Birth
26 August 1912Amersfoort, Utrecht, NetherlandsDeath
26 January 2024Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAge
111
Catherina van der Linden
Catharina Adriana (Catherina) van der Linden (née van Meegen) is a Dutch-Australian supercentenarian who is the oldest known living Dutch-born person, and is also the oldest known living person in Australia.
Jump to:
Biography
Catherina van der Linden was born Catharina Adriana van Meegen in Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands, on 26 August 1912 to Gradus Lambertus Johannes van Meegen (1876–1954) and Cornelia Maria Verstallen (1878–1946). She grew up in Nijmegen, Gelderland. Her aunt, Marie Ribbens-Verstallen (1873-1983), lived to the age of 110, and was the oldest person from the Netherlands at the time of her death.
On 23 August 1940, three days before her 28th birthday, she married Johannes (John) Wouterus van der Linden. She gave birth to four children. During her life, she worked as a grape picker, nursing assistant, typist, and clerical assistant.
In 1955, she and her husband emigrated to Australia. Being shocked by the accommodations in both Victoria and South Australia, Catherina, being homesick took the 4 children back to the Netherlands in 1958, vowing never to return to Australia. However, they eventually did 18 months later, when they permanently settled in Adelaide. Her husband died on 16 February 1980 at the age of 70.
In August 2022, she had 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Catherina van der Linden passed away on 26 January 2024 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Advertise With Us
Learn how to advertiseRecognition
Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 1 February 2023. Her age was previously validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO).
On 31 March 2023, following the death of 111-year-old Gwen Moore, she became the oldest living person in Australia.