BIOGRAPHY

Simoneaux was born in Montz, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, USA, on 24 May 1905, to parents Prudent Felix Simoneaux (1876–1962) and Marie Sedonia Vicknair (1878–1970). He had eight siblings: Clarence (1900–1970), Albertine (1901–1990), Edgar (1903–1993), Frank Alberic (1908–1986), Heloise Therese (1910–2002), Melvin (1912–1992), Sedonia (1914–1998), and Murphy Damian (1918–2002). The family eventually relocated when the federal government expropriated their land in the 1920s, as officials were laying the groundwork for what would later become the Bonnet Carre Spillway. He attended a two-room school. He assisted on the family farm, and the demands of farmwork resulted in numerous school absences, prompting him to leave school at the age of 13. As he grew older, he self-taught carpentry, eventually becoming a master carpenter. At a young age, he rode a horse to the fields and assisted in planting sugar cane, potatoes, and corn. He also aided his father in selling vegetables in LaPlace and Reserve, with some of the produce making its way to the French Market in New Orleans. Additionally, he worked on the Mississippi River, contributing to the construction of levees, earning 75 cents per day for a 12-hour workday. He constructed sugar towers for refineries and was part of larger crews involved in building luxury hotels in New Orleans. For recreation, he learned to swim in a small pond on the Mississippi River batture.

During the mid-1930s, he met his future wife, Myrtle Champagne (1914–2004), at a dance on the opposite side of the Mississippi River, likely in Ama, her hometown. The couple got married on 6 December 1934, and subsequently had six children: Myrtle Robichaux (1935–2018), Audrey Mae Terrio (1937–2022), Loretta Ann (1942–1943), Myra, Carey, and Perry Maurice.

During World War II, he received a deferment from military service due to poor eyesight caused by a broken nail in his eye. As a result, he contributed to the war effort on the home front by working on the construction of Higgins boats, the wooden vessels utilized by the Allies for amphibious landings. Using discarded lumber from these boats, he designed and built his house in LaPlace in 1941, at a cost of $700. Additionally, when he bought the family’s first car, a 1957 Chevy, he paid for it in cash, a practice he maintained for the family’s first TV set and nearly all their possessions. He acquired 4 acres of land near the shotgun house he had designed and built. On this land, the family had chickens and a small herd of cows. Additionally, he cultivated a garden, hunted, and fished, not only to provide for the family’s meals but also to generate extra income by selling his vegetables at the French Market in New Orleans. He continued to work as a carpenter until retiring at age 70.

Well into his centenary years, his children assisted him in establishing a smaller garden near his house, a space he would tend to diligently every day. On his 105th birthday in 2010, it was reported that he was coping with a medical condition called sciatica in his right leg but remained in generally good health. He stopped driving around that time. At the age of 107, reports indicated that he could walk with assistance but had poor hearing. At 108, he expressed surprise at having lived for so long. He was frequently asked about the secret to his long life, and he would consistently reply, “I don’t smoke, and I don’t drink.” At a certain point, he was honored with a plaque, a commemorative pin, and documents in recognition of being the oldest living member of Carpenter’s Union No. 1846, having served for over 75 years. His family members described him as a devout man who regularly attended church services at a chapel in Montz and St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in LaPlace.

Simoneaux passed away at his residence in LaPlace, Louisiana, USA, on 19 April 2016, at 11:00 p.m., at the age of 110 years, 331 days. He had suffered a minor stroke the previous week. He was survived by 12 grandchildren, numerous greatgrandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

At the time of death, he was the oldest (known) living man in the United States. He was succeeded by Frank Levingston, also of Louisiana. He was also the second-oldest (known) living person in the state of Louisiana, behind Ophelia Burks.

His age was verified by Stefan Maglov, Jimmy Lindberg, and an anonymous researcher, and validated by LongeviQuest on 13 January 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* Felix Simoneaux Jr. – Find A Grave

* “A man of many seasons” – L’Observateur, 25 May 2013

* “LaPlace’s Felix Simoneaux Jr., 110, often said chewing food was secret to long life” – L’Observateur, 23 April 2016

* “Nation’s oldest man, Felix Simoneaux Jr. of LaPlace, dies a month before 111th birthday” – NOLA.com, 26 April 2016

* “Felix Simoneaux, Jr.” – Millet-Guidry Funeral Home

GALLERY