Oldest living Estonian turns 108
Estonia's oldest citizen, former schoolteacher Elle Mälberg, celebrated her 108th birthday on Friday. Mälberg was born in 1907.
Mälberg (born Ella-Adele Raudmanson), from an Estonian town of Räpina, has had a very active and varied life. She was a founding member of Estonian Women Defense League in the 1930s and has sung in choirs and participated and taught in folk dancing groups all her life.
A biology teacher by profession, she taught thousands of children, led the local nature-lovers group and coordinated the set-up of three school gardens in Räpina, paving the way for many biologists. Mälberg retired from teaching in 1980. She is also an honorary citizen of Räpina, where she currently lives, still in the comfort of her own home.
The allegedly oldest Estonian lived to be 112 years old. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has records of two 109 year-old – one passed away in 2012, the other in 2014.
According to the ministry, there are 149 people in Estonia, who are 100 years old or older.
Sixty-six are 100 years of age, 29 are 101, 23 are 102, 13 are 103, 10 are 104, five are 105, one is 106, one 107, and one 108.
The oldest person in the world is believed to have lived 122 years. Since April 1, the title of world oldest living person is carried by 115 year-old American Jeralean Talley.
Editor: M. Oll, S. Tambur