Catherine Dahlheimer Hagel - supercentenarian, great-great aunt, and Minnesota record holder
As of today, Catherine Dahlheimer Hagel now holds the record for oldest Minnesotan. She is also my great-great aunt. Over the last years, she has become very quiet, but still participates in daily activities. She lived alone on her farm until she was 100 in Rogers, Minnesota. Since that time, she has been a resident of a care center in Suburban Minneapolis. There was an article in the Minneapolis-St. Paul StarTribune about her today.
She was the oldest living Minnesotan for a number of years before holding oldest Minnesotan ever. Her sister-in-law, childhood friend, and neighbor previously held the record. She is the 4th oldest living person in the United States and 7th oldest person living in the world. She is now 113 years and 73 days. I turned 31 today and am thinking what it might mean to live for 82 more years...nearly 4 times my current age. I also think about the longevity in my family, my living grandmother is 83. My other grandmother died 2 years ago (February 10, 2006) at the age of 91. One of my grandfathers lived until 75, the other died long before I was born, when he was 37 - he happened to be the nephew of Great-Great Aunt Catherine.
I was supposed to celebrate my birthday with my dad, who also has his birthday today, but the weather is not so great in the country, so we'll celebrate another day. It is blowing and drifting snow there. I guess I'll have time to work on my dissertation!
She was the oldest living Minnesotan for a number of years before holding oldest Minnesotan ever. Her sister-in-law, childhood friend, and neighbor previously held the record. She is the 4th oldest living person in the United States and 7th oldest person living in the world. She is now 113 years and 73 days. I turned 31 today and am thinking what it might mean to live for 82 more years...nearly 4 times my current age. I also think about the longevity in my family, my living grandmother is 83. My other grandmother died 2 years ago (February 10, 2006) at the age of 91. One of my grandfathers lived until 75, the other died long before I was born, when he was 37 - he happened to be the nephew of Great-Great Aunt Catherine.
I was supposed to celebrate my birthday with my dad, who also has his birthday today, but the weather is not so great in the country, so we'll celebrate another day. It is blowing and drifting snow there. I guess I'll have time to work on my dissertation!