Longevity among Azoreans

[Cheri Mello]

Repost for Tina - tinaparks at gwi dot net:

Is there a lot of longevity in Azorean families? My great aunt Edith
Rose Vieira lived until 103 and 1/2.

[Richard Francis Pimentel]

Generally speaking, I would say that you could find both extremes. I had a great aunt that lived to 99 my great grandfather lived to 81, my grandfather lived to 80 my dad is still alive at 90. On the other hand my uncle died at 65. My dad’s mothers family was prone to heart disease and some died early as my uncle. My grandmother lived to 81 though.  

 

Rick

 

Richard Francis Pimentel

Spring, TX

Formerly of Epping, New Hampshire

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[Lionel Holmes]

Don't know if you're referring to native Azoreans, or their descendants. My mother died at 101, born in Sacramento but conceived in Pico. My wife, born here, was 95.  Her sister, born in Sao Jorge, was 97.

Lionel Rocha Holmes

[Lorinda Sevenans]

Is there a lot of longevity in Azorean families? My great aunt Edith
Rose Vieira lived until 103 and 1/2.

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My mother is 96yrs., still living, her mother lived to 90 and her father to 86. The other in the family, not so much.

Lorinda

[Cara...@aol.com]

My female Azorean ancestors have lived & are living well into their 90's. The men don't seem to do as well in my family.

Sherry

 

In a message dated 2/8/2011 8:19:03 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, gfsc...@gmail.com writes:

Repost for Tina - tinaparks at gwi dot net:

Is there a lot of longevity in Azorean families? My great aunt Edith
Rose Vieira lived until 103 and 1/2.

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[Kim Rowe]

My Fathers mother was 100% Portuguese.  I am still trying to find out were my fathers mother is from in the azores. 

 

My Dads sister Mabel 50% Portuguese born in Albion, CA was 95 years old when she passed away. 

 

My father was born in Fort Bragg, CA is also 50% portuguese will be 92 years old this month.  My father still lives in his own house without any assistance.

 

Kim Rowe Jenkins

Louisiana

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From: Richard Francis Pimentel <Rfrancis...@Comcast.net>
To: azo...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 3:31:37 PM
Subject: RE: [AZORES-Genealogy] Longevity among Azoreans

[Mary Bordi]

My great grandfather from Sao Jorge died when he was 90. His mother
(who never left the Azores and had 10 children [not all lived to
adulthood] was 100 when she died.

My great grandmother from Sao Jorge, died here in the US at 70 from
heart problems. Her mother (in the Azores) had died at 59 after having
9 children. Her father remarried and died when he was nearly 80.

Their daughter, my grandmother, was nearly 90 when she died. And her
daughter (my mom) is 93 and still has her wits about her although she
can't get around.

Mom has always said she comes from a line of long livers.

Mary Bordi

[White]

My mother was one of 9 siblings. She died at 96, another sister at 99, another at 100, one brother at 98, a sister at 93. One sister is 94 and still driving and another sister is 87 and looks 40. One brother died in an accident and one sister from Parkinson at 62. So yes I think there is a longevity gene from the Azores. My grandparents came from the Azores and settled in Hawaii. So it might be that living in Paradise had something to do with it.

 

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[janet laytham]

None of my relatives from 2 islands have lived beyond 82.  Many died in their 50s.

[Cheri Mello]

To REALLY find out, someone would have to go to their local university library and pull the scientific studies.

From television shows, (for whatever their edited programs are worth), I remember seeing one about Blue Zones.  The average age at death was very high.  I remember a certain area in Japan.  Seventh-Day Adventists was another.  I want to say that they had 7 of these Blue Zones.  I don't remember how much in scientific fact they were based though (valid and reliable studies that are held to a certain standard).  Google "blue zones" in quotes to find out more.  But your best bet is scientific fact which means a trip to the university library.

My genealogy program can run a statistical report.  So I ran it to see what it said about my Portuguese ancestors.

Out of the 3522 Portuguese people in my database, I have the deaths on only 397 of them.
Average age at death: 43.7 years with a standard deviation of 33.8 years.  Minimum age at death 0 and maximum age at death was 101 years.

If I break it down by sex, I have the deaths on 216 males.  Average age at death: 43 years with a standard deviation of 34.2 years.  Minimum age at death 0 and maximum age at death was 101 years.

I have the deaths on 181 females.  Average age at death: 44.6 years with a standard deviation of 33.3 years.  Minimum age at death 0 and maximum age at death was 96 years.

If you had to take stats in your past, a standard deviation of 30 some years is really, really high and would not make for a good scientific study.  The large standard deviation is due to all the infant deaths that I have in my genealogy database.  It's dragging the average down.

I don't know if I'll have the time to try to play around with the program and see if it'll give me the average age at death for those after the age of 18.  If I find it, I'll post it here.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Cheri Mello]

Found it!!!

I ran the filter for age at death was greater than 17 (so it counts age 18 on up).

I have 354 people who died after the age of 18 (I guess the other 43 deaths are all babies - and those are the ones that I've found so far).  Average age at death: 66.5 years with a standard deviation of 17.0 years.  Minimum age at death 20 and maximum age at death was 101 years.

I have the deaths on 185 males (over the age of 17).  Average age at death: 66.9 years with a standard deviation of 16.6 years.  Minimum age at death 20 and maximum age at death was 101 years.

I have the deaths on 169 females (over the age of 17). Average age at death: 66.0 years with a standard deviation of 17.5 years.  Minimum age at death 21 and maximum age at death was 96 years.

To make this a really valid study, I'd have to find the deaths on ALL my ancestors and then take a true random sample (like picking a name out of a hat).  The same guy who died at 101 keeps popping up (yes, Altino, your great-grandfather).

Roughly and unscientifically though, it looks like the adults in my family died in their 60s on average, but I have a few in their 90s and one at 101.

[John Vasconcelos]

My paternal grandmother who lived on the Island of Flores her entire life lived to the age of 94 which doesn't sound that impressive, BUT she had 17 children, all born before 1900!!  I have several first cousins who lived to over 90 years  of age, 3 of whom are still alive. My oldest first cousin died early last year one month shy of her 99th birthday.
John Vasconcelos

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[Thomas da/de Costa Vasconcelos Rodrigues Gouveia Oliveira Cabral]

I have seen this longevity in my azorean family as well I have two
great aunts that are still alive at 95 & 96 and an uncle who is still
alive at 97 they are 1/2 azorean and there mother was from Madeira(she
lived to be 101!). Records show my Bretanha GGgrandmother had a child
at 42! But, since I plan to retire in Sao Miguel 10 years, please dont
tell anyone or the Brits/Germans on holiday and retiring American baby
boomers will overrun and ruin our beautiful and peaceful azores with
ovecrowding and noise as they look for the fountain of youth. I think
the secret lies in hard work and plenty of bacalhau/fish and fruits
and lots of KALE SOUP!

[Lorinda Sevenans]

 I  think the secret lies in hard work and plenty of bacalhau/fish and fruits

and lots of KALE SOUP!

That's a healthy way to eat, but my mom - 96 - grew up on American food. Her father immigrated from the Azores in 1901, her mother was born in Mass. of Azorian parents, so she was 2nd generation on her mother's side. Her dad owned a butcher shop in Fairfield, CA and they always ate whatever didn't sell! Lots of food on the table, even during the depression. Her mother, who died at 90, was diabetic as is my mother and I'm prediabetic, so I really don't know how their poor health has led to such a long life. Think how much better it would have been if they'd been eating that kale soup! :)

Lorinda

[Alvin Goularte]

My great grandfather was born, lived and died (1950) at the age of 94 years
in Madalena do Pico. Other than colds, he never suffered any major illness.
I also had an aunt that was born in Calheta,
Sao Jorge, in 1901,and died in California in 2005. I have several aunts and
uncles that lived into their 90's.

alive at 97 they are 1/2 azorean and there mother was from Madeira(she
lived to be 101!). Records show my Bretanha GGgrandmother had a child
at 42! But, since I plan to retire in Sao Miguel 10 years, please dont

tell anyone or the Brits/Germans on holidaaay and retiring American baby

boomers will overrun and ruin our beautiful and peaceful azores with
ovecrowding and noise as they look for the fountain of youth. I think
the secret lies in hard work and plenty of bacalhau/fish and fruits
and lots of KALE SOUP!

On Feb 8, 8:17 am, Cheri Mello <gfsche...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Repost for Tina - tinaparks at gwi dot net:
>
> Is there a lot of longevity in Azorean families? My great aunt Edith
> Rose Vieira lived until 103 and 1/2.

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[Emily Martin]

Ok..this is my first time writing anything in here and I hope I am
doing it correctly...(let me know if I am not!)

I have enjoyed reading about longevity among Azoreans. My father in
law (who's father came from St. Barthlemew (sp?) Terceira and his
mother from Porto Judeu Terceira before he was born) just turned 87
years old and his diet consists of bacon, linguica, bread and butter,
black licorce, and ice cream (with an occasional banana or orange if
it is sweet enough!) So apparently it is not all in the "Kale
soup"...I WOULD like a recipe for that!

Emily Martin

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