Marie-Rose Mueller
Encyclopedia
Marie-Rose 'Muzzy' Schleret Mueller (September 20, 1896 – November 5, 2007) was an American supercentenarian
and, at age 111, she was one of the 50 oldest verified living people in the world
, having been the second-oldest person in Connecticut
until she died (behind only fellow immigrant
Elizabeth Stefan, who died at 112 in 2008 and was born in Hungary
).
, Territoire de Belfort
, France, right on the border between France and Germany (the Alsace was a part of Germany upon other from 1871 to the Treaty of Versailles
), however she grew up in the small French section of that region. The tenth of eleven children, she grew up knowing both German and French.
Her father was a carriage maker who was just beginning to start selling automobiles when Mueller was a small child. Indeed he had one of the first driver's licenses in France.
According to her grandson, fearing the upcoming war, she fled France in 1913, and eventually relocated to New York City. In 1924, she married Swiss-born Oscar J. Mueller.
Her husband took whatever jobs he could find, including working as a bartender on and off, a lot of the time in Florida
, where the family often moved to during the winter in order to find work. During the Second World War, he found work in the war driven factories of Bridgeport
, Connecticut. For many years the couple lived in the city's East Side, near the General Electric
plant. Oscar died in 1989, at the age of 90.
The couple had three daughters (Monique, born in 1927; Evelyn, born in 1929; and Renee, 1940–2008), the first two of whom are still living near where she lived in Connecticut today, while Renee is buried next to her parents in West Cemetery in Madison
, Connecticut. At the time of Marie-Rose's death she also had six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Her health was extremely good for someone of her advanced age, as shown partly by the fact that she was well enough to not need to be in a nursing home or medical care facility as many supercentenarians do (though other recent examples of this are Maria de Jesus
, a Portuguese supercentenarian, and María Capovilla
, a former world's oldest person from Ecuador
). Her hair was thick and gray, and she didn't need to bother taking prescriptions day after day.
She was still sharp and her fingers were still capable of threading needles and doing the needlework she enjoyed passing the time doing. Most of all, she loved to read magazines. According to her family, she spent a lot of her time gently and slowly thumbing through one of the many magazines she kept by her easy chair. When she was not doing that or needlework, she often sat in her chair and looked out through the window at the picturesque wooded backyard.
There was no TV in her room. Dederer said: "At nursing homes, they dump them in front of the idiot box." She definitely appeared to enjoy her quiet everyday regime and her life. She had become somewhat of a local symbol, as Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell
declared her last birthday the Fourth Annual Marie Rose "Muzzy" Mueller Day. She died peacefully in her sleep.
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
and, at age 111, she was one of the 50 oldest verified living people in the world
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...
, having been the second-oldest person in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
until she died (behind only fellow immigrant
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
Elizabeth Stefan, who died at 112 in 2008 and was born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
).
Early life
When she was born to the late Mathias and Marie Schleret, houses were lit by oil lamps, and horses and trains were the main methods of transportation. She was born in BeaucourtBeaucourt
Beaucourt is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France."Beaucourt Revisited" is a war poem by A.P. Herbert.-References:*...
, Territoire de Belfort
Territoire de Belfort
The Territoire de Belfort is a department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.-Administration:Its departmental code is 90, and its prefecture is Belfort...
, France, right on the border between France and Germany (the Alsace was a part of Germany upon other from 1871 to the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
), however she grew up in the small French section of that region. The tenth of eleven children, she grew up knowing both German and French.
Her father was a carriage maker who was just beginning to start selling automobiles when Mueller was a small child. Indeed he had one of the first driver's licenses in France.
According to her grandson, fearing the upcoming war, she fled France in 1913, and eventually relocated to New York City. In 1924, she married Swiss-born Oscar J. Mueller.
Marriage
In the first few years of her marriage she worked occasional odd jobs, including working as a nanny for a New York congressman.Her husband took whatever jobs he could find, including working as a bartender on and off, a lot of the time in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where the family often moved to during the winter in order to find work. During the Second World War, he found work in the war driven factories of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, Connecticut. For many years the couple lived in the city's East Side, near the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
plant. Oscar died in 1989, at the age of 90.
The couple had three daughters (Monique, born in 1927; Evelyn, born in 1929; and Renee, 1940–2008), the first two of whom are still living near where she lived in Connecticut today, while Renee is buried next to her parents in West Cemetery in Madison
Madison, Connecticut
Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The population was 18,812 at the 2000 census....
, Connecticut. At the time of Marie-Rose's death she also had six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Final years
Mueller was living with her grandson, John Dederer, and his family in Stratford, Connecticut, into whose care she moved in 1999, at age 103, her husband having died a few years before. While her mind was not as good as it once was, she could still speak three languages fluently (French, German and English), and graciously greeted visitors.Maria de Jesus
Maria de Jesus dos Santos was a Portuguese supercentenarian who was the world's oldest verified living person for 37 days, until her death at 115 years 114 days. She assumed this status after the 26 November 2008 death of American Edna Parker, who was 115 years 220 days old...
, a Portuguese supercentenarian, and María Capovilla
María Capovilla
María Esther Heredia de Capovilla was an Ecuadorian supercentenarian, and, at the time of her death at age 116 years 347 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person. She was the last remaining person born in the 1880s...
, a former world's oldest person from Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
). Her hair was thick and gray, and she didn't need to bother taking prescriptions day after day.
She was still sharp and her fingers were still capable of threading needles and doing the needlework she enjoyed passing the time doing. Most of all, she loved to read magazines. According to her family, she spent a lot of her time gently and slowly thumbing through one of the many magazines she kept by her easy chair. When she was not doing that or needlework, she often sat in her chair and looked out through the window at the picturesque wooded backyard.
There was no TV in her room. Dederer said: "At nursing homes, they dump them in front of the idiot box." She definitely appeared to enjoy her quiet everyday regime and her life. She had become somewhat of a local symbol, as Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell
Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
declared her last birthday the Fourth Annual Marie Rose "Muzzy" Mueller Day. She died peacefully in her sleep.