Hawke's Bay woman believed to be New Zealand's oldest dies

Glengarry Lifecare.
Glengarry Lifecare. Photo credit: Google Maps.

A Hawke's Bay resident, reported to be New Zealand's oldest woman, has died.

Martha (Mata) Timoko was born on August 9, 1912 and was 107 years old when she died at Glengarry Lifecare, Wairoa on Wednesday. 

Her death was recorded in a notice in the Hawke's Bay Today on Friday, which reported she was believed to be New Zealand's oldest woman.

Timoko was the widower of David, mother of 10 children, and "nan" to seven generations.

In 2017, the Gisborne Herald reported that she was a gentle woman who had cared for a number of different family members over her life.

After living in several New Zealand locations - like Auckland, Haast and Napier - she located to Glengarry in 2015 to be closer to one of her granddaughters.

The media outlet reports that a stroke in 2017 reduced Timoko's mobility.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, the oldest ever New Zealander was Florence Finch who lived for 113 years. She was born in 1893 and died in 2007.

Newshub.