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Mary Josephine Ray
Mary Josephine Ray
Birth: 17 May 1895
Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Death: 7 March 2010
Westmoreland, New Hampshire, USA
Age: 114 years, 294 days
Country: CanadaCANUnited StatesUSA
Validated

Mary Josephine Ray (née Arsenault; 17 May 1895 – 7 March 2010) was a Canadian-American supercentenarian, who lived to the age of 114 years, 294 days and was the world's second oldest living person after Kama Chinen and the oldest in the United States since the 11 September 2009 death of Gertrude Baines. She is the 4th oldest Canadian-born person on record.

Biography

Early Life

Mary Josephine Ray was born on 17 May 1895 in Prince Edward Island, Canada to Sabin Arsenault and Lydie Anne Blanchard. When she was 3, her family went to the United States to find work. Her father died when she was 8 years old. Her mother and her elder sister moved back to Canada when she was 14 but her mother died the following year when Ray was 15 years old in 1910; leaving her and her sister orphans. She began working in factories in Maine. She later married Walter Ray (died 1968) in c.1922 and they had two sons who were both living as of her death: Robert, 86, and Donald, 85. She moved to New Hampshire.

Later Life

She retired in Florida at the age of 80. However moved back to New Hampshire at the age of 100 and moved to the Westmoreland facility nursing home at the age of 102. She was a fan of the Baseball team Boston Red Sox. She died on 7 March 2010 at the age of 114.

References

  1. The Star Obituary (March 9, 2010)
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