BIOGRAPHY

Ignacia Miranda Mata was born in Cereceda, Burgos, Castile and León, Spain, on 31 July 1914. Her grandparents were shepherds, and her parents worked in agriculture. As a child, she helped at home by cleaning, cooking, and caring for her siblings. She was the middle child of five and had little formal education until the age of nine when she was sent to stay with relatives in Zamora, who had land and livestock, to help care for their young children. Afterward, she returned to her village and, barely a teenager, moved to Bilbao to work in a dentist’s household. It was in Cereceda that she met her future husband, Miguel, at a local festival.

Due to the remote location of her residence, her family barely experienced the effects of World War II. The only impact they felt was the introduction of food ration cards, which limited the amount of food each family could obtain, but the system was well organized. After getting married, she had five children (two deceased as of July 2024). She was widowed at the age of 49 and shortly afterward moved to Bilbao.

At the age of 110, when asked about the secret to her longevity, she replied, “I am in good health, natural, nothing hurts me. I don’t take any pills.” She also mentioned that she ate everything and suggested that one of the keys to her long life might be the food grown in her village. Even in her centenarian years, she continued knitting and sewing. Throughout her life, she made dresses for her daughters and had friends who were skilled dressmakers who helped her cut the fabric.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Ignacia Miranda cumple 110 años: “No me aburro de vivir”” – Deia, 31 July 2024

GALLERY