Ilda Torres Kummer is a Brazilian semi-supercentenarian.
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BIOGRAPHY
Ilda Torres Kummer was born on 28 September 1916, in a place called Ferraria, and was registered in the district of Campo Comprido in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. She is the daughter of Josephina Sávio Torres (1876–1969), who came from Trebaseleghe, a community in the Veneto region of Italy, and Campolim Alves de Almeida Torres (1862–1949), grandson of Commander Mariano de Almeida Torres, a prominent figure in Curitiba in the late 19th century. She grew up in a large family with nine other siblings, and is the only one still living.
She studied teaching but did not complete her degree. In 1938, she married Luiz Kummer, an employee of Banco do Brasil, and moved to Curitiba, where she devoted herself to domestic duties. Soon, children began to arrive, increasing her responsibility for their upbringing and education. They had four children, raised in the light of Christian values. Constant encouragement to study led to one becoming a doctor, one a teacher, and two engineers.
Naturally, over time, the children gained their independence with personal projects and started new families. Two children settled in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, and two in Curitiba. The void left by their children was gradually filled by the joy of grandchildren, later great-grandchildren, and today even great-great-grandchildren. From then on, the most important and eagerly awaited event for everyone was the family reunion at the end of each year, especially on Christmas Day. These were always moments of great joy and unforgettable memories.
She became a widow in 1997, at the age of 81, when she chose to live alone, as she still enjoyed complete independence and frequent visits from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She particularly enjoyed watching the news on TV, keeping herself informed about current events. Charitable and very religious, she was always present at events of this nature. Her generosity always earned the respect and admiration of relatives and friends, especially her four children, 12 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and certainly her four great-great-grandchildren, who were still babies (in 2025).
In 2020, with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, she moved in with one of her children in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo. In 2023, at the age of 107, she suffered an accidental fall, resulting in a fractured femur, which required her to undergo surgery with a prosthesis implant. With the exception of childbirth, this was the only hospitalisation in her entire life. Despite her full recovery, she was recommended to use a walker as a preventive safety measure.
Currently, her greatest limitation is hearing impairment, and her main distractions are embroidery, which she still practices with great skill and often without the aid of glasses, card games, and some puzzles.
RECOGNITION
Her age was verified by Gabriel Ainsworth and Iara Souza, and validated by LongeviQuest on 1 August 2025.
ATTRIBUTION
(The biography of Ilda Torres Kummer was compiled entirely through interviews with her family.)
GALLERY
As a girl. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
As an adult woman. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda and her siblings around 1984. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda with her children, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law in 1986. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda with her sisters around 1994. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda with her children in 2016. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
At the age of 102. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda with some great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren in 2019. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
At the age of 107 in 2023. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda while sewing at the age of 108 in 2025. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
Ilda while playing cards at the age of 108 in 2025. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
One day before her 109th birthday, on 27 September 2025. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
On her 109th birthday, on 28 September 2025. (Source: Courtesy of the family).
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