Career
However, some may view him as the second internationally recognized supercentenarian in the world after the disputed case of his fellow countryman Thomas Peters (1745–1857) was moved into the Guinness Book main tables (from the footnotes) in the early 1990s. Since there is evidence that he served as a soldier in Napoleon"s Grande Armée, Boomgaard might in fact have been the oldest military veteran ever for several decades. Little is known about Boomgaard"s life.
He was born in Groningen, Netherlands, where he also died.
His father was captain on a boat and civil records say that Geert did the same work as his father. Other sources say that he had also served as a soldier in the 33rd Light Infantry Regiment in Napoleon"s Grande Arméest
A year later, 17 March 1831, Boomgaard married Grietje Abels Jonker, with whom he had four more children. Grietje died at the age of 71 on 18 May 1864.
His last surviving child, Jansje Hinderika, died at the age of 57 in May 1885.
Boomgaard died at age 110 years 135 days. Research on Boomgaard was published in three articles by East.J. Heeres in the genealogical periodical Gruoninga in 1976, 1977 and 1978. 1871, and bears the stamped signature of the Duc de Plaisance Général Anne-Charles Lebrun, Grand Chancelier (1853–1859).
Boomgaard"s death certificate confirms that he reached the age of 110.