Marie-Louise Meilleur
Encyclopedia
Marie-Louise Fébronie Meilleur ( Chassé; August 29, 1880 – April 16, 1998) was a French Canadian
supercentenarian
who, upon the death of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment
, became the oldest recognized living person
. Meilleur is still the oldest validated Canadian ever.
, Quebec
, where she married her first husband, Étienne Leclerc, in 1900. After he and both of her parents died in 1911–1912, Meilleur left two of her four surviving children behind in 1913 and moved to the Ontario
border. Only once, in 1939, did she return to the Quebec area. The supercentenarian had six further children by her second husband, Hector Meilleur, whom she married in 1915. After his death in 1972, she lived first with a daughter and then in a nursing home
in Corbeil.
By the time Meilleur died of a blood clot
at age 117 in April 1998 in Corbeil, Ontario
, one of her sons was also living in the same nursing home, and her oldest living daughter, Gabrielle Vaughan, was 90 years old.
has been excluded, she ranks fourth, behind only Jeanne Calment, Sarah Knauss, and Lucy Hannah.
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
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, upon the death of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
, became the oldest recognized living person
Oldest people
This 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...
. Meilleur is still the oldest validated Canadian ever.
Biography
She was born in KamouraskaKamouraska, Quebec
Kamouraska is a municipality on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Regional County Municipality of Kamouraska...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where she married her first husband, Étienne Leclerc, in 1900. After he and both of her parents died in 1911–1912, Meilleur left two of her four surviving children behind in 1913 and moved to the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
border. Only once, in 1939, did she return to the Quebec area. The supercentenarian had six further children by her second husband, Hector Meilleur, whom she married in 1915. After his death in 1972, she lived first with a daughter and then in a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in Corbeil.
By the time Meilleur died of a blood clot
Thrombus
A thrombus , or blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. It is achieved via the aggregation of platelets that form a platelet plug, and the activation of the humoral coagulation system...
at age 117 in April 1998 in Corbeil, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, one of her sons was also living in the same nursing home, and her oldest living daughter, Gabrielle Vaughan, was 90 years old.
Longevity
More than a decade after her death, Meilleur still remains one of the five oldest verified people ever recorded, and, since the questionable case of Shigechiyo IzumiShigechiyo Izumi
was a Japanese centenarian who was titled the oldest living person after the death of Niwa Kawamoto, also from Japan. His case was first verfied by Guinness World Records, who titled him the oldest person ever, but Guinness have in recent years backed from their previous statement; in the Guinness...
has been excluded, she ranks fourth, behind only Jeanne Calment, Sarah Knauss, and Lucy Hannah.
Records
- On 20 March 1993, Lillian Ross died, and Meilleur aged 112 years 203 days, became the oldest living person in Canada.
- On 4 August 1997, Jeanne CalmentJeanne CalmentJeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
died, and Meilleur, 116 years, 340 days, became the oldest living person - On 16 April 1998, Meilleur died, 117 years 230 days, and Sarah KnaussSarah KnaussSarah DeRemer Knauss was an American supercentenarian considered the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records from April 16, 1998, the date of the death of 117-year-old Canadian Marie-Louise Meilleur, until her own death...
became the oldest living person
See also
- List of the verified oldest people
- List of the verified oldest women
- National longevity recordholdersNational longevity recordholdersThis is a list of oldest people by nation. It includes the individual, for each given country, who are reported to have had the longest lifespan. Such records can only be determined to the extent that the given country's records are reliable. Comprehensive birth registration largely came into being...
- 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....
- AgingAgeingAgeing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...