BIOGRAPHY

Élise Tavan was born in the commune of Dieulefit in the Drôme department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, on 16 April 1909. Her parents were Émile Théophile Tavan (1879–1947) and Marie Charpenel (1882–1978). She had eight brothers: Fernand Émile (1906–1912), Henri Pierre (1911–2005), André (1913–1918), Jullien Raymond (1918–2015), Louis Élie (1920–1979), Pierre (1922–2013), Jean Roger (1924–2022), and Robert.

Tavan experienced significant loss early in life, losing her elder brother to scarlet fever in 1912. Between 1911 and 1925, seven more brothers were born into her family. However, tragedy struck again in 1918 when the Spanish flu claimed the life of her brother André. She took on the responsibility of helping her parents care for the remaining six siblings. Her father, initially a valet driver, was mobilized during World War I. After the war, he transitioned to farming before becoming a merchant, running a small grocery store with his wife.

The family’s daily life was filled with hard work, and Élise dedicated many years to the family grocery store. When her mother became too old to manage the business, Élise took it over, running it independently until she was nearly 70 years old. Deeply religious and devoted, Élise remained single throughout her life, living quietly in Dieulefit while maintaining close ties with her surviving brothers and a few nieces and nephews. Later, one of her nephews took her in for several years before health issues prompted her move to a retirement home. She ultimately settled in Charols, where she was joined by her youngest brother, Jean Roger, who passed away in March 2022 at the age of 98.

Though initially reserved about her age, Élise embraced media attention on her 112th birthday, responding to inquiries with remarkable clarity and poise.

Elise Tavan passed away in the commune of Charols in the Drôme department, on 7 November 2022, at the age of 113 years, 205 days.

RECOGNITION

On 4 January 2022, following the passing of 115-year-old Valentine Ligny, she became the second-oldest living person in France. At the time of her passing, she was the nation’s second-oldest resident, only after Lucile Randon.

Tavan’s age was verified by Cyril Depoudent (Les Grands Centenaires Français), and was validated by the ESO on 19 January 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* Élise Marie Reine Tavan – geneanet

* “Lise Tavan est décédée avant d’avoir 114 ans” – Le Dauphiné Libéré, 11 November 2022

* “Hommage à Élise Tavan” – Les Grands Centenaires Français, 27 November 2022

GALLERY