BIOGRAPHY

Etelvina Fernandez Suarez was born in the neighborhood of El Forcón in Miranda, Asturias, Spain, on 18 November 1907, as the eldest of five children born to Manuel and Adela. During her childhood, she was a student of Faustina Álvarez, the mother of playwright Alejandro Casona. At that time, her father, Manuel, faced unemployment in the region and was forced to emigrate to West Virginia, USA, to join the Royal Mining Company. From that moment on, her mother, Adela, took charge of the family, bearing the responsibility of educating and raising her five children, with significant help from her eldest daughter, Etelvina.

During the Civil War of 1936, she endured the deaths of her father, her brother, and her boyfriend. The family farm suffered greatly when the army requisitioned their cattle. With little left to sustain them, they experienced hunger, as ration cards barely covered their basic needs.

After the war, she continued to live in El Forcón until her mother, Adela, passed away. Following that, she decided to work as a domestic worker in Avilés before moving to Madrid for employment. She never married and often sarcastically claimed that this was one of the secrets to her longevity.

After many years of hard work, she retired to her apartment in Avilés. At the age of 106, she was self-sufficient and an avid reader of all kinds of books and novels. She enjoyed listening to the radio until dawn and was a devoted fan of soap operas.

Etelvina Fernandez Suarez passed away in Avilés, Asturias, Spain, on 24 November 2017, six days following her 110th birthday.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “La nueva abuela de Avilés” – El Comercio, 24 November 2013

* “Fallece la avilesina más longeva, Telva Fernández, a los 110 años” – El Comercio, 25 November 2017

GALLERY