Velgjer Svien

Velgjer Svien (October 10, 1842 – January 23, 1953) was a Norwegian-American verified supercentenarian. She was born in Valdres, Norway, as Velgjer Tostensdatter Nystuen. Her mother died when she was eight years old. Svien moved to United States in 1854, along with her father and siblings. The boat trip took 11 weeks. They started living in Wisconsin before moving to St. Ansgar, Iowa.

In 1860, she married another Norwegian immigrant, Andrew J. Svien. The couple moved to Minnesota five years later. They had four biological children and one foster daughter. They opened a hotel in Northfield. Andrew also worked as a farmer and policeman. Velgjer’s ”Americanized” name was Ellen Johnson. Velgjer became a widow in 1926. Her secret to longevity was to lead a stressfree life. She lived alone until age 98, when her daughter Carrie started living with her.

She died on January 23, 1953, at the age of 110 years, 105 days.