Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper was a Dutch supercentenarian who lived to the age of 115 years, 62 days. She is the oldest person ever from the Netherlands, breaking the previous record of Catharina van Dam on 26 September 2003, and from 29 May 2004 was thought to be the oldest verified person in the world. She became the oldest living person in the Netherlands on 16 February 2001, at the age of 110 years and 232 days.

Smilde is a town in the Netherlands' northern province of Drenthe and lies about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) southwest of the province capital of Assen. Smilde was a separate municipality until 1998, when it became a part of Middenveld. However, that name changed in 2000 and was renamed the municipality of Midden-Drenthe.