LongeviQuest is pleased to announce that Montreal, Canada has a new supercentenarian. Maria Lacasse has recently celebrated her 110th birthday, surrounded by her family and friends. It was shared that Lacasse is confident that she will blow out the candles not only for her 111th birthday but also for her 112th. Despite her impressive age, she has not lost any of her lucidity.
Maria Lacasse 110th Birthday Celebration (Source: https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2023/12/04/elle-celebre-son-110e-anniversaire-et-revele-le-secret-de-sa-longevite)
Maria Lacasse was born in Chertsey, Lanaudière, Canada on 4 December 1913. Lacasse’s caretakers describe her as a joy to work with, always smiling and eager to help, despite the demanding nature of their job. They spend almost more time with her than with their own families. Lacasse surprisingly claims that her bad temper is actually the key to her long life. To live a long time, she says, you need to be “uncomfortable.”
LongeviQuest is delighted to announce that Campania, Italy’s second-oldest living woman turned 110. Zappone celebrated her birthday by achieving a new milestone: becoming the 22nd longest-lived woman in Italy. On her special day, Zappone was surrounded by loved ones and well-wishers from the community. Mayor Ruggiero spoke movingly, noting that her 110 candles represent the deep affection held for the elderly. He extended a special wish to this “beautiful lady,” who continues to share her wisdom and values.
Vittoria Zappone’s 110th Birthday Celebration (Source: https://www.irpinianews.it/nonna-vittoria-di-mirabella-eclano-compie-110-anni/)
Vittoria Zappone was born in Mirabella Eclano, Avellino, Campania Region, Italy on 4 December 1913. She was a former seamstress, a wife, and a mother to two children. She continues to share the warmth of family and the enduring wisdom gleaned from a life well lived.
LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Yasu Kushima of Japan at age 111. She was born in Japan on 10 May 1901. She ran a stationery store at her home until she was in her 80s. As of 2011, at the age of 110, she had nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Despite some difficulties with vision and hearing at 103, Kushima remained in good health and enjoyed sharing three meals a day with her family. Grapes and coffee were her favorite indulgences. Her sharp mind, honed from years of managing a stationery store, still allowed her to perform calculations with ease, even reciting multiplication tables at the age of 106. When she was at home, she would often sit in her living room and chat with friends from the neighborhood.
In September 2011, aged 110. (Source: Shizuoka Shimbun)
Kushima attributed her long life to simple pleasures: avoiding picky eating, maintaining a regular diet, and staying hydrated. Between 2004 and 2011, Kushida, the oldest person in Shimada City then, received seven mayoral visits for Japan’s Respect for the Aged Day. During her first visit at 103, she was gifted a cushion and roses. In 2005, she moved to a nursing home in Shimada City, where she continued to receive visits and gifts from officials. Despite declining eyesight and hearing, Kushima remained active through singing activities and maintained basic communication skills with family and staff. Her devoted grandson visited her daily.
Yasu Kushima passed away at her nursing home in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on 2 July 2012, at the age of 111 years, 53 days. At the time of death, she was the second-oldest living person in Shizuoka Prefecture, after Yasuko Kimura.
LongeviQuest congratulates Yasu Kushima’s family on her posthumous recognition.
For more information, please view Kushima’s Directory Profile here.
LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Michiko Matsumoto of Japan at age 111. She was born in Japan on 1 February 1904. She was a wife and mother.
At the age of 99, Matsumoto received a special visit from the mayor of Saijō City, where she resided with her grandson and his wife. This visit was followed by several others, with the mayor presenting her with gifts and celebrating her longevity. Despite her age, Matsumoto remained remarkably active, climbing stairs multiple times a day. She attributed her long life to her supportive family and her enjoyment of sweets and meat.
Matsumoto (right) at the age of 110, with the Mayor of Saijō, Masaru Aono. (Source: Saijō City)
In September 2014, she was reported as the third-oldest living person in Ehime Prefecture, after Yoneno Kouno and Hikari Kataoka. Upon Kataoka’s passing in February 2015, she became the second-oldest living person in the Prefecture.
Michiko Matsumoto passed away in Saijō City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, on 31 March 2015, at the age of 111 years, 58 days.
LongeviQuest congratulates Michiko Matsumoto’s family on her posthumous recognition.
For more information, please view Matsumoto’s Directory Profile here.
LongeviQuest is saddened to report the passing of Viorica Hogaș. She was born on 9 February 1915 and passed away in Suceava, Romania on 25 November 2023, at the age of 108. She was a wife and a mother to 1 daughter. Hogaş worked for a while as a teacher and raised her only child as best she knew, even though there were days when she had nothing to eat.
Undated. (Source: www.monitorulsv.ro)
Hogaș was the oldest known woman in Romania, following the death of 109-year-old Maria Mihai on 2 February 2022. At the time of her death, she was the second-oldest known living person in Romania, behind Ilie Ciocan (born 1913).
LongeviQuest is extending our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Mrs. Viorica Hogaș.
LongeviQuest is saddened to report the passing of Katsuko Tago. She was born in Ōmachi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan on 28 March 1910 and passed away in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan on 1 December 2023 at 113 years, 248 days. At the time of her death, Tago was the oldest living person in Tokyo, Japan.
In January 2022, aged 111. (Source: Courtesy of the family)
Katsuko Tago assisted her father in running a kimono shop for several years before relocating to Tokyo. In Tokyo, she got married, and the couple had seven children. Tago played the role of a supportive housewife while her husband pursued a career as a bank branch manager.
Tago maintained an active lifestyle for over 90 years. She participated in a monthly doll-making class in her hometown. She continued expressing her creativity through crafting dolls and carving wood until the age of 103. Unfortunately, a femur fracture required her to undergo surgery. She persevered and regained her ability to walk through rehabilitation. However, two years later, another fracture led her to receive care in a nursing home.
Tago believed that her favorite strawberry-flavored chocolate was the secret to her longevity, and she ate it every day.
Her family and nursing home staff said that she lived her life with her ideas and opinions and always made all her daily decisions on her own. Until she was about 110 years old, she called her family every day to update them on what was happening at her nursing home.
Mrs. Tago’s sad news was directly confirmed through her family.
LongeviQuest is extending our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Mrs. Katsuko Tago.
LongeviQuest is delighted to announce that Germany’s oldest person ever turned 114 years old. Charlotte Kretschmann celebrated her milestone surrounded by friends and family on 3 December 2023. She holds the record as the oldest person ever to have resided in Germany.
Charlotte Kretschmann’s 114th birthday celebration (Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ZdW0Kr_d2/)
Charlotte Kretschmann was born in Wrocław, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (then German Empire) on 3 December 1909. She developed a passion for athletics during her youth. Through her involvement in an athletics club, she met her future husband. They married and had a daughter. With the outbreak of World War II, her husband was deployed to France as a soldier, while Kretschmann sought refuge westward with their daughter. Following the war’s end, the Red Cross facilitated the couple’s reunion, and they settled in Stuttgart.
Kretschmann maintained her independence well into her centennial years. However, in 2014, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, she transitioned to a nursing home. Despite her advanced age, Kretschmann remained an avid reader, enjoyed a glass of red wine with her meals, and had a sweet tooth for chocolate. She attributes her longevity to a combination of vigorous exercise (even during winter) and a happy childhood.
Kretschmann became the oldest living person in Germany on 18 September 2022, following the death of 113-year-old Anna Cernohorsky. On 8 February 2023, following the death of Maria Aulenbacher of South Carolina, USA, Kretschmann became the oldest living German person in the world. On 8 August 2023, she surpassed the final age of Josefine Ollmann, becoming the oldest person to ever live in Germany.
For more information, please view Kretschmann’s Directory Profile here.
LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Bessie French of Canada at age 110. She was born in Moreton’s Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada on 8 July 1882. She was a sister, a wife, and a mother to at least 3 children.
At the age of 109. (Source: unknown / Retrieved from Facebook)
French passed away in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on 17 September 1992, at the age of 110 years, 71 days. French is the first known supercentenarian on record to have been born and died in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. To this day, she remains the only known supercentenarian who passed away in the Province.
Emma Galode surpassed her final age on November 2, 1992, less than two months following her passing. Thus succeeding her as the new record holder for the oldest person ever born in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
LongeviQuest congratulates Bessie French’s family on her posthumous recognition.
For more information, please view French’s Directory Profile here.
LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Dorothy Marlowe of the United States at age 111. She was born in Logan, Utah, United States on 22 May 1907. She attended the Agricultural College of Utah (now Utah State University), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and Home Economics. Marlowe taught home economics and English for two years in Franklin, Idaho. She also taught junior high school in Midvale during the Great Depression.
Marlowe got married on 21 September 1933 and the couple had 3 children, They settled in the Laurelhurst area of Seattle, where they raised their children. While her husband practiced dentistry, Marlowe stayed home to care for their children. Marlowe was an active member of the Harriet Stimson Guild for the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital and a participant in the Women’s University Club. She was also a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Her interests included a passion for reading and engaging in bridge games. She and her sister Norma traveled the world together, visiting countries such as China, Germany, Russia, and Greece. Around 2016, she moved to Maple Springs Retirement Home in Logan.
On her 110th birthday. (Source: The Herald Journal)
In May 2017, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the third supercentenarian on record to live in the State of Utah, after Cleo Hinckley (1890–2002) and Pearl Blain (1895–2006).
Marlowe passed away in Logan, Utah, USA, on 10 March 2018, at the age of 110 years. She was survived by her three children, 10 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
LongeviQuest congratulates Dorothy Marlowe’s family on her posthumous recognition.
For more information, please view Marlowe’s Directory Profile here.
LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Fumie Suzuki Japan at age 111. She was born in Ōtaki, Chiba Prefecture, Japan on 20 June 1912. Suzuki pursued studies in etiquette at a mansion in Tokyo, where she met her future husband.
After marrying, the couple moved to Kanda, Tokyo. They evacuated back to her hometown in Chiba Prefecture with their four young children on March 10, 1945, the day before the Tokyo air raids. They lived in Chiba for several years after World War II and had their youngest child in 1947. In 1949, they returned to Shibuya, Tokyo. After raising her children, she devoted her time to caring for her grandchildren, traveling regularly between her children’s homes in Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa. Known for her straightforward personality, Suzuki consistently instilled the value of honesty in her children, teaching them that “lying is not good” and emphasizing the importance of living a life with integrity.
At the age of 111. (Source: Courtesy of the nursing home)
In her early 80s, Suzuki moved to Atsugi City in Kanagawa Prefecture, close to her eldest son’s home. She chose to live independently and continued to pursue various hobbies. She also developed a passion for creating picture letters. Suzuki also frequently traveled with her children throughout her later years, venturing to destinations like Hakone and Atami until her late 90s. Until the age of 107, she enjoyed crafting letters, making dolls, and engaging in various handicrafts. At 107, she suffered a fall at home, resulting in a broken hip. After a two-month hospitalization, she moved into a nursing home in Aikawa Town.
In September 2023, Suzuki was reported as the fifth-oldest living person in Kanagawa Prefecture.
For more information, please view Fumie Suzuki’s Directory Profile here.
