Marie-Rose Tessier (née Bousseau; born 21 May 1910) is a French

supercentenarian A supercentenarian, sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian, is a person who is 110 or older. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of significant age-related diseases until short ...

. She is currently the oldest living French person and the second oldest living person in the world.

Biography

Marie-Rose Henriette Augustine Bousseau was born on 21 May 1910 in Beaurepaire, in the

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...

region. Her father, Alexis Auguste Bousseau (1868–1935), was a farmer and her mother, Marie Ernestine Rose Durand (1876–1962), was a housewife. Her parents married in 1898. Marie-Rose was the youngest of the couple's four children and the only girl. Her grandparents died before she was born. She married Auguste Charles Tessier (1904–1944) on 14 November 1927 in Ardelay. They had two daughters: Denise Marie Rose Augustine (1928–2020) and Yvette Louise Eugénie (1929–2010). On 18 April 1944, aged 33, Marie-Rose became a widow after her husband was killed during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

Tergnier Tergnier () is a commune in the department of Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France. Its location on the Canal de Saint-Quentin and the Creil–Jeumont railway ( Tergnier station) supported its development as an industrial centre in the second half ...

. She lived in

Fougères Fougères (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a Communes of France, commune and a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, located in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, no ...

, then in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, before returning to her native Vendée when she retired. Since 2010, she has been living in a nursing home (EHPAD) in

Les Sables-d'Olonne Les Sables-d'Olonne (; French meaning: "The Sands of Olonne"; Poitevin: ''Lés Sablles d'Oloune'') is a seaside resort and port on the Atlantic coast of western France. A subprefecture of the department of Vendée, Pays de la Loi ...

. She became the oldest woman in France following the death of

Lucile Randon Lucile Randon (; 11 February 1904 – 17 January 2023), also known as Sister André (), was a French supercentenarian who, until her death at the age of 118 years, 340 days, was the List of the oldest verified people, world's oldest verified l ...

on 17 January 2023. On 30 April 2025, after the passing of Inah Canabarro Lucas, she became the world’s second oldest living person, born 273 days after

Ethel Caterham Ethel May Caterham (née Collins; born 21 August 1909) is a British supercentenarian who, at the age of , is the world's oldest known living person since the death of Inah Canabarro Lucas on 30 April 2025, the oldest British person ever, an ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tessier, Marie-Rose Living people 1910 births French supercentenarians French women centenarians Women supercentenarians People from Vendée