World's Oldest Woman, 114, Dies

Eugenie Blanchard, a nun who is believed to be the world’s oldest person, died on Thursday at the age of 114, according to the Associated Press. Blanchard, dubbed “Sweets” because of her kind nature, died at Bruyn Hospital in the French Caribbean island of St. Barts. She had lived in the geriatric ward of the hospital since 1980. Blanchard was born on February 16, 1896, and lived a very selfless life devoted to God, with her cat as her only companion. Both the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks persons of extremely old age, and the Guinness Book of World Records considered Blanchard the world’s oldest person. Now, 114-year-old Eunice Sanborn, who lives in Texas, is considered the world’s oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group.