Home

My earliest recollection was living on Dubuque Street, (near West High School) when my infant sister died at birth and they carried her in a small white coffin.
My father was working at Villa Augustina in Goffstown. My mother said as a baby I did not like milk too much.
Also on Dubuque Street, I remember my mom packing a lunch for me to eat probably in the yard, but having seen my father leave in the morning with lunch box to go to work. I believe at the time he was employed at Amoskeag Mill, so I decided to leave the yard and go see him. You can imagine a three year old little girl leaving by myself. I believe I crossed the bridge. Mother called police and they returned me safe and sound.
Moved to Rimmon Street new 3 tenement house. Im sure my parents loved their new home. I had a nice lot next door to play in, it seemed like white sand. My mother let stray cats come on the porch and fed them, of course Dad didn't care to have them in the house.
I fell off the kitchen counter and broke my left arm. Doctor Larochelle came to the house to check it. I remember laying in my parents bed. Just strapped it with musk tape. Could not use my arm at all. Remember my father and I walked to Drs office to have it removed when time was right. I was pretty young and Dad said if I didnt cry, Id get an ice cream cone.
On hot summer days Dad or Mom would hose me down. I remember it being cold.
I was about 5 years old. Dad got scared with the economy and sold new house. Sure Mother must have been very disappointed. I also remember a lady coming to take care of me when either Madeleine or Ben were born.

Our apartment at Grandparents Girard house 1st floor at 353 Dubuque Street was not too pretty but I had many friends and played a lot. Stayed there till 8th grade. Ste Marie School. On Dubuque Street roller skated in street on 4th of July was great, could stay outside in the evening and bought firecrackers at corner store Mr. Pelletier.
Played baseball, girls & boys in lot which is now Ste Marie parking. Was sand there plus houses on Amory Street.
My father had a small truck which he parked at Rimmon Street Garage. Always a thrill to bring it with him, sometimes got a 5 cents ice cream cone at corner store. Guess he must have started to be in business.

I remember my grandparents had company and I was allowed to go visit. But I had to be good.
One night a week they played cards with Aunt Laura & Uncle Maurice Hamel. Also probably, Aunt Corinne & Uncle Omer Hamel. Aunt Carmelia & Uncle Anselm Provost. All my mother's sisters. They seem to have so much fun.
Parents had out of town company once in awhile. Can't recall when but that little cottage in back had a couple who would sell liquor, prohibition, always dangerous to be caught. But they left and nice tenants came in. We had a big old swing in back. Yard not too nice to play in. Black dirt but house was well kept up. No mess

Summer going in 8th grade. Big move to 31 Quirin Street. It was a beautiful house, I remember my father sending me over to water the grass, of course at that age looking around where the boys were. Plenty of them but I guess one never finds a love near home. Pichette made a skating rink. What happy hours, especially permission to skate at night until 8:00-8:30 or so.
Passed some summers at Rimmon Pool, every single day swimming, friend by name of Therrien. Also still went out once in awhile with Misty Morin from Dubuque street. Simonne Savoie a bit, Cecile Soucy & Constance LeBlanc being my best High School pal.

Ste Marie, Manchester, N.H. Guess I was an average student. Always had a hard time standing up to answer questions, though I studied, my mind went blank when the teacher would call my name. I remember one grade had to stay after school so often because I didn't know answers but now I can see this teacher as trying to help me get out of my shyness, which was the reason I never answered right.
High School Holy Angel High then known girl school which later became Ste Marie High boys and girls.
High School worked hard used to fall asleep at night on table while studying, remember my father telling me to go to bed. This probably happened after an evening of ice skating which I enjoyed tremendously.
We had 2 parish skating rinks, music & lights. Had a lot of fun, socially. No cold weather would keep me away. Of course couldn't go every night. Too expensive 10 cents or 25 cents and school nights was hard to convince my parents.
It was at St. Jean skating rink that I met Marcel, your Dad, he was wearing a white ski parka. Handsome and a very good smooth skater. I was the envy of many girls, though we did not go out on dates for my father was very strict. Either you go to school or work, if you want dating. I also loved roller skating.
First job, part time, still in school. Hamel's Super Market on Elm Street one of the largest in city. Cashier, 10 hour days $2.50 and had to pay your shortage but I liked it.
Travel back and forth on Trolley cars or buses. Lived at 31 Quirin Street then. Trolley cars were on Kelley Street, down Coolidge Ave-Main Street-Granite Street-Bridge Street to go downtown and transfers available.

In my youth we had many beautiful theaters. Especially the State Theater on Elm Street. Very plush inside. This is where I was fortunate, a date brought me to see Gone with the Wind. Was an expensive movie, from what I remember it cost $5.00.
Living at 31 Quirin Street.
Swimming at Rock Rimmon Pool in summer, went every day possible. Grade School 8th grade. Had a lot of fun, not much of a swimmer, afraid of depths.
Winter the Pichettes on Rimmon Street made a skating rink in their yard. Great but had to come in at 8:30. My mother used to put a park light on. Of course I made many more turns before seeing it.
Born on Dubuque Street down the hill. Next my father built a 3 family on Rimmon Street. Then he got scared and sold it. Had to move in my grandfathers Girard block on Dubuque Street. Not so nice but kids really don't care.
Made many friends, roller skating in street was fun. Cars were not plentiful.
My father started to be a contractor, had a small black truck then, went in partnership with a Mr. Provencher, which after many years didn't work out. I remember going on jobs with him Saturdays or Summer. Liked it.
Broke my arm while living on Rimmon Street, probably around 3 years old or so, fell from climbing on sink. Doctors came to the house, can you imagine? No X-Rays. I remember laying in my parents bed. Just put a lot of tape to keep it from moving. Healed OK. Remember my father promising an ice cream cone if I was good when Dr. took if took it must have hurt..

Quirin street is where I spent my High School years and lived until I got married. In winter went ice skating as much as allowed. 10 cents. Father kind of strict. 2 places to go Ste. Marie & St. Jean Baptist (where new church is now built). They kept the rinks like mirrors, music & all.
On Sunday went to Maxwell (Front Street) and once in awhile Dorrs Pond, if we could get a ride. Maxwell we walked, put our cold skates on. Remember on Thanksgiving the ice was so thin you could hear and feel it cracked but young people dont care: fun, fun, fun.
Summer went roller skating mostly Bedford Grove, Pine Island Rink . Both torn down, now is different. Had an amusement park many years, took the trolley cars to go.
Met Marcel at St. Jean skating rink. Of course handsome and a catch I guess because all the girls wanted to go out with him. Of course I still couldn't date, my father against boyfriends when you are in school. But all my years of High School probably had these puppy love affairs with quite a few. Ste. Marie skating rink had a Winter Carnival contest selling tickets. Came in second, crowned princess at that time.

I was working Saturdays at Hamel's Market. Cashier not like a supermarket but little booths and people would bring their meat, produce etc. slips, pay and go collect their purchase which they had chosen before hand. Customers had a better relationship with clerks, they knew who was who by name. I enjoyed my first job and Im sure very good experience for I was kind of shy, so working with different ages of co-workers must have been good.
My cousin Gerard Hamel owned the market then, Omer had died, was my godfather, I believe I was 17 or 18. Can you imagine I could have lunch at a restaurant next door. I made 25 cents an hour. 10 hours on Sat. Sometimes split shifts, they were opened till 9:30. Had to pay if your cash didn't come out, if I remember right allowed 50 cents. Once I remember cashing a check and deducting their purchases on back of it, error on my part $10.00. People never wanted to acknowledge so I had to pay.
Won prize in Freshman year for an essay. Home is a Castle. Trip to historical Boston.
Graduated from Holy Angels High, now Ste. Marie, in 1939. Would have loved to go to college-No way. Had a small party at the house, of course, no boys, just a few friends & family.
Worked at Hamel's. I believe for awhile then they converted to super market, so here goes the girls out, boys for cashiers, guess it was the trend?
By then work was very hard to find, not much experience in other fields. Went out with Marcel, I believe as a senior then broke off after Christmas. Had some dates after with a few nice guys but still in school so Father didn't appreciate dating.
Got a job at a Variety Store on Amory street, now torn down, now Fire Station . Made $5.00 a week-can you imagine? I could have collected $7.00 from unemployment.
Met Alfred at that store. First date, his Sister Germaine's graduation. So you meet the whole family. Got married the following September 1st, 1941. Went out a little over a year.
Got a job at a Dairy Office making $12.50 a week. Our first apartment was on Central Street than Rimmon Street, Dupont building. Jackie was born. Than moved to 29 Quirin Street, 3rd floor, across the street, mother and father's house, nice little apartment.