Paladia Noja | Gerontology Research Group

Full name: Paladia Noja
Lifespan: (20.07.1915 – present)
Age: 110 years
Birthplace: Austria-Hungary (now Romania)
Last residence: Romania
Application date: 12.04.2026
Validation date: 16.04.2026
Validation source: Leti Balog/Maria Didina Noja/Dejan Vujić/Mihai Matei

Biography

Paladia Noja was born as Paladia Bâldea in Cugir, Alba County, Austria-Hungary (now Romania), on July 20 1915, to parents Petru Bâldea (1875–1958) and Maria Bâldea (1879–1948). As a child, she worked in the fields, tended to animals, and helped her family with daily chores. In her youth, she lived three years in Timișoara with two of her siblings. She had two brothers, Ioan Bâldea (1911–1976) and Petru Bâldea (1912–1989), and two sisters Maria Bâldea (1913–1989) and Domnica Bâldea (1917–2000).

On April 27 1935, at the age of 19, she married Simion Noja (1908–1989), and the couple had four children, sons, Constantin Noja (1940), Ioan Noja (1943–2016) and Petru Noja (1945), and a daughter Maria Noja (1950). She learned tailoring as a young woman but was never formally employed. She made clothes for her four children and sewed for local sheep farmers, who offered milk, cheese, meat, and other foodstuffs in exchange. She also had a large garden with trees, where she grew various vegetables and wheat, from which she made her own flour.

Her husband, Simion Noja, died from a heart attack in 1989, at the age of 81. She continued using her sewing machine well into her centenarian years, and worked in the garden until almost the age of 100.

At the age of 106, she said that her secret of longevity is never smoke and drank alcohol, and always ate in moderation. Her diet was based entirely on traditional foods grown in her own garden. She grew up eating home-cooked meals, fresh vegetables, and dairy products, never indulging in excess.

On November 25 2023, following the death of 108-year-old Viorica Hogaș, she became the oldest known living woman in Romania.

On July 3 2025, at the age of 109 years, 348 days, she surpassed the final age of Elena Lungoci (1895–2005) of 109 years, 347 days, becoming the oldest known woman ever to have lived in Romania.

On July 20 2025, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the first known female supercentenarian ever recorded in Romania.

Paladia Noja currently lives in Cugir, Alba County, Romania, at the age of 110. She is currently the second-oldest living person in Romania, after 112-year-old Ilie Ciocan.

Longevity recognition

Oldest living woman in Romania (25.11.2023 – present)
Oldest woman ever from Romania (03.07.2025 – present)

Validation

Her age was verified by Leti Balog, Maria Didina Noja, Dejan Vujić and Mihai Matei, then validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) on April 16 2026.

The GRG extends its thanks to the family of Paladia Noja for providing the necessary documents for validation, as well as the biographical information and photos.