Do You Have the Long-Life Gene in Your Family?

103 year old Uncle Walter born 1912 (seated)

Yesterday was National Centenarian's Day and I'm sorry I missed it! Do you have anyone in your family, now or in the past, who lived to be 100? My Uncle Wally (my grandfather's brother) turned 103 this past summer.  Imagine living that long. If only I could chat with him about the past, about his parents, his grandparents, his brother (my grandfather). But sadly he's quite deaf and communication is challenging at best.

Do you have anyone in your family who lived to 100 years of age? What about into their 90s? My mother's sister turned 92 this year.

I have many women in my family who lived to 90+ - my mother was 93 when she died, her mother was 90, her grandmother (my great-grandmother) was 3 months away from turning 90. My 3rd great-grandmother was 90, and there are more. It seems to be mostly the women in my family and only on my mother's side, who lived to 90+

Interestingly enough when I had my DNA tested I found out that we females in my maternal line have what scientists refer to as the "long-life" gene. If you haven't tested your DNA yet, why wait? If you live in Canada, you can order a DNA kit from Ancestry DNA in Canada and if you are in USA, use this one Free Shipping on Ancestry DNA Kit w Code: FREESHIPDNA

Walter Fuller age 4

Who are your longest-living relatives? Did they live that long because of healthy diet, exercise or could it be the long-life gene at work....

Credits: 

Photograph of Walter and Harold Fuller taken ca 1914 in Ramsgate, Kent England. Owned by L. McGinnis Schulze. Note that toddlers who were not toilet trained were dressed in skirts and dresses regardless of gender. It made changing diapers easier. The way to tell if a child is a boy or girl is to look at their hair. Parted in the middle is a girl, parted on the side is a boy.

Photo of Walter Fuller age 4 taken ca 1916 in Ramsgate.  Owned by L. McGinnis Schulze.