BIOGRAPHY

Ambühler was born as Odette Juliette Clémentine Raymonde Lefeuvre in the city of Le Mans, Sarthe department. Asa young adult, she worked as a saleswoman before moving to Paris in the early 1920s. She married Swiss-born Gustave Ambühler on 21 March 1925 and had four children: Odette Jr., Hermine, Ernest, and Julien.

The couple emigrated to Switzerland and lived there until Ambühler was widowed in 1931. She returned to Le Mans with her children, and lived there until 28 April 2003, when she moved into a nursing home in Laigné-en-Belin. On her 110th birthday, it was reported that she was frequently tired and slept a lot, but was still mentally sharp and enjoyed cracking jokes.

At the time of her 111th birthday, Ambühler, along with her four children, had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They were all living in Switzerland with the exception of Ambühler’s eldest daughter, then aged 90, who was living in a nursing home in Argentan, Normandy.

Following the death of Madeleine Chiron on 26 October 2012, Ambühler became the oldest living person in Pays de la Loire.

Ambühler died on 31 December 2012 at the age of 111 years, 105 days. She was the seventh-oldest known person in France upon her death. Her successor as Pays de la Loire’s oldest resident was Élisabeth Chaudière, then aged 109.

RECOGNITION

Ambühler’s age was verified by Cyril Depoudent, Les Grands Centenaires Français, and Luc Le Lay. Her age was validated by the GRG on 26 May 2012, and later by the ESO on 31 January 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY