Fleshing out connections, here’s a set of data points:

• Besse Cooper, once the world’s oldest living person at 116 years of age, was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA, in 1896.
• Besse graduated from ETSU* in 1916.
• My father in-law was born in 1916.  He and his wife (my mother in-law, born in 1917), both also graduated from ETSU**, in the early 1930s.
• My father, born in 1935, taught at ETSU as an adjunct professor for over 20 years, and died earlier this year.
• Besse Cooper died yesterday in Monroe, Georgia.
• My uncle, former dean of history at Valdosta State University, and my aunt live in an assisted living facility not far from Monroe, Georgia.
• I was born and grew up in Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA, and attended ETSU in the early 1980s.
• My sister was born and grew up in Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA, and received her master’s degree from ETSU.
• My wife was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA.

Question: We can create as many connections as we wish but how many of them are real?
Question: How many of us will live to be centenarians?

* called East Tennessee State Normal School at the time.** called East Tennessee State Teachers College at the time.