Antonia da Santa Cruz

	Antonia da Santa Cruz
	; Antonia Santa Cruz at age 114
	Validated

Antonia da Santa Cruz (born 13 June 1905) is a Brazilian supercentenarian whose age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) on 4 February 2021. She is the second-oldest validated living person in Brazil, as well as the second-oldest Brazilian person ever documented, behind Francisca Celsa dos Santos. She is currently the fourth-oldest validated living person in the world, behind Francisca Celsa dos Santos, Lucile Randon, and Kane Tanaka.

Following the death of Jeanne Bot on 22 May 2021, Cruz became the last known surviving, validated person born in 1905.

Biography

Antonia da Santa Cruz was born on a farm that then belonged to Queimadas, near Santaluz, Bahia, Brazil, on 13 June 1905. Her parents were Francisco Pereira de Santa’Anna and Anna Maria de Jesus. She was born on the feast day of Saint Anthony, which is why her parents named her Antonia. She had 11 children. She also adopted her nephew, Jose Luiz Medrado (aged 64 in December 2019).

In 2017, she had 68 grandchildren, 110 great-grandchildren and 35 great-great-grandchildren. In December 2019, she had a 104-year-old sister living in Rio de Janeiro.

On 18 February 2021 at age 115, she received a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, making her one of the oldest (known) people to receive the vaccine.

Antonia da Santa Cruz currently lives with her 81-year-old daughter, Maria Medrado in Salgadalia, Conceicao do Coite, Bahia, Brazil, at the age of 118 years, 310 days.