Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
Encyclopedia
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan de Soler (August 31, 1889 – May 29, 2004) was a Puerto Rican
supercentenarian
, and, according to documents compiled in March 2004, the oldest documented person in the world
after the death of Japanese woman Mitoyo Kawate
, although German American
woman Charlotte Benkner
, who was about 3½ months younger, had been given recognition in the meantime.
She was born and grew up in Utuado
, the child of Eduardo Iglesias-Ortiz and Luisa Jordan-Correa (some spelling variants are found in records). In 1948, her birth certificate was signed at Utuado, certifying that she was born at 7:00 AM on September 1, 1889. However, a baptismal certificate of April 1890, found in 1992, revealed that she was actually born the day before, on August 31, 1889. The 1910 census records for Utuado record her as age 20. Her marriage to Alfonso Soler on December 26, 1912, at age 23 is recorded by a certificate on December 28, 1912. They were found together in the January 1920 census when she was 30 and they lived in Arecibo
. The couple later moved to the San Juan
area known as Santurce
. They never had any children of their own, but they adopted one son, Roberto Torres, her nephew.
She attended a school without American teachers in Puerto Rico (it later became common practice to bring American teachers to teach English in Puerto Rican schools). Despite this and the fact that she was able to reach only elementary school, she was fluent in English as well as her native Spanish.
Her husband died during the late 1970s, and Iglesias-Jordan then spent about 25 years living by herself, until she moved to a new home.
The Guinness Book of World Records
accepted her claim, documentation meeting their standards having been supplied, and on March 29, 2004, she received a document from them, declaring her the world's oldest living woman. She joined José Miguel Agrelot
, Wilfred Benítez
, the Menudo
group and a handful of others as the only Puerto Ricans to enter that book.
Iglesias-Jordan died of pneumonia
at age 114 years 272 days after a brief hospitalization in Río Piedras
.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
, and, according to documents compiled in March 2004, the oldest documented person in the world
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
after the death of Japanese woman Mitoyo Kawate
Mitoyo Kawate
was a Japanese supercentenarian and, at the age of 114 years 182 days, briefly the oldest recognized living person after the death of either Kamato Hongo or Yukichi Chuganji, both also from Japan....
, although German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
woman Charlotte Benkner
Charlotte Benkner
Charlotte Benkner née Enterlein was an American supercentenarian and the oldest verified living person from November 2003 until sufficient documentation was found to validate the age of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan of Puerto Rico in March 2004...
, who was about 3½ months younger, had been given recognition in the meantime.
She was born and grew up in Utuado
Utuado, Puerto Rico
Utuado is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-western mountainous region of the island known as La Cordillera Central. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west of Ciales and Jayuya. In land area it is the third-largest...
, the child of Eduardo Iglesias-Ortiz and Luisa Jordan-Correa (some spelling variants are found in records). In 1948, her birth certificate was signed at Utuado, certifying that she was born at 7:00 AM on September 1, 1889. However, a baptismal certificate of April 1890, found in 1992, revealed that she was actually born the day before, on August 31, 1889. The 1910 census records for Utuado record her as age 20. Her marriage to Alfonso Soler on December 26, 1912, at age 23 is recorded by a certificate on December 28, 1912. They were found together in the January 1920 census when she was 30 and they lived in Arecibo
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo...
. The couple later moved to the San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
area known as Santurce
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
. They never had any children of their own, but they adopted one son, Roberto Torres, her nephew.
She attended a school without American teachers in Puerto Rico (it later became common practice to bring American teachers to teach English in Puerto Rican schools). Despite this and the fact that she was able to reach only elementary school, she was fluent in English as well as her native Spanish.
Her husband died during the late 1970s, and Iglesias-Jordan then spent about 25 years living by herself, until she moved to a new home.
The Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
accepted her claim, documentation meeting their standards having been supplied, and on March 29, 2004, she received a document from them, declaring her the world's oldest living woman. She joined José Miguel Agrelot
José Miguel Agrelot
Giuseppe Michael Agrelot , better known as José Miguel Agrelot, was a comedian, radio and television host and media icon in Puerto Rico...
, Wilfred Benítez
Wilfred Benitez
Wilfred Benítez , is a Puerto Rican boxer. He is remembered best as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history at the age of 17...
, the Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
group and a handful of others as the only Puerto Ricans to enter that book.
Iglesias-Jordan died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at age 114 years 272 days after a brief hospitalization in Río Piedras
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Río Piedras is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1714, it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus since 1903, earning the town the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria...
.
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of the verified oldest people
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....