Centenarians celebrate milestone birthdays in France

Two women in France recently celebrated significant milestone birthdays, reflecting on lives shaped by major historical shifts.

In Verdun, Raymonde Maille celebrated her 104th birthday at the Sainte-Catherine nursing home. A former teacher and high-level athlete, Maille was a regional champion in sprinting for Lorraine in 1942. She spent much of her career as a physical education teacher at Collège Buvignier and has remained active in local sports clubs and community centers.

In Le Teilleul, Simone Delourme marked her 100th birthday. Her life spanned significant technological and historical changes, including the arrival of electricity in the 1930s, which she described as revolutionary. Her youth was also marked by the hardships of World War II, during which she worked on a farm and experienced the impact of wartime bombings.