The oldest person in the world, Maria Branyas Morera, has died at the age of 117.

On Tuesday, August 20, her family announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Morera died “peacefully” in her sleep.

“Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wanted: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain,” they wrote in Catalan. “A few days ago she told us: ‘One day I will leave here. I will no longer drink coffee, eat yogurt or caress the fairy… I will also leave behind my memories and my thoughts…'”

Morera also told the family in a follow-up post: “I will stop existing in this body. One day, I don’t know but it’s very close, this long journey will end,” she continued. “Death will find me exhausted because I have lived so long, but I want it to find me smiling, free and content.”

“We will always remember her for her advice and kindness,” her family added in a post translated from Catalan.

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In January 2023, the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that Morera is the oldest living person in the world following the death of 118-year-old Frenchwoman Lucile Randon.

According to the organization, Morera was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907 – the same year as the late Katherine Hepburn and John Wayne.

This happened a year after her parents emigrated to the United States. However, after eight years, the family returned to Spain and settled in Catalonia.

During the trip to Spain, Morera’s father died of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Accordingly The New York TimesMorera was married for 40 years to a doctor in Girona, Spain. The couple had three children together and later had over a dozen grandchildren.

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Morera lived for over 20 years in a nursing home, the Residència Santa María del Tura in Olot, Spain.

Her daughter often helped her post photos and words of wisdom on X.

“Life is not eternal for anyone,” she wrote in January 2023“At my age, a new year is a gift, a modest celebration, a new adventure, a beautiful journey, a moment of happiness. Let’s enjoy life together.”