User:CaroleHenson/sandbox/Susie Gibson

Susan Elizabeth Gibson (née Potts; October 31, 1890 – February 16, 2006) was the second-oldest American  and the third-oldest person in the world with documentation, after María Capovilla and Elizabeth Bolden.

She studied at a secretarial school, and during her married life, Gibson operated an inn. She outlived her husband by 50 years and her only child by about 19 years. Gibson was active throughout most of her life, living in her own house until she was about 104 years old. Even after living in a nursing home, she regularly went out to eat at a local restaurant until she was 115. In 2005, she was featured in a hearing aid advertisement, which said "It's never too late to hear better". She credited her longevity to pickles, vinegar, avoiding medicine, and doing things that she enjoyed.

Family life
Gibson was born in 1890 in Corinth, Mississippi to Joe and Mary Potts. In 1900, she lived in Corinth, Mississippi with her parents and siblings; she was the third of four children. Her father was a farmer. Her mother lived to the age of 102.

Susie studied typing and dictation at a secretarial school. She married James W. Gibson in 1915, and they moved to northwest Alabama, and settled in Sheffield. He was a pharmacist. The couple had one child, James Jr., who was born in 1917. Gibson worked by making ties and operating an inn. She was active in women's groups, and enjoyed gardening, playing bridge, and fishing. Taking a lesson from her grandmother, she ensured that she spent time each day doing the things she wanted to do. Her husband died in 1955, and her only child, James Jr., died in 1987, aged 70. He was also a pharmacist.

Later years
By the time her son died, Gibson was 96 years old. Her remaining family was her daughter-in-law, Ernestine, and her grandchildren. Although she stopped driving the year before, she continued to remain active. Gibson lived in the same home for 80 years until she had failing eyesight at about 104 or 106 years of age, and moved into a nursing home in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Her granddaughter, Nancy Paetz, said on National Public Radio in 2006 that she had been both strong and stubborn. When she realized she could no longer live independently, she called her family and said "I've sold my house. I've got me a room. Come move me."

She was a story-teller, something that she enjoyed doing through her 113rd year. In October 2005, Gibson was interviewed regarding her 115th birthday by NBC News. It was revealed that Gibson "read the bible regularly". Robert Young, a researcher for gerontology research centers, stated that spiritual belief is considered to be a trait among many supercentenarians. Jerry Friedman, author of Earth's Elders, said that while he found no secret among the people that were supercentenarians, most were religious. Gibson was in remarkable physical and mental shape for her age when she was interviewed by NBC and others. She ate out regularly at a local restaurant up to age 115. In November 2005, she was featured in an advertisement, "It's never too late to hear better", for Droke Hearing Aids.

She died following heart failure on February 16, 2006, which was three days after the death of Bettie Wilson, another 115 year-old woman from Mississippi. Gibson was buried at Henry cemetery in Corinth, Mississippi. On a National Public Radio program following Gibson's death, her granddaughter said that Gibson had three keys to living a long life. She put vinegar on a lot of her food, ate a lot of pickles and drank pickle juice, and avoided medicine.

Historical reference
When Gibson was born, slaves were emancipated, but the south was still rebuilding after the Civil War. And, there were 42 U.S. states. Gibson stated in November 2004, when she was age 114, that she remembered the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and that horse-drawn carriages would get stuck in the mud. Gibson also recalled finding minié balls along the creeks near the old Shiloh battlefield. Women did not have the right to vote until 1920, when was 30 years of age and voted in her first election. She said Theodore Roosevelt was her favorite president, and Sam Houston was her third cousin. Gibson was one of supercentenarians featured in the book, Earth's Elders: The Wisdom of the World's Oldest People, by Jerry Friedman. In the teacher's guide for Earth's Elders, suggested topics for research and discussion about Gibson's life include the Civil War battles in Corinth, the women's suffrage movement, and living through the depression.