On Being Blog

  • Archive
  • RSS
  • Ask + we'll answer!
  • Get Published on the On Being Blog
Words of Wisdom Upon the Death of the World’s Oldest Man
by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
A little more than an hour northwest of our studios in St. Paul, Minnesota is the small town of Melrose. And, on September 21, 1896, in that rural farming village just off of what is now known as Interstate 94 was born Walter Breuning, “the world’s oldest man” as officially declared by the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records. He died on Thursday in Great Falls, Montana at the age of 114.
Breuning started working for the Great Northern Railway in 1913 and retired when he was 66. The railroad man, whose life spanned three centuries, leaves some sage advice to the rest of us:
“Tell the truth from the go” (it works out better and doesn’t kill you).

Eat only two meals per day (breakfast and lunch).

Pay cash for everything (you’ll spend more if you charge).

Embrace change (even the computer).

Keep the body busy (even strolling the halls with your walker).

And be kind to others:

“Everybody learns from life what’s going on. And if they pay  attention to everything that people do, especially helping people,  that’s one big thing. A lot of people think they’re born for themselves;  I don’t think that. I believe that we’re here to help other people all  the way through.”


Oh, and one other important piece of advice, don’t fear death:

“So many people are afraid to die, and there’s no use being afraid. You’re born to die — everybody. Eventually that’s what happens, and  maybe it’s good, maybe bad. It depends on what you did during your life. If you take care of your life, God will take care of you. Amen.”


All photos by John Moore/Getty Images
View Separately

Words of Wisdom Upon the Death of the World’s Oldest Man

by Trent Gilliss, senior editor

A little more than an hour northwest of our studios in St. Paul, Minnesota is the small town of Melrose. And, on September 21, 1896, in that rural farming village just off of what is now known as Interstate 94 was born Walter Breuning, “the world’s oldest man” as officially declared by the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records. He died on Thursday in Great Falls, Montana at the age of 114.

Breuning started working for the Great Northern Railway in 1913 and retired when he was 66. The railroad man, whose life spanned three centuries, leaves some sage advice to the rest of us:

“Tell the truth from the go” (it works out better and doesn’t kill you).

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

Eat only two meals per day (breakfast and lunch).

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

Pay cash for everything (you’ll spend more if you charge).

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

Embrace change (even the computer).

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

Keep the body busy (even strolling the halls with your walker).

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

And be kind to others:

“Everybody learns from life what’s going on. And if they pay attention to everything that people do, especially helping people, that’s one big thing. A lot of people think they’re born for themselves; I don’t think that. I believe that we’re here to help other people all the way through.”

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

Oh, and one other important piece of advice, don’t fear death:

“So many people are afraid to die, and there’s no use being afraid. You’re born to die — everybody. Eventually that’s what happens, and maybe it’s good, maybe bad. It depends on what you did during your life. If you take care of your life, God will take care of you. Amen.”

Walter Breuning, the "World's Oldest Man"

All photos by John Moore/Getty Images

    • #Montana Public Radio
    • #world's oldest man
    • #advice
    • #death
    • #Montana
    • #Minnesota
    • #railroad
  • 1 year ago [Fri, Apr 15th, 2011 at 5:12am]
  • 61 notes
  • comments
  • Share

61 Notes/ Hide

  1. new-cell-phones-for-2012 reblogged this from beingblog
  2. pinkunfasten liked this
  3. cloudlesswal liked this
  4. elasticgymnasticstudio liked this
  5. missmosnarylime liked this
  6. missmosnarylime reblogged this from beingblog
  7. quitconstern liked this
  8. lemongrasska liked this
  9. denominatora liked this
  10. unbridledpro liked this
  11. handjobsfuckebony liked this
  12. insertionshotsmother liked this
  13. wordslessspoken liked this
  14. france-presse liked this
  15. france-press liked this
  16. mmm-delicieux liked this
  17. actus-news liked this
  18. yama-bato liked this
  19. jojepie reblogged this from beingblog
  20. jojepie liked this
  21. bumbleful reblogged this from beingblog
  22. problemsolver liked this
  23. proverbialblog reblogged this from beingblog and added:
    Anyone who can make it...114 must know something I don’t -
  24. imasuperlame liked this
  25. mhisadj liked this
  26. kleptosrbetterlovers reblogged this from beingblog
  27. sharanam liked this
  28. beingblog posted this

Recent comments

Blog comments powered by Disqus
← Previous • Next →

Portrait/Logo

About

On Being with Krista Tippett is a public radio project delving into the human side of news stories + issues. Curated + edited by senior editor Trent Gilliss.

We publish guest contributions. We edit long; we scrapbook. We do big ideas + deep meaning. We answer questions.

We've even won a couple of Webbys + a Peabody Award.

Our Social Spaces

  • @Beingtweets on Twitter
  • Facebook Profile
  • being on Vimeo
  • speakingoffaith on Youtube
  • speakingoffaith on Flickr
  • onbeing on Soundcloud

Following

Posts We Like

  • Photo via newshour

    The sails of the Sydney Opera House are illuminated as part of the Vivid Sydney festival of lights on Friday.

    (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

    Photo via newshour
  • Photo via imgfave
    Photo via imgfave
  • Photo via todaysdocument

    Women munition workers urge President to support suffrage bill. Six women war workers, representing thousands of others, were delegated to see...

    Photo via todaysdocument
  • Photo via themorningnews

    In her teens she questioned this view of her father and confronted her mother. Nazi descendants struggle with family history and social stigma.

    Photo via themorningnews
See more →
  • RSS
  • Random
  • Archive
  • Ask + we'll answer!
  • Get Published on the On Being Blog
  • Mobile

American Public Media. Effector Theme by Carlo Franco.

Powered by Tumblr