DURANT, Okla. (AP) - Oleane Young Mulkey reached out her wrinkled hands and gently pulled back a pink blanket to peek at her one and only great-great-great-granddaughter.
Nothing could have been any sweeter to 107-year-old Mulkey as she leaned into the pink bundle and kissed the sleeping baby.
The sweet smell of baby powder, cherub cheeks and the delicate tiny hands clutching her pacifier while sleeping angelically amounted to a perfect introduction to Addison, who was born on Oct. 30, 2016.
The Tulsa World (https://bit.ly/2is8bDC ) reports six generations of Mulkey’s family recently gathered at the matriarch’s home in Roberta, which is just outside of Durant in Bryan County near the Oklahoma-Texas border.
On Mulkey’s branch of the family tree, there are 100 living direct descendants, including nine children, 24 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, 29 great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild. She has three deceased children and one deceased grandchild.
“When she saw Addison, she kept saying ’how precious - how precious,’” said Janeva Maxson, Mulkey’s great-granddaughter and Addison’s grandmother.
The matriarch could not hold the baby by herself, but with the help of Maxson she cuddled and snuggled the baby.
“I was helping her hold her, and she didn’t want me to take her away,” Maxson said. “It was such a joy to see.”
Most families have three generations, some families have four generations, and few people have five generations, she said.
“Anytime I need advice I have many generations to listen to,” Maxson said. “People are always shocked when I tell them about my family.”
Maxson said she feels blessed to have not only a large extended family but a wonderful, close, giving family as well.
“I used to take it for granted and just thought everyone had such a big, loving family, but as I have gotten older I realize just how special it is,” Maxson said. “I am so glad that my children have recognized it early and are so proud to be a part of such a legacy.”
Seven living generations in one family is a Guinness Book of World Records accomplishment.
Gloria Helmuth, director of Centenarians of Oklahoma, said she is not aware of a seven-generation family in Oklahoma.
“We have had six-generation (families) across the state before, but this is perhaps the only current one,” Helmuth said.
The Tulsa-based organization estimates based on the recent Census there are about 300 centenarians living in the state, she said. The oldest known person living in Oklahoma is Mary Erbin of Jones, who turned 109 in August, Helmuth said.
“We have honored over 2,000 centenarians in the past 25 years,” Helmuth said.
Helmuth said when asked about their longevity, the centenarians say “living a good life, doing good for others and having a faith in God” are the key ingredients to a long life.
Oleane Mulkey was born in June 17, 1909, in Rochelle, Texas. She came to Oklahoma as a young child and has lived most of her life in Bryan County. She attended school at Wade, said her daughter, Pat Gayle.
The family refers to Gayle as the family historian.
Mulkey and her husband, Jonas, raised 12 children and she never worked outside the home, Gayle said. Jonas Mulkey died in August 1979.
“I think mother has lived so long because she wants to live,” Gayle said. “She wants to keep up with all the relatives and looks forward to her next birthday.”
Her habit of cooking three meals each day, taking an afternoon nap, refraining from smoking and drinking, and a daily conversation with her Lord is what she credits with a long life, family members said.
She worked the crossword puzzle in the local paper every day until her eyesight became poor about a year ago, and she likes to play dominoes.
“She still eats sausage and molasses every morning and has near-perfect blood work,” Gayle said. “She is her physician’s oldest patient.”
She does have a pacemaker but only takes blood pressure medicine and low-dose aspirin, she said.
Mulkey has never driven a vehicle but goes to Wal-Mart every Thursday to buy her groceries, Gayle said.
For many years, most of her children and grandchildren would show up at her house every Saturday for lunch, she said.
“She cooked lunch for however many were there,” Gayle said.
Mulkey has been a member of the Roberta Baptist Church but recently has been taking in services “on the TV.” She still lives at home, under the watchful eye of her children and a home health aide who helps take care of her, family members said.
In her 80s, she became quite the tourist, traveling by vehicle to Atlanta, to the Gulf of Mexico, to Canada and to California. She also took her first airplane ride when she went to California to attend a grandson’s wedding, Gayle said.
At age 80, she was given a surprise birthday party, and the tradition has continued most every year since, including a picnic at the park on her last birthday, she said.
Mulkey’s longevity is hereditary.
Both of her parents lived into their 90s, two of her aunts lived to be older than 100, one sister recently passed away at the age of 85, another sister lived to be in her 90s, and another lived to her late 80s, Gayle said.
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Information from: Tulsa World, https://www.tulsaworld.com
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