Supercentenarian Profile

Elvira Azkarate Etxebarria

Born:

1903-03-29

Bilbao, Basque Country

Spain

Died:

2013-10-21

Leioa, Basque Country

Spain

Elvira María Azkarate Etxebarria was a Spanish supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Elvira Azkarate Etxebarria was born in the Solokoetxe neighborhood of Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, on 29 March 1903. She grew up in the Larragan farmhouse in Etxebarri. There, she enjoyed the surrounding fields and rural life in a distinctly Basque environment. According to her son, she spoke Basque more fluently than Spanish, and it was the only language she allowed her children to speak at home. He also believed that she likely worked in Las Arenas before marriage, although she was unable to recall any details later in life.

She married Jesús Bilbao, and the couple had three children: Miren Karmele, Josu, and Luis Javier. Her husband was from Sopelana and earned his living as a sailor, traveling across much of the world. Elvira met him on All Saints’ Day in Portugalete, likely at a dance held at the well-known Portu dance hall, according to her children. Their courtship lasted only six months. She married at the age of 24 in the Basilica of Begoña on 15 May 1927—the feast day of Saint Isidore—and the couple honeymooned in San Sebastián. However, she later remarked that she did not like San Sebastián at all. After their marriage, the couple settled in Bilbao. He left life at sea, though not sailing altogether, and found work on the estuary and in the port as a coastal skipper. Elvira devoted herself to housework and to raising their three children. Her husband passed away in 1994 at the age of 94.

Their lives were later disrupted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Elvira recalled a near-death experience when a bomb fell very close to her as she was walking through the streets of Bilbao in search of shelter.

Elvira never suffered from any serious illness during her life. Her only major health scare occurred in 1990, when she underwent stomach surgery. She was known for having a good appetite and would eat almost anything. Even in the nursing home, she retained this appetite, though she made it clear to the staff that she disliked leek and potato soup. To avoid the dining room, Elvira employed a few small tricks. According to her son, there were days when she refused to eat altogether, claiming she felt unwell, when in fact she simply disliked the meal being served. At other times, she pretended to have low blood pressure as an excuse to stay in bed rather than get up.

Elvira Azkarate Etxebarria passed away in Leioa, Basque Country, on 21 October 2013, at the age of 110 years, 206 days.