Mary Josephine Ray née Arsenault (born May 17, 1895) is currently the world's second-oldest verified living person.[1] Following the death of Gertrude Baines on September 11, 2009, Ray became the oldest person living in the United States. She is the oldest recorded person ever to live in New Hampshire, although the oldest person born in New Hampshire was Nellie Spencer (1869–1982), who lived to age 113 years 81 days. Ray is also the oldest person ever recorded born in Prince Edward Island and currently the third-oldest person ever born in Canada. Since the death of Maria de Jesus from Portugal, she is also the oldest person of European descent in the world.
As of August 2009, Ray is listed as one of the 60 longest lived people ever.
Born to French Canadian (Acadian) parents in 1895, Mary Josephine came to America at age three. Her father died when she was 7 and her mother also died when she was 15. Mary went out on her own, working in factories in Maine. Later she married Walter Ray (in the 1920s; he died in 1967) and moved to New Hampshire. Later, Mary Jo retired to Florida at age 80. She lived there on her own until 100, when her family brought her back to New Hampshire. At age 102, she moved into a nursing home when the family felt they could no longer care for her at home.
Mary Josephine Arsenault married Walter Ray circa 1923. The 1930 census listing for Walter Ray lists him as age 36, married at 28; and Mary Josephine as age 34 (it was in April), married at 27.
Ray has two sons, both living: Robert, 85, of Pensacola, Florida and Donald, 84, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Her eight grandchildren are also still alive.[citation needed] In all, Ray has two sons, eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Ray continues to follow, as much as possible, the Red Sox baseball team. After watching baseball games, she often has cake and ice cream. At her 108th birthday celebration, she was greeted with the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and a cake with the Red Sox symbol on it. Ray has continued to buy Red Sox merchandise, and has commented that she intends to continue doing so.[2]Fred Hale, who lived to be 113 years, 354 days old, was also a fan of the team.[3]
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