Jelisaveta Veljković
- Full name: Jelisaveta Veljković [Serbian: Јелисавета Вељковић] (née Vicenca Kufner)
- Lifespan: (18.07.1904 – 20.10.2016)
- Age: 112 years, 94 days
- Birthplace: Ravna Gora, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia)
- Last residence: Belgrade, Serbia
- Application date: 23.08.2023
- Validation date: 27.10.2023
- Validation source: Dejan Vujić
Biography
Jelisaveta Veljkovic, originally born as Vicenca Kufner in Ravna Gora, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia) on 18 July 1904 as the second of seven children in an Italian-Austrian family to Emerik Kufner and Antonija Leš. Completing five grades of elementary school marked her early education.
In 1920, at the age of 16, she relocated to Belgrade (the present-day capital of Serbia, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) with a friend. There, she crossed paths with her future husband, Stanislav Veljković, a decorator at the National Theater, residing in the adjacent apartment. They married when she was 20, eventually raising a family of 12 children. Following her marriage, she adopted the name Jelisaveta, a Serbian name, and converted to Orthodox Christianity.
After her husband’s passing in 1983, Jelisaveta, at the age of 90, underwent cataract surgery. Her familial longevity was noteworthy, with one aunt living to 103 and one uncle to 104.
She assumed the title of the oldest known living woman in Serbia after the death of 108-year-old Mileva Grbić on 31 October 2010. Following the passing of 109-year-old Jovo Latinović on 15 April 2011, Jelisaveta became the oldest known living person in Serbia.
In July 2014, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the first known person in Serbia to reach that age milestone. Subsequently, she became the first person from both Croatia and Serbia to celebrate her 111th and 112th birthdays. At the age of 112, she had seven living children, 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.
Jelisaveta Veljkovic died in Belgrade, Serbia on 20 October 2016 at the age of 112 years, 94 days. Following her death, then 107-year-old Mara Radenković assumed the title of the oldest known living person in Serbia.
Jelisaveta Veljković on her 112th birthday in 2016.
Longevity recognition
- Oldest living woman in Serbia (31.10.2010 – 20.10.2016)
- Oldest living person in Serbia (15.04.2011 – 20.10.2016)
- Oldest living person in the Balkans (26.05.2014 – 20.10.2016)
- Longevity Recordholder for Serbia (15.03.2014 – present)
- Longevity Recordholder for the Balkans (13.09.2015 – present)
Validation
Her age was verified by Dejan Vujić (GRG Correspondent for Serbia), and validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) on 27 October 2023.
Jelisaveta Veljković on her 100th birthday with her family in 2004
Jelisaveta Veljković on her 107th birthday in 2011
