Supercentenarian Profile

María Pérez Llanos

Born:

1915-03-28

Cuenca de Campos, Castile and León

Spain

Current Residence:

Palencia, Castile and León

Spain

María Purificación Pérez Llanos is a Spanish supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

María Pérez Llanos was born in Cuenca de Campos, Castile and León, Spain, on 28 March 1915. In her youth, she enjoyed dancing. She recalled having a very happy childhood and spent six years in Villarramiel, Palencia, living with an aunt before her marriage. She was one of eight siblings, and at the age of 110, five of them—including herself—were still alive, while the others had died during the Spanish flu.

At the age of 28, she married her husband, Segundo de la Cuesta. She was widowed around 2002, when he passed away at the age of 87. He worked as a ticket inspector on the Secondary Railway, and the couple lived in Villalón de Campos, Medina de Rioseco, and Valderas before eventually settling in Palencia.

Her parents remained in Cuenca de Campos, and she would visit them by train, using a pass that allowed her to travel free of charge. The couple had four children: Julián; twins María Jesús and Segundo; and Ricardo. On 19 May 2019, her son Julián de la Cuesta Pérez passed away, aged 72.

At 108, it was reported that she did not need glasses to read or watch TV, nor a cane to walk, and her memory remained sharp. At the age of 110, she remarked: “I like to live and let live, I eat everything, with special attention to fried eggs, nothing hurts, and I’ve never been sick.” A few days before her 110th birthday, she was admitted to the hospital.

Four months before her 111th birthday, she suffered a fall that reduced her mobility. However, by the time of her 111th birthday, she reportedly remained cheerful and full of humor. She was still able to get around with a walker, continued to eat well, and—despite some hearing loss—enjoyed reading, watching television, and using a tablet. At that time, she had eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.