldest person in the world from the death of Portuguese woman Maria de Jesus on January 2, 2009 until her death on September 11, 2009. She was the last person known to have been born in 1894 and the oldest ever person to have been born in that year.

Personal History

Gertrude Baines married Sam Conley at a very young age and had one daughter who died of typhoid fever at the age of 18. Baines was known to have been living in Hartford, Connecticut before moving to Ohio, where she worked as a maid at the Ohio State University. She later moved to California, where she lived on her own until age 105. She spent her final years at the Western Convalescent Center in Jefferson Park, Los Angeles.

Longevity

• March 2, 2006 – Marion Higgins died, Baines became the oldest person in California.
• September 9, 2006 – Baines moved into Gerontology Research Group list for Guinness World Records.
• October 8, 2007 – Baines moved into the top 100 oldest people to have ever lived.
• March 22, 2008 – Arbella Ewing died, Baines became the oldest living African American.
• November 11, 2008 – Baines became the oldest ever person to be born in the state of Georgia.
• November 26, 2008 – Edna Parker died, Baines became the oldest living American.
• December 6, 2008 – Catherine Hagel died, Baines became the last known person to have been born in 1894.
• January 2, 2009 – Maria de Jesus died, Baines became the oldest living person.

Preceded by Maria de Jesus

Oldest Recognized Living Person January 2, 2009 – September 11, 2009

Succeeded by Kama Chinen