Supercentenarian Profile

Margareta Tukleris

Born:

1916-01-26

Private

Lithuania

Current Residence:

Stoney Creek, Ontario

Canada

Margareta Tukleris is a Lithuanian-born Canadian supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Margareta Tukleris was born in Lithuania (then Russian Empire) on 27 January 1916. She fled Latvia after the Second World War, crossing the Baltic Sea in a fishing boat to Sweden. In 1948, she immigrated to Canada with her husband, Andreis (Andy) Tukleris, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax. The couple then travelled by train to Ilderton, near London, where they lived with a dairy-farming family for several years before moving to Hamilton and eventually settling in Stoney Creek, where she lived for more than 60 years.

Together, they raised four daughters: Inara, Zigrida, Elizabeth, and Anita. She worked as a labourer at E.D. Smith for approximately 25 years, while also maintaining her home and tending to her garden. She never drank alcohol or smoked. She was widowed in March 2010.

Her daughter attributed her health and longevity to good genes and hard work. In her free time, she enjoyed gardening and cooking. She was also an accomplished seamstress, creating dresses and suits, and was skilled in crocheting and knitting.