BIOGRAPHY

Marguerite Nerny was born in Ormont-Dessus, Vaud, Switzerand, on 28 July 1905. In 1921, at the age of 16, Marguerite—who was raised in a carpenter’s family in Aigle—was sent to Aarau to learn German. There, she met Eugene Nerny, a young apprentice baker from Yverdon, who delivered fresh rolls to the house each day. The two began seeing each other on Sundays at the French Protestant Church (Église Française).

After completing his apprenticeship, Eugene decided to emigrate. He was eager to leave Switzerland, in part due to a strained relationship with his stepmother, and an offer from a fellow baker abroad seemed perfectly timed. For the next five years, Eugene and Marguerite exchanged love letters across the Atlantic. Determined to join him, she worked to save enough money for her emigration and was certain that Eugene was the one for her. In 1929, amid the hardships of the Great Depression, 24-year-old Marguerite set out for Canada. However, upon arrival in Cherbourg, French authorities claimed she had an eye condition and promptly sent her back to Aigle. Undeterred, she tried again a month later—once more traveling alone, via Paris, toward the Atlantic.

Due to icebergs near Newfoundland, the ship arrived in Quebec City a day later than scheduled. A few weeks after her arrival, Marguerite and Eugene were married on 27 July 1929—just one day before her 26th birthday.

At first, Marguerite often felt homesick for Switzerland, but between daily responsibilities and, after a year, the birth of their first child, there was little time to dwell on it. They had seven children in total, two of whom died in infancy. Eugene worked long hours as a baker, while Marguerite managed the home and cared for the family. His skills were in high demand, and as a result, he was not drafted during World War II.

Just a few days after her 75th birthday, on 1 August 1980, Marguerite’s husband passed away suddenly. She continued to live independently in her home until the age of 102, after which she moved into a retirement home.

Nermy passed away in Saint-Charles-Borromée, Quebec, Canada, on 17 December 2015, at the age of 110 years, 142 days.

RECOGNITION

On 2 November 2015, following the passing of Nina Hofer-Lustenberger, she became the oldest known Swiss-born person in the world.

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “‘Marguerite is beautiful and bright’” – Macleans.ca, 29 June 2014

* “Âgée de 110 ans, elle ne prend aucun médicament” – Le Journal de Montréal, 28 July 2015

* “La doyenne du Québec s’éteint à 110 ans” – L’Action, 6 January 2016

* Marguerite Nerny-Stager-The Oldest Swiss Canadian Turns 110 Years (by Susann Bosshard-Kalin) – Swiss American Historical Society Review

GALLERY