BIOGRAPHY

Peitz was born as Maria Elisabeth Specht on 25 February 1913 in her parent’s home in the small town of Neuenkirchen, in Rietberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, as the youngest of four children. Aged 10, she transferred to a girls’ school in Wiedenbrück and then attended a commercial school in Gütersloh for one year.

Peitz worked in a delicatessen in Duisburg, and in 1940, took over her parent’s grocery store, which sold, among other things, toys, wicker products, and prams. She married farmer Peter Peitz, who died in 1975. The couple had no children.

The following year, Peitz retired from running the business, but volunteered frequently in various groups, and partook in several activities in the community. Up until the age of 88, Peitz regularly performed on stage for KFD Neuenkirchen Theatre, a group that she co-founded over half a century earlier.

In 2015, Peitz moved into a Neuenkirchen retirement home after her home was burgled. On her 109th birthday, she claimed the secret to her longevity was “[being] good and hardworking, and also [sleeping] a lot.” She never smoked and drank little alcohol. Two of her sisters lived to be nonagenarians.

RECOGNITION

Peitz was first noted for her longevity in an article published on her 102nd birthday. Every birthday since her 106th has been reported by a variety of news outlets; she was also congratulated by local dignitaries.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Großer Bahnhof für 110-jährige Neuenkirchenerin” – Die Glocke, 26 February 2023

* “MARIA PEITZ” – Traueranzeigen der Glocke

GALLERY