Happy 110th Birthday to the Doyenne of Belgium!

https://longeviquest.com/2025/09/denise-waelbers-belgiums-oldest-resident-turns-110/

Denise Waelbers, Belgium’s Oldest Resident, Turns 110

Denise Waelbers, a resident of Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium, and the nation’s oldest resident, is celebrating her 110th birthday today, according to the Gazet van Antwerpen.

Waelbers was born in the hamlet of Kerkhoven, in the town of Lommel, Limburg Province, on 26 September 1915, where she was raised. Eventually, she settled in Mortsel, where she met her future husband, Frank, an American. At the time, she owned a clothing store, and one day, Frank came in looking to buy a pair of pants. She intentionally gave him a pair that was too small, hoping he would return—and he did.

As of her 109th birthday in September 2024, she still lived independently in her apartment, though she was receiving some assistance from her neighbor. In April 2025, at the age of 109, it was reported that she had moved from her apartment to a residential care center.

Following the passing of 109-year-old Fernande Courtoy (4 July 1914 – 28 May 2024), she became the oldest living person in Belgium.