Maurits Stael saw the light of day near the Wijnendale
castle on 25 September 1911 and is, at 107, the oldest man in Belgium.
Maurits married Maria Devooght in 1941, with whom he had
four children. They ran a farm in Wijnendale, but in the early fifties they
started a trade in sewing machines in the Breidelstraat in Torhout. The store
still exists and is run by Dries Stael, the grandson of Maurits.
Maria died in 2003 at the age of 92 and six years ago
Maurits moved to the residential care center Rusterloo in Beernem.
Maurits is a striking figure with his eternal beret and the
many war medals that he always proudly has pinned to his coat. "As an
ex-combatant of the Second World War, he has always worked hard to commemorate
the war," says Frans Stael, a son (72).
Frans does not really know what the secret is of his
father's high age. "Being between the people, is what kept him
young."
Personally, I wonder of always wearing his beret may have
played a role too...
No comments:
Post a Comment