Posted: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:38 pm

County News/Ruth Ann Hager Junior Holbrook looks at his official certification from the Guinness Book of World Records that indicates that he is the world’s oldest living man with Down syndrome. Assisting are Pat Foley, right, and Melissa Stoltz.

By RUTH ANN HAGER
News Editor

WASECA — Pat Foley was so excited when the official Guinness World Record arrived for Bert Holbrook a week ago that she wanted to stand on a street corner and shout out the news.

“It’s so cool,” Foley said.

Holbrook now has the certificate to prove he holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest living person with Down syndrome — in the world.

Eighteen months ago, Foley began the process on Holbrook’s behalf after learning that the oldest man with Down syndrome, according to Guinness, had died in 2007. She began to think that her patient at Elm North in Waseca, could hold the record.

Holbrook turned 80 years old in August.

On Tuesday, Foley and Melissa Stoltz, who also cares for Holbrook at Elm North, showed him the certificate and read him a letter from the Records Management Team at Guinness World Records in London.

The letter reads, “We are pleased to confirm that you have set the new Guinness World Record for ‘Oldest man with Down’s syndrome - living’ and a certificate to commemorate has been sent to you by post today.

“Details of your achievement have been entered into our records as follows: Bert Holbrook (USA, b. 24 August 1928) is currently the oldest fully authenticated male with Down’s syndrome aged 80 years 79 days as of 11 November 2008.”


“In the world!” Foley repeated to Holbrook, who smiled at the document held in front of him.

He was born in Waseca to Bert and Lillian Holbrook in a time when people with Down syndrome lived to an average age of nine years, institutions were the norm and medical care was minimal, according to experts.

But Holbrook thrived in the Waseca community where he lived with his parents and older sister, Marian, and helped out in the family grocery store. For 60 years he was a familiar face around town and everyone knew him as Junior.

Holbrook went to live at Elm Homes in 1984 and moved to Elm North in 2004.

Elm Homes owner Gene Miller plans to frame the Guinness World Record certificate for Holbrook’s room, Foley said.

Holbrook’s 90-year-old sister in Indiana is very excited about the record for her brother and Foley is happy for the publicity the Guinness World Record has brought to Holbrook and others.

“I want everyone to know how awesome this population is,” she said about the Down syndrome community.

“They’re real people, not statistics.”



Ruth Ann Hager is at 507- 837-5446 or rhager@wasecacountynews.com.