Inocencia Zofio Cajal

BIOGRAPHY

Inocencia Zofio Cajal was born in Valencia de Alcántara, Cáceres Province, Extremadura, Spain, on 1 May 1910. She was the daughter of an Aragonese soldier, and her mother went into labor during one of her father’s numerous work trips. Although they had just crossed the border with Portugal, they quickly turned around, and she was born in Valencia de Alcántara. Both of her parents passed away early due to pneumonia.

At some point, she got married and had five children.

In May 2014, at the age of 104, a judge ruled that she had to vacate the house she had been renting since 1939. The Ministry of Finance, now the owner of the property due to the former owner passing away in 2006 without naming heirs, had requested the eviction to carry out necessary maintenance on the premises. However, she feared that this process would result in her permanently losing her home. A ruling from the Provincial Court of Madrid ordered that she only needed to stay outside her apartment for the six months expected for the work, and could return after the rehabilitation. This case made headlines in the media, garnering significant attention. She amassed 5,000 followers on Facebook, and people from abroad even reached out to offer financial assistance in case they owed money to the Treasury. This support was intended to help them pay off the debt and prevent eviction. After residing elsewhere for a few months, she eventually returned home.

On her 110th birthday in May 2020, due to Covid lockdown restrictions, her grandson Julián García couldn’t visit her at home. However, with the assistance of his fellow firefighters from the Madrid City Council, he arranged for a large banner to be displayed, conveying the message: “Congratulations on your 110th birthday. We love you.” At the age of 111, she had 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Inocencia Zofio Cajal passed away in Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain, on 19 July 2021, at the age of 111 years, 79 days.