Elena Siriteanu

Elena Siriteanu (Romanian: Siriţeanu; 29 February 1908 – c. 25 July 2016) was a Romanian centenarian who was the oldest known living person in Romania since the passing of Margit Szemenyei, until her own death.

Biography
Elena Siriteanu (sometimes spelled Iliana) was born in Tutora, Iasi County, Kingdom of Romania (now Romania) on 29 February 1908. She became a widow at the age of 36 when her husband, Gheorghe Sireteanu, died during the battle during the World War II: I was 30 years old when my husband left for the war and has not returned since then. Their only son was only three years old when her husband left for the war. Siriteanu said that she was almost killed during the war, when one of the Russians came out from the train and shot her sister's mother-in-law in the head. Even many years after war ended, she hoped that her husband will return: ''I lost him on the front, but I still thought they would let him go and he would know how to come home. But I was alone with the boy, I was lucky to have a mother-in-law who behaved as she was my mother''.

According to her grandchildren, she never took any pills nor the doctors ever visited her house. At the age of 102, she was spending most of her time in the garden yard, although her son and grandchildren were trying to persuade her to stop, fearing for her health. On 26 May 2016, she became the oldest living person in Romania, following the death of Margit Szemenyei.

Siriteanu passed away in Bosia, Iasi County, Romania on circa 25 July 2016 at the age of 108 years, c.147 days.