https://longeviquest.com/2025/02/leonora-kontrimiene-lithuanias-oldest-person-celebrates-her-109th-birthday/

Leonora Kontrimienė, Lithuania’s Oldest Person, Celebrates Her 109th Birthday

Leonora Kontrimienė, the oldest known living person in Lithuania, celebrated her 109th birthday in the village of Beržėnai, Joniškis District Municipality, on 7 February, according to the Joniškis District Municipality.

Kontrimienė was born on 7 February 1916. She grew up in a family of seven children—two sisters and five brothers—in a small farming household in the village of Buožėnai, Telšiai District. Her father owned nine hectares of land. She completed three grades of primary school, but by the age of 13, she had to work for local farmers herding cows. Her days began early, guiding the cattle to pasture in the morning and returning them to the barn in the evening. Afterward, she still had chores to do—cleaning the barn, spreading fresh bedding, and ensuring the animals were watered.

At 25, she married an older farmer from her native village of Buožėnai, who owned 15 hectares of land. When the nationalization of farms made it difficult to sustain a living in the village and raise her daughter, she took a job at a knitwear factory.

On her 107th birthday, she shared her secret to longevity, saying, “You need to work hard, be kind, eat whatever your heart desires, and avoid conflict.” She also believed that faith played a role in a long life, adding, “You must believe in God, and if He has granted you so many years, perhaps you have earned them.”

Happy Birthday!