[Deathwatch] Olive Riley, world's oldest blogger , 108

[Deathwatch Central]

World's oldest blogger signs off singing aged 108

Mon Jul 14

An Australian woman renowned as the world's oldest blogger has died at
the age of 108, with her last posting talking about her ailing health
but also how she still sings a happy song every day.

Olive Riley, of Woy Woy about 50 miles north of Sydney, began blogging
in February last year, sharing stories from her life during the two
world wars, raising three children on her own, and working as a station
cook in the outback.

The physically frail but mentally alert Riley won an international
audience with her blog, The Life of Riley (www.allaboutolive.com.au),
and series of videos posted on YouTube with her talking and singing.

Riley was said to be the world's oldest blogger as she was 12 years
older than the previous titleholder, Spain's Maria Amelia. She was born
in 1899 and would have turned 109 in October.

"She enjoyed the notoriety -- it kept her mind fresh," her
great-grandson Darren Stone of Brisbane told local newspapers.

"She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and
America on a continual basis, not just once in a while."

Riley had posted more than 70 entries on her blog -- or "her blob" as
she jokingly called it -- since February last year. She set up the site
with the help of a friend who entered her posts for her.

In her last and 74th post (http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com) on
June 26 she spoke of moving into a nursing home and of her ill health,
saying: "I still feel weak and can't shake off that bad cough."

She spoke about singing "a happy song" with a visitor to the home as
she did every day and said she had "read a whole swag of email messages
and comments from my internet friends today, and I was so pleased to
hear from you. Thank you, one and all."

She died in the nursing home on Saturday.


Many thanks to Deathwatch Central for posting this obituary