BIOGRAPHY

Jeanne Delétang was born in Angles-sur-l’Anglin, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France on 27 October 1909, as the fourth of five children. At the age of nine, her family moved to her maternal grandfather’s home in Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé following the death of her older brother during World War I. This loss deeply affected her throughout her life.

In the mid-1920s, Delétang moved to Paris to find work and joined one of her sisters. However, upon receiving news of her father’s illness, she returned to Poitou, where she took on the responsibility of caring for her parents. In the family home in the hamlet of Mardelle, she devoted herself to knitting and creating the intricate embroidery known as “Jours d’Angles,” all while enjoying the company of numerous cats, which she adored.

Delétang never married and had no children. She lived independently until the age of 105 when she moved into a retirement home in Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé in 2015. Despite her declining senses—she remarked in 2014 that she could no longer hear or see well—she vividly recalled her years spent on embroidery. Delétang continued to receive visits from friends and relatives, though her nieces, themselves elderly, were unable to visit frequently due to health precautions.

She celebrated several milestones during her time at the Saint-André nursing home, including her 110th and 111th birthdays, receiving bouquets and packages from loved ones. By October 2021, Delétang had celebrated her 112th birthday, marking her as the oldest living person in the Vienne department and the second oldest in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Jeanne Delétang passed away in Saint-Pierre-de-Maille, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France on 27 November 2021 at the age of 112 years, 31 days. At the time of her death, she was known as one of France’s oldest living supercentenarians.

RECOGNITION

Delétang’s age was verified by Cyril Depoudent and validated by the ESO on 18 November 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY