BIOGRAPHY

Best was born as Lorna Alice Warren in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Canada, on 4 July 1903. She was the first child born to parents Charles and Edra Warren. Her father was an immigrant from England, while her mother had English and Irish ancestry. She had four brothers and two sisters. Her father had moved to Canada to become a farmer, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, he decided to become the village’s secretary-treasurer in 1921. After her father passed away of septicemia in 1925, she dropped out of college to take over her father’s position with the village.

In 1928, she married Gilbert Best, who owned a fire insurance brokerage business. The couple had two children: Shirley (born 1929) and Warren (born 1936).

Her husband passed away in 1966. In 1980, she moved to Victoria to live closer to her siblings who had previously moved there.

At the age of 110, she had six grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Best passed away in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on 1 August 2014, at the age of 111 years, 28 days.

RECOGNITION

On 31 January 2014, at the age of 110 years, 211 days, she surpassed the final age of Mary Anne Scoles (1896– 2007), becoming the oldest person ever born in the province of Manitoba. She held the title until her final age was surpassed by Ellen Gibb in May 2016.

At the time of death, she was the second-oldest living person in the province of British Columbia, after Merle Barwis.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Province’s longevity title lies ahead” – Brandon Sun, 22 January 2014

* “Oldest living Manitoba-born person dies at 111” – Winnipeg Free Press, 2 August 2014

GALLERY