The famous weaver died at the age of 112

The fame of the famous “lady of the loom”, the oldest inhabitant of the island of Ikaria, Ioanna Proiu, spread far beyond the borders of Greece. The long-liver passed away at the age of 112 years.

She became known not only for her art, but also for her age. Because the the island ranks first in the list of regions with the longest living people in the worldIoanna Proiou until recently was listed as the “first object” in these reports.

The woman has given countless interviews to foreign and Greek media. She had an incredible sharpness of mind, talkativeness and an inexhaustible sense of humor. She met all those who came to stare at her with the phrase: “What do you want?! I’m alive, as you can see! You’re holding me up, I’m fine, but I have a lot of work … Goodbye!”.

Ioanna Proiou Dimitriadu, according to ikariaki.gr, was born in Raches, Ikaria, in 1911 (recall that the Turks left the island a year later). She was 12th among thirteen children. Her mother Eftimia, born in 1870, was one of the best weavers on the island. Her best student was little Joanna.

“Mom literally raised me under a loom. I was in an open chest next to me… With one foot she pressed the pedal of the loom, and with the other she rocked me. She raised me there, among “fluff, dust and threads.” The first toy she gave me to keep me from crying was a thick woolen thread. I played with her, looked at the “curiosity”, and was so carried away that I forgot to cry, and my mother could do her job.

She carried out orders for fabric, so we lived. Then people dressed in textiles – from baby diapers to underwear. We have produced rolled fabrics, from sheets to clothing. We took animal hair, spun it, it became soft, and we wove it. Bedspreads, dresses, towels, costumes were sewn from linen. Basically everything you can imagine. Later we began to weave flax,” Ioanna Proiu said in an interview.

“As soon as I got to my feet, I immediately tried to climb onto the loom. That’s where I grew up… One day, I secretly activated it, and my soul trembled lest my mother come in and yell at me that I “ruined everything”!

I was waiting for her to come with a beating heart. And then I look around and see how my mother looks at me and smiles! Mom said: “Ioannaki, your legs are still small. When you grow up a little, I will put you on a loom.”

It gave me life! Mom’s approval gave me courage. My mother Eftimia was a famous weaver. And she chose me from among her daughters to carry on her life’s work. I have been a professional weaver since the age of 15.”

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