BIOGRAPHY

Marie Deffay was born in the former commune of Châtres-la-Forêt (now part of Évron) in the Mayenne department, Pays de la Loire, France, on 18 September 1913. She was the youngest of six children. Her father, Florentin Dubois, was a master wheelwright, while her mother, Eugénie, took care of the family. From her childhood, she retained memories of the First World War, recalling how, at the age of four or five, she saw American soldiers warming themselves by the fireplace in her family home. Marie worked on farms from the age of 13 until she was 28. She initially worked the land at Cocherie Farm in Châtres with her aunt Goyot, and later continued her work at Grue Farm in Saint-Christophe du Luat. It was at this farm that she met Robert Deffay (1918–2008), who became her husband in 1941 when she was 28 years old. The couple had two sons, Yves and Jean-Pierre. The couple initially lived on the Deffay family farm in Brée before moving to Montsûrs a year later. Marie then worked at Salle cheese dairy (now known as Montsûrs cheese dairy) until her retirement in 1973. Her husband held various jobs throughout his life. He worked as a lumberjack at Ets Barbot in Montsûrs and later in Évron, where his role involved taking a stallion named Unpieds to the farms for fieldwork and breeding. After living in Montsûrs for forty-eight years, Robert and Marie relocated to Soulgé in 1990, near one of their two children, Yves. Her husband passed away on 1 May 2008.

By the age of 103, she had six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. At the age of 110, she reflected, “I can’t really explain the 110 years, but it’s done.” At that time, she continued to live in her small house, where she was regularly visited by her widowed daughter-in-law, Marie-Claire, who came to see her every day, and her son, Jean-Pierre, who also visited her frequently. Additionally, a nurse from the care center paid her daily visits. When asked about the secret to her longevity, she couldn’t pinpoint one, but those around her described her as always cheerful, a fighter who trusts others, and someone who maintains a positive outlook without burdening herself with unnecessary difficulties. At 110, she was still able to cook for herself, create her shopping list, and regularly go to a large supermarket in Laval with her son, who would pick her up.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 9 November 2023. LongeviQuest has not yet recognized this validation.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Marie Deffay, 103 ans : un siècle d’histoires” – Ouest France, 17 September 2016

* “Coronavirus. Confinée chez elle en Mayenne, Marie, 106 ans, « regarde toujours devant »“– Ouest France, 3 May 2020

* “Marie Deffay, vient d’avoir 110 ans et vit toujours dans sa maison à Soulgé-sur-Ouette” – Ouest France, 20 September 2023

GALLERY