BIOGRAPHY

Osorio Zafra was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico, on 3 June 1916. She spent her childhood in the San Pedro neighborhood of Tlaxiaco. During the Mexican Revolution (1910–17), her family had to hide in the mountains to prevent her father from being recruited by the armed forces.

At the age of 25, she married Enrique Montes Palacios in September 1941, and they had six children. Together, they started a business, dedicating themselves to bread production and grocery sales. In 1963, they moved to the city of Oaxaca to provide a better education for their children. They started another business, managing the cafeteria at the Technical Vocational Secondary School Number 14, and later ran the El Cid Restaurant at the Mesón del Ángel hotel.

At the age of 70, she turned to sports, becoming an aerobics instructor and taking up walking, which she continued to practice well into her 100s. She enjoys taking care of her plants and the birds that come to feed at her house daily. When asked about the secret to her long life, she says, “Sleep well and eat well.” Her grandson believes that “perhaps her biggest secret is her good character; no one has ever seen her get mad, and she remains calm in the face of adversity.” One of her passions is traveling; at 94 years old, she traveled to Europe.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Gabriel Ainsworth and Fabrizio Villatoro, and validated by LongeviQuest on 20 June 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY