Denise Waelbers, Belgium’s oldest living person, celebrated her 109th birthday

The Gerontology Research Group is pleased to announce that Mrs. Denise Waelbers, the oldest living person in Belgium, celebrated her 109th birthday in Mortsel, Antwerp Province, Belgium on 26 September 2024.

Denise Waelbers was born in the hamlet of Kerkhoven, in the town of Lommel, Limburg Province, Belgium on 26 September 1915, where she was raised. Eventually, she settled in Mortsel, where she met her future husband, Frank.

On 28 May 2024, following the death of 109-year-old Fernande Courtoy, she became the oldest living person in Belgium.

At the age of 109, she still lives independently in her apartment, though she receives some assistance from her neighbors. On her 109th birthday, she received a bouquet of flowers from Mayor Erik Broeckx, who also shares the same birthday.