Elisa Ávalos Cardenas was born in Emiliano Zapata, Villamar, Michoacan, Mexico on 27 July 1911, to parents Filomeno Ávalos and Maria Cardenas. While she had claimed to have been born on 17 July 1911, researchers would later conclude that she was actually born ten days later. In December 1925, when she was 14, she married C. Jesus Rodriguez Valencia at a local school, as churches in the area were closed due to the Cristero War. The couple would go on to have 12 children (seven daughters and five sons).

At the time of her 109th birthday in 2020, she had 120 grandchildren, 72 great-grandchildren, 42 great-great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-great-grandchildren.

Elisa Ávalos Cardenas died in Villamar, Michoacan, Mexico, at the age of 110 years, 45 days.