Europe's oldest person turns 115 in Portugal: reports

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-12 14:52

LISBON - A Portuguese woman believed to be Europe's oldest person and the second-oldest in the world celebrated her 115th birthday this week with her family, local media reported Thursday.

Portugal's Maria de Jesus, seen here in 2006 and who is believed to be Europe's oldest person and the second-oldest in the world, celebrated her 115th birthday this week with her family, local media reported Thursday. [Agencies]

Maria de Jesus marked the occasion on Wednesday in her village of Corujo in central Portugal.

Born September 10, 1893, Maria de Jesus is classified as the oldest person in Europe and second oldest in the world after American Edna Parker -- born April 20, 1893 -- by the US-based Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

GRG tracks "supercentenarians", or people over the age of 110, worldwide whose birth dates can be verified.

De Jesus celebrated her birthday by eating her favourite Portuguese dessert, rice cake, local media said.

Born into a poor family, de Jesus lost the use of one of her eyes when she was a child and began working in the fields at the age of 12.

She raised six children and was a widower at 57.

De Jesus never attended school, said her 84-year-old daughter, Maria Madalena, according to Diario de Noticias.

For her 100th birthday, de Jesus said she wanted to learn to read and write.

"A teacher came for a few months, but she never made it," said her daughter.