Julie Winnefred Bertrand

Infobox Person
name = Julie Winnefred Bertrand


birth_date = birth date|1891|9|16
birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
death_date = death date|2007|1|18 aged 115 years 124 days
death_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Julie Winnefred Bertrand (September 16, 1891 – January 18, 2007) was the oldest living Canadian and the oldest verified living recognized woman at the time of her death at age 115 years and 124 days.

The oldest living Canadian since the death of Sister Anne Samson on November 29, 2004, she was only one month younger than Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado del Toro, the then oldest living person in the world. Bertrand is also the second-longest-lived person in Canadian history, only to Marie-Louise Meilleur (1880–1998, 117 years 230 days).

When she was a young woman, Bertrand was courted by future Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. However, she never married.

As of 2004, when she turned 113, the supercentenarian was reported as being in fairly good health, dressing daily, had her hair done bi-weekly, and enjoyed a glass of wine on special occasions. Her memory was quite good, and she could recognize most of her friends and relatives. At that time she was reported living at her long-time residence in Montreal.

She became the oldest living woman on December 11, 2006, with the death of American Elizabeth Bolden. Final reports of her told a story of a woman sleeping almost all the time. Following her death, another American woman, 114-year-old Emma Tillman, became the oldest living woman.

With the January 24, 2007 death of Emiliano Mercado del Toro, Madame Bertrand missed the 'oldest person' title by a mere six days (comfortably breaking the previous record of 33 days, held by Japanese man Yukichi Chuganji).

As of October 2008, Bertrand ranks among the 20 oldest verified people ever.

ee also

* List of the verified oldest people
* Supercentenarian

External links

* [http://www.umontreal.ca/english/news_digest/2005-2006/20051017/100_years.html Centenarians list from the Université de Montréal]
* [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=3a12244a-0cbb-4450-af9d-3215383bdebc Canada.com story on Mme. Bertrand]
* [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20061216/CPACTUALITES/612160770/0/LAINFORMER La Presse article on Mme. Bertrand (in French)]
* [http://www.genarians.com/images/Julia%20Bertrand.jpgPhoto at age 114]