Gertrude Weaver celebrated her 116th birthday on Friday.
The south Arkansas woman not only got a year older, but also won the title of the oldest confirmed living American and second-oldest person in the world, according to Yahoo News.
Weaver spent her birthday at home at Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Camden. She received a new award from the Gerontology Research Group, which analyzed U.S. Census records to determine that Weaver is the oldest living American, rather than 115-year-old Jeralean Talley, who was born in 1899.
Weaver is now the second-oldest person in the world behind 116-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan and the 11th oldest person of all time, according to Robert Young, the research group's database administrator and senior consultant for Guinness.
"Normally, 116 would be old enough to be the world's oldest person. There's kind of heavy competition at the moment," stated Young.
The now oldest living American was born in southwest Arkansas near the border with Texas, and was married in 1915. She had four children with her husband, all of whom have died except for her 93-year-old son, according to the Associated Press.
"Most people want to know, 'Well, can she talk?' Her health is starting to decline a little bit this year - I can tell a difference from last year, but she still is up and gets out of the room and comes to all of her meals, comes to activities. She'll laugh and smile and clap," Vicki Vaughan, the marketing and admissions director at Silver Oaks, stated.
Weaver has credited "trusting in the Lord, hard work and loving everybody" for her longevity.
"You have to follow God. Don't follow anyone else. Be obedient and follow the laws and don't worry about anything. I've followed him for many, many years and I ain't tired," Weaver told the Camden News this week.
