A great-great-grandmother in Singapore passed away at 106 years old — and left behind 89 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild.

Shin Min Daily News reported that the woman, Wang Xian Niang (transliteration from Chinese), and her husband are responsible for 10 children, 32 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson in the extended family — a brood that spanned four generations.

The elderly woman passed away in the hospital at about 3:30 pm on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the age of 106.

Secret to longevity?

The 73-year-old son, Zhuo Rongfen, told Shin Min on Dec. 9 that his mother lived a happy life with many children, and passed away peacefully with no regrets.

Zhuo said his mother’s hometown was Ulu Choh in the Kulai district in Johor.

She was a rubber tapper when she was young, and followed her grandfather to Singapore and Malaysia.

Later, her family settled in Singapore in 1970.

She was engaged in agricultural work here, raising pigs and ducks, while her father continued to work in Malaysia until he retired and returned to live together here.

The son added: "Although my mother didn't study, she had a very good mind and a cheerful personality. She didn't know how to curse. She usually only said nice things."

Asked about his mother's secret to longevity, the son laughed and said: "There is no secret. Maybe she used to be poor and ate very lightly, but my mother especially liked to eat chicken skin, pig skin, pig offal, and laksa."

He said that every year on his mother’s birthday, more than 100 relatives and friends would gather together to celebrate her life.

Usually, family members would come to visit his mother every Saturday, and the house would be very lively, he added.

Felt unwell 5 years ago

Shin Min also reported that the centenarian was healthy until about five years ago, when she suffered an ailment in her large intestines and underwent surgery.

It was only after the operation that she could not continue with her habit of exercising daily.

Days before her passing, she experienced breathing difficulties and was warded.

"In the final few months of her life, my mother sometimes couldn't recognise people, but after reminding her, she would still remember them."

A 68-year-old daughter, who spoke to Shin Min, said her mother was not shy about talking about her own mortality.

The elderly woman purportedly quipped that her funeral would be a lively affair with many people attending.

It was reported that when the elderly woman was 70 years old, she had already picked out what she wanted to wear during her wake.

She made her own preparations for the final rites as she was worried her children would be clueless about what to do when the time finally came.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News