The oldest Belgian woman, Mariette Bouverne, died on Monday at the age of 111 in the Zilversteere rest and care home (MRS) in Ghent, where she was living, announced the non-profit organisation Le Foyer, which manages the MRS.
Born on 25 December 1908, Bouverne had become the oldest Belgian in the country after the death of Elisabeth Proost on 25 January 2020.
The bilingual Bouverne was born in the Dampoortwijk in Ghent, attended primary school in French, and worked as a secretary for a notary. She was married to Albertus Dekens until 1960 when she became a widow, and had no children.
Bouverne was known for being fond of her privacy, even asking not to be included in the newspaper when she turned the monumental 111 years old. According to a piece in HLN from February, she was a great fan of reading, enjoyed reading National Geographic and made a point of visiting museums up until she was 108 years old.
The Brussels Times
