Eugénie Blanchard
Encyclopedia
Anne Eugénie Blanchard was a French
supercentenarian
, who at the age of was the oldest living person at the time of her death. She became the recognised titleholder upon the death of Japanese supercentenarian Kama Chinen
on 2 May 2010. At the time of her death, Blanchard was the 33rd oldest person ever verified, the 3rd oldest verified French person ever and the oldest verified person ever from the island of Saint Barthélemy
(administratively and legally a part of Guadeloupe
from 1878 until 2007), which is an overseas collectivity of France.
island of St. Barths was sold back to France. Blanchard was the last survivor of thirteen brothers and sisters.
Blanchard moved to Curaçao
in May 1923, where she became a Catholic nun of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Roosendaal on the island. She adopted the name Sister Cyria during her years with the order, but earned the nickname "Sweets" due to her treatment of others, according to Victorin Lurel
, the President of the Regional Council
of neighboring Guadeloupe
. Other reports have indicated that Curaçaoan children called her "Douchy," which is derived from "Dushi" meaning "sweets" or "candy" in Papiamento
, the creole language
of Curaçao, because she worked as a sweet seller.
Blanchard remained with the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Roosendaal on Curaçao until August 1955, when she returned to Saint Barthélemy at the age of 60. She resided alone with her cat until she moved to a hospital nursing home in 1980 at the age of 84 due to declining health.
Blanchard was described as generally in good health during her later years, despite the loss of her eyesight and her ability to speak. She died in Saint Barth's on 4 November 2010, at the age of 114.
She was succeeded as the oldest verified person in the world by Brazil
ian Maria Gomes Valentim
.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
, who at the age of was the oldest living person at the time of her death. She became the recognised titleholder upon the death of Japanese supercentenarian Kama Chinen
Kama Chinen
was a Japanese supercentenarian, who at the age of 114 years 357 days, became the oldest validated living person when American supercentenarian Gertrude Baines died on 11 September 2009. At the age of 114 years 331 days, she became the last person born in 1895 when American supercentenarian Neva...
on 2 May 2010. At the time of her death, Blanchard was the 33rd oldest person ever verified, the 3rd oldest verified French person ever and the oldest verified person ever from the island of Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
(administratively and legally a part of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
from 1878 until 2007), which is an overseas collectivity of France.
Biography
Blanchard was born in the Merlet neighborhood of St. Barths on 16 February 1896. She was born only 18 years after the former SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
island of St. Barths was sold back to France. Blanchard was the last survivor of thirteen brothers and sisters.
Blanchard moved to Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in May 1923, where she became a Catholic nun of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Roosendaal on the island. She adopted the name Sister Cyria during her years with the order, but earned the nickname "Sweets" due to her treatment of others, according to Victorin Lurel
Victorin Lurel
Victorin Lurel is a politician from Guadeloupe who was elected to the French National Assembly in 2002 and is also the current head of the Regional council of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. His term began on 22 April 2004 and got renewed on 14 March 2010.-External links:...
, the President of the Regional Council
President of the regional council
In Italy, the President of the Regional Council is the Speaker who heads the consiglio regionale of a regione, a state-level territory....
of neighboring Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
. Other reports have indicated that Curaçaoan children called her "Douchy," which is derived from "Dushi" meaning "sweets" or "candy" in Papiamento
Papiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
, the creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
of Curaçao, because she worked as a sweet seller.
Blanchard remained with the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Roosendaal on Curaçao until August 1955, when she returned to Saint Barthélemy at the age of 60. She resided alone with her cat until she moved to a hospital nursing home in 1980 at the age of 84 due to declining health.
Blanchard was described as generally in good health during her later years, despite the loss of her eyesight and her ability to speak. She died in Saint Barth's on 4 November 2010, at the age of 114.
She was succeeded as the oldest verified person in the world by Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Maria Gomes Valentim
Maria Gomes Valentim
Maria Gomes Valentim was a Brazilian supercentenarian who died at the age of 114 years 347 days. She was the oldest verified living person in the world from the time her age was validated on 18 May 2011 until her death a little more than a month later...
.
Longevity records
- On 25 May 2008 Clémentine Solignac died; Eugénie Blanchard, aged 112 years 99 days, became the oldest living person in France.
- On 24 October 2009, Eugénie Blanchard, aged 113 years 250 days, moved into the top 100 verified oldest people ever.
- On 2 May 2010 Kama ChinenKama Chinenwas a Japanese supercentenarian, who at the age of 114 years 357 days, became the oldest validated living person when American supercentenarian Gertrude Baines died on 11 September 2009. At the age of 114 years 331 days, she became the last person born in 1895 when American supercentenarian Neva...
died, Eugénie Blanchard age 114 years 75 days became the oldest verified living person in the world. - On 4 November 2010, Eugénie Blanchard died at age 114 years 261 days, the 35th oldest verified person ever.
See also
- List of French supercentenarians
- List of the verified oldest women
- List of the verified oldest people
- List of verified supercentenarians who died in 2010
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....