| Eugenie Blanchard | |
 | |
| Birth: | 16 February 1896 Saint Barthelemy |
| Death: | 4 November 2010 Saint Barthelemy |
| Age: | 114 years, 261 days |
| Country: |  BLM, FRA
|
| Validated | |
Eugenie Blanchard [French: Eugénie], known as Sister Cyria Costa (16 February 1896 – 4 November 2010), was a French-Saint Barthélemois supercentenarian, who, at the age of 114 years, 261 days, was the Worlds oldest living person at the time of her death.
Blanchard 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 validated, the third-oldest validated French person ever and the oldest verified person ever from the island of Saint Barthelemy (administratively and legally a part of Guadeloupe from 1878 until 2007), which is an overseas collectivity of France. She is currently, behind Jeanne Calment, Lucile Randon, Jeanne Bot, Valentine Ligny, Marie Bremont and Eudoxie Baboul, the Seventh oldest French person ever.
Biography
Anne Eugenie Blanchard was born in the Merlet neighborhood of St. Barts on 16 February 1896. She was born only 18 years after the former Swedish island of St. Barts was sold back to France. Blanchard was the last survivor of thirteen brothers and sisters.[1]
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.[1] 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.[2]
Blanchard remained with the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of Roosendaal on Curaçao until August 1956, 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.[1][2]
Blanchard was described as generally in good health during her later years, despite the loss of her eyesight and her inability to speak.[1][2]
Eugenie Blanchard died in Saint Barth's on 4 November 2010, at the age of 114 years, 261 days. Following her death Ana Nogueira de Lucas of Brazil because the worlds oldest living person however her age wasn’t verified until July 2023. She was the last surviving French person born in 1896, the last surviving French person born before 1898, the last surviving nun born in the 19th century and in the 1800s and the last surviving person in Guadeloupe born in the 1800s when it was still apart of Saint Barts in 1896.
Gallery
References
- Gerontology Research Group
- Mon amie la rose Artvision
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Eugenie Blanchard dies at 114; nun was considered the world's oldest person Los Angeles Times. 5 November 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eugénie Blanchard, 112 ans, doyenne des Français Le Post. 27 May 2008
| World's Oldest Living Nun Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Anne Samson • Fernande Charpentier • Eugenie Blanchard • Maria de Jaeger • Marie-Josephine Gaudette • Lucile Randon • Inah Canabarro Lucas |
| France's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • T • E) |
|
Marie Langlois • Rose Sarda • Calixte Razimbaud • Catherine Mouche • Auguste Decate • Desiree Delory • Ferdinise Nebolle • Georgette Jeanmaire • Eugenie Marchand • Eugenie Proux • Emilie Coqueran • Laurence Entiope • Marie-Ernestine Compain • Marie-Virginie Duhem • Frederique Noel • Augustine Tessier • Elisa Esnault • Elvire Mendiboure • Eugenie Roux • Jeanne Calment • Marie-Helene Chanteperdrix • Jeanne Dumaine • Marie Bremont • Germaine Haye • Anne Primout • Camille Loiseau • Marie-Simone Capony • Clementine Solignac • Eugenie Blanchard • Maria Diaz • Marcelle Narbonne • Marie-Therese Bardet • Paule Bronzini • Irenise Moulonguet • Suzanne Burrier • Marie Liguinen • Olympe Amaury • Eudoxie Baboul • Elisabeth Collot • Honorine Rondello • Lucile Randon • Marie-Rose Tessier |