From the September 21, 2010, Ask American.
Walter Bruening, of Great Falls, Montana celebrated his 114th birthday. He was born September 21, 1896, in Melrose, Minnesota and moved to Great Falls in 1918. For 50 years he worked as a clerk for the Great Northern Railway.
His wife, Agnes, worked as a railroad telegraph operator from Butte, Montana, died in 1957.
Mr. Bruening became the oldest man after British World War I veteran Henry Allingham died July 2009 at age113. Mr. Allingham liked to joke that the secret to his longevity was, "Cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women and a good sense of humor."
Guiness World Records verified Bruening as the world's oldest man and the fourth oldest person as three women are alive who were born before 1896. Mr. Bruening gave a speech to about 100 people at an invitation only party at Rainbow Retirement Community, including Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. He was helped to the podium from a motorized cart and appeared frail, but spoke with a strog voice.
He said he lived in what he called the dark ages for eleven years without electricity, water or plumbing. He had to "carry the water in. Heat it on the stove. That's what you took your bath with. Wake up in the dark. Go to bed in the dark. That's not very pleasant."
"When the computer came out, that was one of the worst things. They laid off all the clerks on the railroad. but added "Every change us good."
Sadly, Mr. Bruening died April 14, 2011.
That Man Had Seen a Lot of History. --Cooter
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