GRANDMA SLAVKA IS A MEDICAL PHENOMENON: She turned 102, she has been smoking since she was twelve, and this is her secret!

Slavka Stefanovic from the village of Trnjane is the oldest resident of the Aleksinac municipality – she turned 102. Born on Saint Sava’s Day, January 27, 1924, she marked a century and two years of life within her family circle, surrounded by grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Her story is a story of work, endurance, and a time when life was measured by effort.

-Everything was done. Wheat was harvested, corn was hoed, the garden was cultivated. There was no job I didn’t do – recalls Grandma Slavka.

She married young, at age 19, to Zivomir Stefanovic. The marriage was not according to her wishes, but together they built a home and a family. While her husband worked in Nis, she looked after the house, the estate, and the children.

-Zivomir worked to earn, and I did everything else. Both in the house and in the field. That’s how it was back then – says Slavka.

She raised two daughters, outlived her husband and both daughters, but today she has a large family behind her – grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren who care for her.

-I have grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren… They are all alive and well and that is my greatest happiness – she speaks with a smile.

Life did not pamper her. She went through war times, poverty, and heavy personal losses.

-It was both good and bad. But everything passes. Life goes over everything – she says quietly.

Her daughter-in-law Suzana Jovanovic says that, considering her age, Grandma Slavka is in good health.

-She hears poorly, but she is not senile or demented. She is sharp-witted and her memory serves her excellently. Before sleep, she always prays for the health of all her descendants. She watches TV all day, she is interested in everything – both series and politics – says Suzana.

Although she fell in her room last year, she didn’t break anything, but since then she refuses to walk. Nevertheless, she hasn’t lost her cheerfulness. Grandma Slavka never paid attention to “healthy habits” either.

-I’ve been smoking since I was twelve – she says with a smile.

Even today she likes to light a cigarette. Her food was always homemade and simple, but well-greased.

-I ate everything: potatoes, beans, podvarak, pies, sarma, stuffed peppers… I also love pepper, if it’s well-fried – says Slavka.

Her daughter-in-law reveals that perhaps one of the secrets of longevity is that she practiced an afternoon rest for decades.

-Regardless of obligations, she always took a nap after lunch. She loved to sleep long in the morning, and while she could walk, she walked daily around the yard, orchard, and vineyard – says Suzana.

In her youth, she survived severe pneumonia and was in the hospital for months, but she had no other serious illnesses. She also remembers how they drove her to the doctor by horse and carriage, in a time when there were no buses like today.

She celebrated her 100th birthday with a house full of guests, cake, and gifts, and she welcomed her 102nd birthday surrounded by family from Belgrade and the surrounding area.

At the end of the conversation, Grandma Slavka delivers what she considers the most important truth in life:

-Just let people be alive and healthy and let no one suffer. Everything else can be endured – she says.

In her 102nd year, her life remains a testament that strength is measured by patience, and the greatest wealth – by family.