Ana Vela-Rubio
Not only did Ana Vela-Rubio hold the record for the oldest ever person from Spain, but she also was the oldest living person in Europe in 2017. She died at the age of 116 years, 47 days in December 2017. Born in Puente Genil, Spain during the regency of Queen Maria Cristina, she was unfortunately orphaned as a child. She worked at a store in Malaga before she moved to Barcelona.
After she had moved to Barcelona in the 1940s, she worked as a dressmaker. In the last few years of her life, she lived in an old age home called La Verneda in Barcelona. She was a mother of four children and she had several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Her longevity is attributed to good genes, hard work, and a healthy lifestyle.