BIOGRAPHY

Marie-Louise Berthelot was born in the former commune of Le Bourg d’Iré in the Maine-et-Loire department in Pays de la Loire, France, on 29 July 1907. She had two brothers. She worked on her parents’ farm after they settled at the Bellevue farm in Grugé-l’Hôpital (Maine-et-Loire) in 1924. During the Second World War, she lost both of her brothers on the front lines, and her father fell ill and passed away. She then took on the responsibility of running the farm alongside her mother.

In 1944, she married Joseph Berthelot, who worked in the slate quarries. The couple then settled at the small Haut Moulin farm in Grugé, and she managed the farm. After retiring in 1963, they settled in Renazé. Her husband passed away in 1992.

She lived in Renazé until 1997, when she moved into a retirement home at the age of 90. Until she moved into the retirement home, she continued driving her Citroën 2CV. At 105, she was reported to be highly independent and welcomed many visitors. She enjoyed staying informed about everything happening around her. For her 106th birthday, she expressed a wish to visit her old home once more. She made the journey in a Citroën 2CV, the car she had once driven.

When asked about the secret to her longevity, she simply said, “You can’t control it.” She admitted that she had never smoked or consumed alcohol but also added, “I never did any sports. I didn’t need to—I worked hard!”

Marie-Louise Berthelot passed away in the commune of Renazé in the Mayenne department , Pays de la Loire, on 16 January 2021, at the age of 113 years, 171 days.

RECOGNITION

After the passing of Marie-Florentine Jousseaume on 20 December 2020, Marie-Louise Berthelot became the oldest person in the Pays de la Loire region and the last known living French person born in 1907.

She was later succeeded as the region’s oldest living person by Marie-Rose Tessier.

Berthelot’s age was verified by Guillaume Legris and was validated by the ESO on 23 September 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Marie-Louise Berthelot a fêté ses 105 ans” – Ouest France, 1 August 2012

* “Balade en 2 CV pour les 106 ans de Marie-Louise” – Ouest France, 3 August 2013

* “Marie-Louise Berthelot a fêté ses 107 ans” – Ouest France, 2 August 2014

* “LA DOYENNE DE LA MAYENNE A FÊTÉ SES 110 ANS À RENAZÉ !” – Haut Anjou, 21 August 2017

* “La doyenne des Pays de la Loire, Marie-Louise Berthelot, est décédée en Mayenne à 114 ans” – Actu.fr, 18 January 2021

* “Renazé. La doyenne des Pays de la Loire est décédée à 113 ans” – Ouest France, 18 January 2021

GALLERY