[danielsan]

A Serbian woman living as a hermit inherited almost a million Australian dollars ($703,000, £490,000) from her husband - only to give it all away.

Marija Zlatic, 86, lives in a mud hut in mountainous eastern Serbia and heard five years ago that her estranged husband, living in Australia, had died.

She tasked a neighbour with finding out more information in 2011, and learned of her fortune late last year.

Marija has since donated all the money to the community that looks after her.

"I don't need my money," she told the B92 website (in Serbian). "It's enough for me to have bread, water and wood so I can keep warm in winter.

"Where I am going soon I do not need money, so I gave it away. They need it more."

Marija told the website she and her husband, Momcilo, moved to Guildford in Western Australia in 1956.

He worked as a carpenter in a factory, and she as a housewife, but Marija returned to Serbia after 18 months to care for her ailing mother.

Marija never returned to Australia after her mother's death, but kept in contact by letter with Momcilo, who she said was keen to return to Serbia once he retired.

Word reached Serbia that Momcilo went on to own cattle ranches - something Marija did not believe. In 2011, Marija heard rumours he had died.

She asked her neighbour, named only as M, to search for more information. M told the Vecernje Novosti newspaper (in Serbian) that she hit dead-ends with the Australian embassy in Belgrade and the Serbian embassy in Australia.

But she was able to confirm Momcilo's death through lawyers in Australia, and, after a four-year search, received confirmation of his wealth last year.

Marija said his ranches were worth close to A$3m ($2.1m, £1.5m) but the inheritance was reduced to A$940,000 once taxes were deducted.

M said that Marija promised her 30% of the inheritance for her work. But M told Serbian media other members of the community had not given her what she had been promised.

Marija's neighbours continue to visit her home and chop wood for her to burn, she said. Her dogs remained her best friends, she added.

Source - bbc.co.uk

[a175]

That's a beautiful soul.

[kellyhound]

Good of her.

[CannaChick]

Most could learn a lot from her.

[tbone79]

I wish she would have kept some of it, but it was a beautiful thing to do. I hope people watch over her and make sure that she's taken care of.

[Oswald2001]

Originally Posted by tbone79 ↗

I wish she would have kept some of it, but it was a beautiful thing to do. I hope people watch over her and make sure that she's taken care of.

She may have an addled mind and people just took advantage of her.

[jesse]

She has lived a comfortable life, for decades, as far as she is concerned. She is at the end of her life. She is happy.

What does she need that much money for?

I commend her.

[Oswald2001]

Originally Posted by Matti ↗

She has lived a comfortable life, for decades, as far as she is concerned. She is at the end of her life. She is happy.

What does she need that much money for?

I commend her.

I agree.

If...she is of sound mind - and - this was her informed choice.

[Spiffyfable]

Awesome!

[Azimuth]

There is something really "off" with this story. I hope she isn't being taken advantage of too badly. I hope the community she threw all that money at fixes up her hovel, that shithole doesn't look like it could sustain hardly amoebic life for more than a day or two. It's filthy, she is inside and has winter gloves on.

As far as her being "HAPPY" and all that other horseshit. It's called dementia.