Maria Santos de Queiroz

BIOGRAPHY

Maria Santos de Queiroz was born in Patos de Princesa (now Patos de Irerê), São José de Princesa, Paraíba, Brazil, on 11 June 1917 as the second child of Antonio Manoel dos Santos and Maria Conceiçao da Anunciaçao.

She had nine siblings that survived to adulthood: Florentina, Manoel, Natalício, Alzira, Ester, Francisca, João, José and Maria (Nené). Alzira was her last living sibling until she passed away on 21 January 2022 at age 98.

As a child, she helped her mother with household chores. Her father was a marchante (he traded in meat). She washed clothes at the Cajazeiras reservoir. Maria was quite a dreamer and enjoyed studying. She studied until the 6th grade because her town only offered courses up to that stage. At that time there were no technical courses or colleges where she lived.

MARRIAGE
She met her future fiancé Gustavo Barbosa de Queiroz (12 June 1904 – 18 February 1990) after a supernatural event. In fact, she dreamt of him, exactly as he was. They married on 12 April 1937 in Coremas, Paraíba, Brazil. His profession was an artist, and he made shoes at the time. However, his main activity was preaching the gospel, after his conversion in Bahia.

She was converted to Protestantism by her fiancé’s preaching, and together they started a family and led evangelistic initiatives. Her husband, a colporteur evangelist, traveled from place to place preaching the gospel for many years. Together they had 17 children, 12 of whom survived. The other five died young or at birth.

CHILDREN 
Davi – born in Coremas, Paraíba (now deceased)
Diva – born in Coremas, Paraíba
Leni – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Ligia – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Miriam – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Gamaliel – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Lídia – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Darlene – born in Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Samuel – born in Souza, Paraíba
Jônathas – born in Campina Grande, Paraíba
Damares – born in Esperança, Paraíba
Valdice – born in Esperança, Paraíba

Maria learned to sew and, with great effort, bought a sewing machine. All this to help support the family and raise her children. During all her years of missionary work, she also assumed leadership in the churches where she served as a leader. Considered a missionary by the Junta de Missões Nacionais, she assumed leadership in the church’s musical affairs. She conducted choirs, without ever having studied music, and also created the Barbosa Quartet, whose members were herself and some of her children. Maria has always been known by her neighbors for her joy in life, reflected in her habit of singing while doing her household chores. As time passed and she became a missionary, Maria began to sing beautiful hymns with her melodious and tuneful voice, which made her known in evangelical circles as “Maria, the singer”.

In a pioneering move, Maria decided to move to Recife, because there would be better conditions for her children to study. Gradually, she took her children to Recife. After a few years, her husband Gustavo, who used to come and go from the Paraíba countryside to Recife, moved to Recife to join the family. During all those years, Maria worked making kitchen utensils (stove cloths, gas plugs) and so on.

Maria possessed a deep passion for learning; however, her hometown offered only primary education, which, at the time, extended only to the sixth grade. This yearning for education endured throughout her life and became even more pronounced once she became a mother. She was profoundly committed to the education of her twelve children and, as soon as they reached school age, made every possible effort to ensure they were enrolled in school. Residing in the interior region of Paraíba, she soon realized that the local towns lacked the necessary infrastructure to support her children’s continued academic advancement. Determined to secure better opportunities for them, she resolved to move to a more promising location. Despite significant material limitations, she began taking her children to the capital of Pernambuco. Her eldest daughter was the first to make the transition; through unwavering dedication and perseverance, Maria succeeded in enrolling her at the semi-boarding school of the American Baptist College in Recife.

Through her work as a seamstress, she succeeded in renting a house in Recife and gradually relocated her children to the capital. Her sole purpose in doing so was to broaden their educational opportunities by providing access to better schools. As a result of her unwavering determination, all twelve of her children completed high school—an extraordinary accomplishment given the socio-economic challenges of the time. Together with her husband, Pastor Gustavo, she played a vital role in fostering a disciplined household environment. Literacy was considered essential, and from an early age, all the children were required to learn to read in order to engage with the Bible. By enrolling them in elementary schools in Recife, she ensured that they were literate from the outset. Several of her children went on to pursue higher education.

Even in her centenarian years, she makes kitchen towels and tea towels to give to her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. She currently has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In October 2024, her first great-great-granddaughter was born.

Maria Santos de Queiroz currently lives in Boa Viagem, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Gabriel Ainsworth and Iara Souza, and validated by LongeviQuest on 10 July 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Dona Maria & Seu Gustavo:: Uma história de amor, fé e esperança” – UICLAP, 11 March 2025

* “Quer ler mais detalhes emocionantes? ” – Instagram, 12 April 2025

GALLERY

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