Walton County BOC Table Naming of Bridge for World's Oldest Resident
Walton County Board of Commission members tabled the matter of naming a new bridge in Between for Besse Cooper, the world's oldest resident, until the August BOC meeting.
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Walton County District 2 Commissioner Chuck Bagley said the naming of the bridge in Between currently under construction for the world's oldest resident, Besse Cooper, 115, was tabled Tuesday night. It will likely be discussed again at the August meeting. The matter had been put on the July Walton County Board of Commission meeting agenda after people asked that the BOC consider naming New Hope Road Bridge over the Alcovy River after Cooper, who had moved to Between in 1917 at the age of 19 to teach. She never left and now, at the age of 115, lives in a nursing home in Monroe.
"There have been some requests about doing something for some World War II veterans as well and that is being looked into," Bagley said. "Mrs. Cooper's birthday is in August and the construction on the bridge is expected to be completed by then, so there is time to address it in the August meeting."
Bagley said Cooper's son attended the BOC meeting and he seemed pleased at the outcome. Initially, Georgia House Reps. Tom Kirby and Bruce Williamson thought it required state action, but then were able to refer the matter to BOC Chairman Kevin Little since it is a county road.
"I think it is a great idea to name the bridge after Mrs Cooper," Little said at the time, adding " I think the bridge is scheduled to be opened in August and I believe her birthday is in August. Maybe we could even bring her out for the dedication. It will be a great honor for the community of Between. I know she has a history in that community."
Cooper's son said he didn't think his mother's condition is such that she herself would be able to attend a dedication, but he was pleased that the county was considering it. She is likely now to share that honor with some local World War II verterans.
Kristin Phelps
12:09 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Great article, I hope they name the bridge after Besse. If anyone is interested in more information on these amazing people or other supercentenarians(people over 110 years) we track all verified at http://www.livingsupercentenarians.com .
Robert Young
5:51 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012
There's only one verified person left alive in this world, born in 1896...the year the modern Olympic games started, the year William Jennings Bryan delivered his "Cross of Gold" speech, the year the city of Miami was founded and segregation began in the US South after the US Supreme Court made the 1896 Plessy vs Ferguson ruling.
That one person is Besse Cooper...oldest living person not just of Between, GA; or Walton County, GA; or of Georgia; or even the United States. No, the honor comes with the "World's Oldest Person" title.
Even then, Ms. Cooper has already surpassed the average title reign (nine months) and average titleholder age (115 years 2 weeks) and yesterday moved up to 8th-oldest all-time.
Yet Besse Cooper is more than just a number or a living link to historical events long past, she is a living legend, a strong woman who went to college at a time when most women didn't, who became a teacher, and after delaying her career due to the times (women were not allowed to have children if they were teachers back in 1917), started a family in her 30s, even giving birth naturally at age 48.
This strong woman was denied the right to vote in 1916 on account of her gender...it was not until 1920 that US women won the right to vote for president. How far have we come since 1916? Apparently, not far enough. A woman old enough to be the mother of World War II veterans should be worthy enough for a standalone honor. After all, she stands alone at the top.
Robert Young
6:05 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012
My six-times great grandfather was Revolutionary War veteran General John Armstrong. My four-times great grandfather was Revolutionary War hero Patrick Henry Roberts, a man prominent enough to have penned a letter to Thomas Jefferson. It's always good to remember those who served their country and made America the strong nation that it is. But that nation also includes America's women.
Right now, Japan is revered as a nation of longevity, yet their oldest living resident was born in 1897. Europe is often touted for their healthcare, yet their oldest living resident was born in 1899. Meanwhile, America's oldest person, Besse Cooper, who was 15 when the Titanic sank in 1912 and 22 when the song "God Bless America" was written in 1918, is a living symbol of American strength and endurance.
The Georgia 400 McFarland Road interchange (Exit 12) was named after fellow supercentenarian Dr. Leila Denmark, who died in April at age 114. She, too, was a legend of longevity. How appropriate it would be for Besse Cooper, a woman whose career may be more ordinary but whose endurance, strength, and wit is legend, to be conferred a similar honor WHILE living. Ms. Cooper remembers boating down the Tennessee River in 1899 on her father's boat...she may be the last person alive on Earth who is old enough to even remember the 1800s (she was 3 when Jan 1 1900 got here). Ms. Cooper's life is a bridge between the past and the present. Naming this bridge after her will reach the future.
Sharon Swanepoel
6:37 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Thank you so much for all that information Robert. I'm inclined to agree with you. I think our World War II veterans should be honored too, and I'm sure there is a way we can honor them, but I hope that Mrs. Cooper gets the bridge.