Supercentenarian Profile

Gerda Christensen

Born:

1916-01-17

Hobro, North Jutland Region

Denmark

Current Residence:

Hobro, North Jutland Region

Denmark

Gerda Christensen is a Danish supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Gerda Christensen was born in the area of Bramslev Bakker, near Hobro in North Jutland Region, Denmark, on 17 January 1916, the second child in a family of five. Her father was a laborer who suffered from long periods of illness. Some of her earliest memories were from Sønder Onsild, where she began attending Sunday school at the age of five. The family later moved to the village of Hvornum, where she spent most of her childhood and received her schooling. In primary school, she had a religious teacher from whom she learned Bible history.

After completing her schooling following her confirmation, she did not take a job elsewhere but remained at home, where she was needed as a nanny. She also worked as a nanny on several farms in the surrounding area.

She married Mikael Christensen in 1938. Together, they ran his birthplace—a family farm in Brøndum near Hobro—for 43 years, from 1938 to 1981. One of the first things the couple did was build a new farmhouse. In 1939, they became parents for the first time. In total, they had five children: four sons and one daughter. Tragically, one of their sons died in a traffic accident in 1966 at the age of 26.

In addition to managing household duties, Gerda took part in farm work in both the fields and the stables. The farm had cows, pigs, chickens, and bees. When they later began selling produce directly from the farm, their circle of friends and acquaintances grew.

After selling the property to their eldest son in 1981, Gerda and Mikael settled in Hvornum. She continued to keep her garden beautiful with flowers, both as a hobby and as a matter of personal pride, for as long as she was able. In 1992, she was widowed. Following her husband’s passing, she moved to a smaller house, where she lived until she later entered a nursing home.

At the age of 100, when asked to name the greatest advances she had witnessed in her lifetime, she remarked: “I don’t think the world has become better. There is so much that is not good happening, but we can rejoice that the word of God can still be preached freely in our country.”