BIOGRAPHY

Jensen was born in Herning, Midtjylland, Denmark, on 7 May 1908, as the eldest of five children born to parents Hans Jørgensen Lindholm and Helfrida Nielsine Lindholm. One of her sisters had a developmental disability, and since their father refused public assistance, she took on much of her sister’s care. Her father was a blacksmith. As a child, she accompanied her mother each morning to clean three of the city’s offices. After finishing school, she worked night shifts as a telephone operator at Jydsk Telefon.

In 1934, she married Ejner Jensen. Shortly after their marriage, they lost a daughter to stillbirth, and Karla experienced several miscarriages. In the 1940s, they adopted two children: Anne-Lykke (1944–2014) and Hans-Boy (born 1948). Her husband was a master painter but later opened his own business on Herning’s main street. He ran a shop selling wine, tobacco, and handmade pipes, handling the purchasing while Karla worked as a clerk and managed the accounts. He passed away in 1975.

In 2014, her daughter died from cancer. Even as a supercentenarian, she still lived in the same apartment where she moved in with her husband following their marriage.

RECOGNITION

Jensen was portrayed in TV series “I Danmark er jeg født” (English: “I was born in Denmark”) and in the book “Jenny og de andre 100+” (English: “Jenny and the other 100+”), written by Jørn Jørs Pedersen.

On 22 July 2017, following the death of 111-year-old Ellen Brandenborg, she became the oldest living person in Denmark, at the age of 109.

On 23 August 2017, following the death of 110-year-old Ulla Lund of Massachusetts, USA, she became the oldest living Danish-born person.

On 24 July 2019, following the death of 111-year-old Carl Mattsson of Sweden, she became the oldest living person in the Nordic Countries.

On 20 November 2019, at the age of 111 years, 197 days, she surpassed Ellen Brandenborg’s final age, and became the oldest known person ever to live in Denmark.

Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov, and validated by the ESO on 15 January 2020.

On 7 May 2020, she became the first Danish woman to turn 112 years old, and the first Danish-born person to do so since Christian Mortensen in 1994.

On 29 May 2020, Jensen became the last known surviving person in the Nordic region born in the 1900s decade, following the death of 110-year-old Saara Ahonen of Finland.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Hans-Boys mor er Danmarks ældste: ”Min mors styrke er hendes livsværdier”” – Kristeligt Dagblad, 5 December 2019

* “Karla Lindholm Jensen levede et langt liv med dyb sorg og stor lykke” – Kristeligt Dagblad, 18 December 2020

GALLERY