San Francisco-born woman, 115, is the world's oldest person - and begs people to leave her in peace
- Aged 115, Maria Branyas Morera has survived two world wars and two pandemics
- She was born in San Francisco in 1907 but moved to Catalonia, Spain, as a child
- Morera, who has three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, is now the world's oldest person, says the Guinness Book of World Records
She describes herself as 'old, very old but not an idiot.'
And now San Francisco-born Maria Branyas Morera can officially call herself the world's oldest person, having survived two world wars, two pandemics and a civil war.
The 115-year-old was handed the title following the death of French nun Sister André, 118, earlier this month.
San-Francisco born MAria Branyas has become the world's oldest person aged 115
Morera was born in San Francisco in 1907 though she moved to Catalonia, Spain, as a child and has spent the last 22 years of her life in a nursing home there.
At the time of her birth San Francisco was suffering from a second wave of the Bubonic plague.
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She is now considered a 'supercentenarian' - a title given to people once they pass 110.
Morera, who has three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, attributes her old age to 'order, tranquility' and 'staying away from toxic people'.
And despite her age, she is active on social media, frequently posting on Twitter with the help of her daughter. She is also a keen piano player.
Marero, pictured on her wedding day in 1931 aged 24, has survived two world wars, a civil war and two pandemics
Responding to her record-breaking age, she wrote on the micro-blogging site: 'Sorry for not responding individually.
'I am surprised and grateful for the expectation generated by the fact that I am the oldest living person in the world.
'Thank you very much to everyone for the interest shown, although I have not done any merit. These days have been very overwhelming.'
Marero posts frequently on Twitter. Pictured here with her mother in 1922 when she was 15
She added she would not be responding to any more journalist requests for interviews, adding she needed 'peace and tranquility'
After surviving both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic, Marero also successfully fought after Covid-19 after becoming infected in 2020.
She contracted the virus weeks after celebrating her 113th birthday - though she recovered within days.
Marero became the world's oldest living person following the death of French nun Sister André earlier this month. Both of them survived a bout of Covid-19
It made her the world's oldest Covid-19 survivor but that record was broken by Sister André later that year.
Marero married a Catalan doctor named Joan Moret in 1931.
The day was an eventful one, Marero recalled on Twitter, as they waited hours for the priest who they later found out had unexpectedly died.
She said: 'There was no phone. A car had to go down to Girona to look for an available chaplain.
'At that time, in the entire province of Girona there must have been around 50 cars.'
Her husband died when more than 46 years ago when he was 71.
Morera now lives in a nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where they plan to hold a small, private celebration to celebrate her new record
She wrote on his anniversary that she will 'always carry him in my heart every day'.
On New Year's Day this year, she posted: 'Life is not eternal for anyone… At my age, a new year is a gift, a humble celebration, a new adventure, a beautiful journey, a moment of happiness. Let’s enjoy life together.'
Morera's nursing home Residència Santa María del Tura told the Guinness Book of World Records that they would be hosting a 'small celebration behind closed doors' to commemorate the achievement.
The title of the oldest person to have ever lived belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment whose life spanned 122 years and 164 days, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
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