María Isabel Cedeño Vélez claimed to have been born in Las Chacras Adentro (Portoviejo), Manabí Province, Ecuador, on 1 October 1908. At some point, she married Miguel Astolfo Murillo, with whom she had 12 children. She wove hammocks, hats, and saddlebags through the night to help support her household. Her husband, a farmer, worked tirelessly to provide for their children. According to her daughter, the family never lacked anything. She continued working until the age of 80, when her children insisted she rest and retire.
By her claimed 110th birthday, she was living in the home of her daughter, María del Carmen Murillo. At that time, her family had grown to include 54 grandchildren, 108 great-grandchildren, and 48 great-great-grandchildren. Despite her advanced age, she still enjoyed sweets, maintained a hearty appetite, and had no major health issues beyond those typical of her years.
María Isabel Cedeño Vélez passed away in Las Chacras de Riochico (Portoviejo), on 19 March 2020, at the claimed age of 111 years, 170 days.
Her age has not been validated.
* “María Isabel celebró sus 105 años” – El Diario Ecuador, 6 October 2013
* “La abuelita de 110 años, 108 bisnietos y 48 tataranietos” – El Diario Ecuador, 6 October 2018
* “la Sra. María Isabel Cedeño Vélez que cumple 111 años de edad en la comunidad las Chacaras de la parroquia Riochico de cantón Portoviejo” – Últimas Noticias Portoviejo – Manabí, 1 October 2019