A centenarian who survived both World Wars has died aged 107 years.
Friederika Hubauer-Furtmayr became a pioneer in the dairy industry despite being male-dominated at the time.
Before her death, she was the oldest woman in her home state of Upper Austria, Austria.
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Friederika was born in Kirchberg-Thening in Austria on 28 October 1918, and lived through the final days of WWI.
Her family moved to Linz when she was six years old and she attended the Kreuzschwestern school.
Her father died of Spanish Flu when she was a few days old, as reported by Need To Know.
She said: “He may have heard my cries at birth, he died two days later.”
Friederika grew up in modest circumstances with her two siblings and their mother, who worked as a seamstress.
After finishing school, she was looked after by her uncle, a dairy farmer.
She previously said in an interview: “I had to get up at 4.30am and deliver milk.
“After that, I went to school, delivered milk again during the lunch break, then went to afternoon classes.
“In the evening, I had to do my homework.”
She left school at 14 and pursued a career in the industry, finally becoming managing director of the Furtmayr central dairy in 1957.
Despite being male dominated at the time, she thrived in the industry and played a leading role in three mergers with cooperative dairies.
She also helped to set up the Almliesl brand, which still exists today.
Friederika said: “At that time, I was the only woman in the industry.
“I was surrounded by men, all graduates of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna.
“I built a state-of-the-art dairy in Gmunden.”
She added: “If I may say so, back then, we were among the leaders in our field.”
Until her final moments, Friederika enjoyed visits from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She passed away on 18 January at the age of 107.
State governor Thomas Stelzer expressed his gratitude for her hard work in helping to rebuild Upper Austria after the war.
He added: “As the oldest person in Upper Austria, Friederika Hubauer-Furtmayr was an inspiration to many with her courage and strength.”
A memorial service will be held at the New Cathedral in Linz in her honour on Wednesday (28 Jan).
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