POINT PLEASANT BEACH — After emigrating from her native home of France following World War II, Yvette Houlbreque, a longtime Point Pleasant resident, spent much of her time relaxing and strolling in the sands of Point Pleasant Beach, thousands of miles across the sea from the place whence she came.
While Houlbreque’s beachgoing days are fewer nowadays, she still fondly remembers the miles she’s walked along the Shore. A Point Pleasant resident — and beachgoer — for more than half her life, Houlbreque returned to Point Pleasant Beach for her 100th birthday party, hosted at the home of her sister-in-law Marilyn Rouvrais.
Yvette Henrot was born in Normandy, France on April 17, 1925. Before World War II, her parents had emigrated to the United States with the intent of settling themselves in the country bringing their daughter over. However, the war broke out before Yvette could rejoin her parents, leaving her to live with relatives for the conflict’s duration.
“I was in France during the war,” the centenarian told The Ocean Star on Saturday. “All by myself, because my parents left me in France to learn French — this way, when I could come to this country, I would have an education in these two languages. But, unfortunately, the war happened and the Germans were right there, so I was stuck.”
Yvette married Alfred Houlbreque in 1944. In 1947, she and Alfred, along with their first child Jean Claude, emigrated to the United States — young Jean Claude’s name was even anglicized to “John.” Landing at Ellis Island, the Houlbreques’ first home in America was in Elizabeth, where their daughter Ginette was born.
Houlbreque spoke on some of the biggest changes from her birthplace to New Jersey.
“There’s the language, of course,” she said. “And, of course, the food is much different — in a good way. We love food…Another thing I had a hard time (with) was to get used to the weather in the summer. (It was) a lot hotter.”
They moved to Scotch Plains before finally settling in Point Pleasant in 1968. Tragically, John Houlbreque died in a car accident in 1969. Living in Point Pleasant, she became a cafeteria worker at Point Boro High School and spent leisure time on the beach, knitting and crocheting.
“In her earlier years, she was a homemaker,” said her daughter, Ginette Mocarsi. “Later, she worked at various locations, doing cooking for the elderly and cafeteria work in Point Pleasant Boro High School. (She was) an avid and excellent cook, always found in the kitchen cooking for herself and often for neighbors who needed a hand.”
Alfred died in 1993 at age 78. Twenty-seven years after his death, when she was 95, Houlbreque moved to Belmont to live with family, including her niece Monique Grable, who noted some of her aunt’s key personality traits.
Grable said, “We made party favors that represented her life — her wine and chocolates are what have kept her alive all these years…When we were watching the Olympics last year, she sang to all the French music that came on during the opening ceremonies.”
Mocarsi said that she was “in awe” that she was able to celebrate her mother’s 100th birthday with her, surrounded by friends and family in one of her favorite places.
“I’m in awe of it,” she said. “I never expected that she would live to be 100 years old, especially with her upbringing — she lived through a war. And we weren’t poor, but we certainly didn’t have a lot of money, so it was always a struggle. But (for) the fact that she was able to make it this far, I refer to her as one tough little bird; she really is.”
Houlbreque left The Ocean Star with some words of wisdom, to which she partially attributed her first full century on Earth.
“Work,” she said, “and take care of your skin; don’t forget to wash. And don’t kill yourself over money — money is the last thing you should think of. To me, worrying is wasted time.”
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