WALES’ OLDEST PERSON, GWENLLIAN, HAS DIED

Wales’s oldest person at 110 years, Gwenllian Davies, has died.

Gwenllian passed away peacefully at the Carmarthenshire Council Awel Tywi Home, Fairfach,  Llandeilo on Sunday  (Jan 17).

She was believed to be the seventh old person in the UK at the time of her death.

Her niece-in-law, Eleri Davies, said she was sure Gwenllian had decided it was time to bring her own remarkable life to a close in a dignified fashion.

She said: “She was really quiet over Christmas and when the call came it was not unexpected. The staff at Awel Towi have been magnificent caring for Gwenllian. They are as upset as we are at her passing.

“We are left with mountains of memories of a quite remarkable woman who was born on the day the first ever aeroplane took to the skies.

“When she celebrated her 110th birthday on October 4th last year together with the home staff we collected memorabilia from 110 years ago to make an exhibition of items from Gwenllian’s Day to highlight the occasion including butter patts and Wright Brothers flight pictures.”

County social care and health executive board member, Cllr Jane Tremlett, who has visited Gwenllian several times over the last year said: “I was saddened to hear of her loss. Gwenllian was a wise, well read and witty person who had led a fulsome and incredible life spanning an amazing century of great changes.”

Eleri said: “Gwenllian was a remarkably intelligent woman who worked hard all her life. She never smoked or had anything other than the odd celebratory drink

“She was remarkably well read and startled the mobile librarian calling at her home when she was 96 because she asked for books by Russian writer Dostoevesky. ‘That was a first for me‘ said the librarian.’

Gwenllian’s funeral is at Llanelli Crematorium on Friday, January 29 at 2pm.