Supercentenarian Profile

Emilija Krištopaitienė

Born:

1902-10-15

Barysai, Šiauliai County

Lithuania

Died:

2014-03-14

Šiauliai, Šiauliai County

Lithuania

Emilija Eufemija Krištopaitienė (née Daukšaitė) was a Lithuanian supercentenarian and the country’s oldest known person ever until 2020.

BIOGRAPHY

Emilija Krištopaitienė was born in the former village of Barysai in Pakruojis District Municipality, Šiauliai County, Lithuania (then Russian Empire), on 15 October 1902. She was born to parents Stasys Daukša and Elžbieta Antanaitytė, the eldest daughter in a family of ten children. Her family owned a 60-hectare farm. Her mother died when she was six years old. Hardened by her early experiences, she grew up to be very hardworking.

Reportedly, her documents listed not only different names but also different dates of birth. According to her passport, she was born on 15 October, while her baptismal certificate records her birth as 2 October and gives her name as Eufemija. According to her granddaughter, her name was changed after World War II when new passports were issued. She explained that officials completing the documents may have found the name Eufemija unusual, and it was therefore recorded as Emilija.

On 19 February 1928, at the age of 25, she married 33-year-old Petras Krištopaitis. The couple had three daughters. She worked for many years on a collective farm, primarily knitting and spinning. Around 1973, following her husband’s death, she moved from the Pakruojis district to Šiauliai with her daughter, Valerija Vasauskienė.

Around the age of 102, she lost her sight, after which she spent her days listening to the radio. On her 109th birthday, she drank a glass of brandy and sampled some cake. She remarked that she had always eaten whatever she liked, never followed any particular diet, and especially enjoyed smoked bacon. According to her daughter, she remained talkative even in old age and enjoyed socializing. Although she did not always understand everything, she was thoughtful and an excellent conversationalist.

Even at 111, she remained deeply religious and prayed frequently each day. When asked what longevity depends on and what advice she would give to someone hoping to live as long, she replied: “If you want God to grant you 110 years, you must first be a good person.” By the age of 111, she had seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Emilija Krištopaitienė passed away in Šiauliai, Lithuania, on 14 March 2014, at the age of 111 years, 150 days.