VIDEO. Cecile (106) is the oldest inhabitant of Antwerp: A good trappist or a pint, I have never chopped off

Ekeren In the Ekerse Sheltered housing St. Vincent de paul is the 106th birthday of Cecile Van den Poel. She is not only the oldest inhabitant of Ekeren, but also of the city of Antwerp. Her recipe for old-to-be is quite simple. “Remain optimistic, arranged a trappist beer, or wine, drink it, and if it can be a piece of chocolate to eat. Districtsburgemeester Koen Palinckx (N-VA) came out the year on behalf of the king and queen, and the district would like to congratulate.

Cecile was born on 30 december 1912 in Merksem. Her parents were inland skippers with mainly freight destined for the North of France. There she spent her school days, hence her excellent knowledge of the French language. Cecile married Leon Bel, also a skipper, and the family also enter particular direction Lille (Rijsel) in Northern France. The boat that they have more than twenty years in use, was called Mary after the name of her mother-in-law. The couple had three sons and a daughter. “I was 3 years old when my parents in the early fifties, opted for a life ashore,” says son Alex. “Father found work in the shipbuilding industry - a scheepsherstellingsbedrijf Garling, later the Royal Society De Schelde. Mother found a job at an agency, specialized in providing trade information. They translated from English to French and vice versa. Mother was a great fan of the French chanson, and there were also many French-speaking musical sounds through the house.” The oldest son Andre is a few years ago died. He was the founder of the Ekerse basketball Boullo Jets, now Fellows Ekeren.