Vietnam oldest woman, 119-year-old Tran Thi Viet, died in the southern province of Long An Saturday, a local official said.

 

Viet, who received the recognition as the nation’s oldest person from the Vietnam Records Book Center last December, was also known as one of the country’s greatest Heroic Mothers.

 

Seven of her children died battling French and American occupations.

 

The centurion, who has nearly 500 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was also considered a treasure-house of southern folk lullabies, many of which could not be found in any records.

 

A ceremony to commemorate Viet’s death was held Monday.