Gerontology Wiki
Advertisement
Astrid Qvist
Astrid Qvist
Qvist at the age of 107.
Birth: 6 March 1912
Ostrobothnia, Russian Empire (now Finland)
Death: 18 July 2022
Narpes, Ostrobothnia, Finland
Age: 110 years, 134 days
Country: FinlandFIN
Unvalidated

Astrid Qvist (née Martens; 6 March 1912 – 18 July 2022) was a Finnish supercentenarian who was one of the oldest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of her death, she was the oldest known living person in Finland and in the Nordic countries. Her age is currently unvalidated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

Biography[]

Early Life and Family[]

Astrid Qvist was born as Astrid Martens in village of Tojby, Ostrobothnia, Finland on 6 March 1912. She had two older sisters. Elvida and Ester, who lived to be 104 and 102 years old, respectively.

She remembered when Finland was a part of the Russian Empire and two Russian soldiers stayed for a night and demanded to be allowed to put their belongings in the family’s wardrobe. But later, the family and the soldiers became friends. She attended school for four years, but later needed to work at home.

She married Einar Qvist in 1931. They had two children: Harry Qvist (1931–1975) and Viva Melander (born 1933). In the late 1950s, she traveled with her daughter to the United States for nine days. Harry died of a heart attack in a sauna and, shortly after, Einar died. Later, her daughter Viva moved back to Finland to help Astrid on the farm.

Later Life[]

When asked what her secret to longevity was, she claimed she never did anything in particular, but cited a good diet and to work as hard as possible explained why she lived so long.

Qvist became the oldest known living person in Finland, following the death of Helvi Harma on 24 December 2020. In March 2022, she celebrated her 110th birthday. She became the oldest known living person in the Nordic countries, following the death of Flarid Lagerlund of Sweden on 9 April 2022.

Astrid Qvist lived at the same retirement home as her daughter, in Narpes, Ostrobothnia, Finland. She died on 18 July 2022, a few days after testing positive for COVID-19, at the age of 110 years, 134 days. After her death, Gunborg Hancock became the oldest known living Finnish-born person, and Sirkka Nieminen became the oldest known living person in Finland.

Gallery[]

References[]


Finland's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (VE)

Anna Runer • Unidentified • Unidentified • Anna Kreetta WettainenLeena JuhanantytarLovisa LindholmErik StrömMaja GrefMaria FlinkMaja Greta HedemanMaria Helena FrimanPietari HeijaAnna Gavrilova KomonenLovisa VehmaskangasUlla NummelinMaria PalinAnders Johan Forss • Unidentified • Eva EnströmIsak SmedbergHedvig SateriAnders LindholmMaria HolmbergMaria AhonenLeena LindqvistKajsa FellmanSofie TörnuddMaria KoskinenFredrika MännistöErkki HelminenHeikki KämäräinenAlexander von StahlOlivia RosvallGreta HelinKajsa Stina ForsströmEva BlomqvistMaria PekuriEmma HeikkiläInes AchrenOlga ToivonenElina PeuralaAleksandra LindroosElisabeth RantamakiLiisa StrellmanAmalia WalleniusIda SaarinenMaria ValimakiMaria KumlanderAmanda RiihelaMathilda HonkaFanny NystromIda Virenius • Klaara Tyyniaho • Amanda Moksi • Kalle Nestor LaunistoMaria Rothovius • Daisy Göhle • Sigrid Viik • Hilda Hakkinen • Anna Hagman • Elsa Tilkanen • Aarne Arvonen • Viljo Kekola • Jussi Leskinen • Aino Yrttimaa • Selma Tuominen • Helvi Karki • Helfrid Eriksson • Saara AhonenHelvi HarmaAstrid QvistSirkka NieminenHelvi Kissala

Advertisement