Tekla Juniewicz

	Poland's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E)
	Rozalia Obrebski • Katarzyna Kosiorowska • Stanislawa Sobecka • Marianna Tetkowska • Stefania Bartkowska • Michal Zatorski • Katarzyna Swider • Anna Lamacz • Filipina Niewiadomska • Rozalia Milczarek • Maria Basta • Rozalia Dyrcz • Katarzyna Wilkowa • Klara Spitzenfeil • Anna Wolanska • Jan Michalski • Frument Jaroszynski • Beata Bryl • Anna Tomecka • Wlodzimierz Rogosz • Jan Szarpala • Karolina Lucko • Zofia Martyniak • Maria Unijewska • Marta Piekarska • Wladyslaw Ratman • Agnieszka Wojcik • Helena Konowal • Stefania Grabala • Jozefa Mordacz • Jadwiga Zolotucho • Anna Klim • Franciszek Karwowski • Marianna Smolarczyk • Ludwika Kosztyla • Michalina Wasilewska • Wanda Wierzchleyska • Marianna Misiewicz • Jozefa Karczewska • Jozefa Stanislawa Szyda • Marianna Mroz • Aleksandra Dranka • Jozefa Bak • Ludwika Wasowicz • Jadwiga Mlynek • Jadwiga Szubartowicz • Tekla Juniewicz • Wanda Szajowska • Jozefa Ciesielska • Anna Gawlowska

-->Tekla Juniewicz (née Dadak; born 10 June 1906) is a Polish supercentenarian who is the longest-lived person in the history of Poland whose age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She is the first validated supercentenarian in Poland's history to have reached the ages of 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116. She is currently the second-oldest validated living person in Europe and in the world, behind Lucile Randon.

Born in what at the time was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire (now modern-day Ukraine), Juniewicz has lived in Gliwice, Poland since the end of the Second World War. She has been the oldest living person in Poland since the death of Jadwiga Szubartowicz on 20 July 2017.

Following the death of Valentine Ligny on 4 January 2022, Juniewicz became the last surviving European person born in 1906, and became the third-oldest living validated person in the world, following the death of Antonia da Santa Cruz on 23 January 2022. Following the death of Yoshi Otsunari on 26 January 2022, Juniewicz became the last surviving validated person born in 1906, and became the second-oldest living validated person in the world, following the death of Kane Tanaka on 19 April 2022.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Tekla Juniewicz was born as Tekla Dadak in Krupsko, Austria−Hungary (now Ukraine) on 10 June 1906. After Poland regained independence in 1918, Krupsko became part of Rozdol Commune, Stanislawow Voivodeship, Poland, and then became part of the USSR after WWI when the border was shifted (Ukraine became independent in 1991). Juniewicz's parents were Jan and Katarzyna Dadak, and she had two younger sisters, Rozalia and Katarzyna. Their father worked for Count Karol Lanckoronski, and their mother died during the First World War.

As a child, Juniewicz attended the school of Szarytki Sisters in Przeworsk, Poland, where she learned to sew, embroider, and cook. In Przeworsk, she met her future husband, Jan Juniewicz (22 years her senior), whom she married on 28 February 1927. After the wedding, they moved to Boryslaw, Poland, where she took a job in an earth wax mine. They had two daughters, Janina and Urszula, born in 1928 and 1929.

Later Life

In November 1945, Juniewicz moved to Gliwice, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, where her husband got a job in a mine. The couple were married until Jan Juniewicz's death in 1980 at the age of 96. Tekla Juniewicz lived alone until she was 103 years old, when her grandson Adam moved in to assist her with her daily activities.

In June 2016, Juniewicz celebrated her 110th birthday. On her 113th birthday in June 2019, Juniewicz received a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki. In August 2019, Prime Minister Morawiecki visited Juniewicz in person at her home.

Longevity Records

Juniewicz is the first recorded supercentenarian from Poland's Silesia Voivodship. Juniewicz became the oldest living person in Poland following the death of 111-year-old Jadwiga Szubartowicz 20 July 2017. Juniewicz is currently the second-oldest living person in Europe, after Frenchwoman Lucile Randon, and the third-oldest living person in the world whose age is validated by the GRG.

On 24 April 2018, Juniewicz became the longest-lived person ever documented in the history of Poland after surpassing the previous record of 111 years, 317 days set by Wanda Wierzchleyska. On 10 June 2018, Juniewicz became the first Polish person on record to reach the age of 112. She subsequently became the first Pole to reach the ages of 113, 114, 115, and 116 (in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 respectively).

Juniewicz's age was validated by the GRG after the age validation work performed by GRG-Poland Correspondent Waclaw Jan Kroczek in 2018, following the diplomatic action between Poland and Ukraine, with the close cooperation of Juniewicz's family.

On 11 May 2020, Juniewicz became the oldest validated person ever born in present-day Ukraine, after surpassing the previous record of 113 years, 335 days set by Goldie Michelson.

On 18 February 2021, Juniewicz surpassed Venere Pizzinato-Papo’s final age of 114 years, 252 days to become the oldest validated person ever born in the Austria-Hungary Empire.

Juniewicz became the last surviving validated person born in 1906, following the death of Yoshi Otsunari on 26 January 2022.

On 23 February 2022, Juniewicz surpassed Dina Manfredini’s final age of 115 years, 257 days to become the oldest validated emigrant ever.