BIOGRAPHY

Mariette Barszczewicz was born in Ensival, Liège Province, Belgium, on 8 January 1909. She was the daughter of Henri Victor Speder, a train driver, and his wife, Gertrude Willscheidt. On 16 June 1932, Mariette married Jan Barszczewicz, a Polish man she had met while dancing. Despite her marriage, she chose to retain her Belgian nationality. The couple settled in Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

When the Second World War began in September 1939, Jan was mobilized and sent to France. Mariette managed to return to her family in Belgium through the assistance of the Belgian Consulate and began working with an organization that helped reunite displaced families. However, when the war reached Belgium in May 1940, she and her two stepsisters packed their belongings into backpacks and set out for France. Their journey spanned countless kilometers on foot, interspersed with rides on trains and military vehicles, before they eventually reached Paris. There, she took on the role of secretary at a Polish Red Cross refugee camp.

After the war, the couple reunited and moved to England before emigrating to Canada a few years later. They settled in Montreal, where both found employment with the federal government until their retirement. In 1978, they relocated to Oshawa, where they were welcomed by the Polish community. Her husband passed away in 1989. Mariette maintained an active and independent lifestyle, driving until the age of 83, and volunteering as a bookkeeper for a local cardiac rehabilitation center until the age of 100. At 100, she broke her hip, which limited her mobility. She continued to live alone in her home on Oshawa Boulevard until the age of 105. She later moved into the Wynfield retirement residence in Oshawa. She learned Polish from her husband and continued to speak the language even at 110. In addition, she was fluent in both French and English.

When asked about the secret of her longevity, and staying happy during her long life, she said: “It is to be honest … always honest, even if it [is] something difficult.”

Mariette Barszczewicz passed away in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, on 4 April 2020, at the age of 111 years, 87 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “At 107, Mariette Barszczewicz of Oshawa revels in a lifetime of remarkable memories” – Durham Region, 7 February 2016

* “107-year-old resident recalls wartime years” – Chartwell Master Care, 11 March 2016

* Mariette Barszczewicz (1909-2020) – Belgische eeuwelingen, 22 May 2018

* “Durham Region woman celebrates 110th birthday” – Global News, 9 January 2019

GALLERY