Oldest Estonian Adventist Dies at 106

Tartu, ESTONIA. Aliide Pedraudse, a member of the Tartu Seventh-day Adventist church, Estonia, for 59 years, died on 28 May at the age of 106, being the oldest person in this Baltic country. The funeral took place at the Tartu Adventist Church on Sunday, 2 June.

“She was a very active and talented member, a flower arranger, a valued member of the church choir and a splendid cook during our various church activities,” said Tõnu Jugar, pastor of the Tartu Adventist church.

Born in 1896 Pedraudse was baptised into the Adventist Church in 1943 when she was in her forties. Her mother was also a member.

Her life was not easy. Her son was killed during World War II, and after the War she was imprisoned for a very peculiar reason — she was working from home, which was forbidden during that time in Estonia.

According to Eduard Vari, church elder, Pedraudse was a woman with a very strict word. “When she had something to say,” he said, “she said it like it was. However, she also had a great sense of humour.”

Sister Aliide is remembered as a hard-working and helpful person. She was always the one who made garlands for burials. “If necessary she worked the whole night through to get them ready,” said Vari.

The last years of her life were spent in her sickbed, but she was able to celebrate her 100th birthday with her brothers and sisters in the church when she gathered up her old songbooks and got everybody to sing. “Now we can sing as much as we like,” she said. “No one will stop us!”

Pedraudses leaves behind a daughter who stayed with her until her death, and her sister Iida who is 101 years old and a member of the Tallinn Adventist church. [Lauri Beekmann/ANR Staff/ANR 080]

Lauri Beekmann,
Estonian Conference Communication Director