Une Oeuvre d'Amour....
A Labor of Love...
By Lisa Desjardins Michaud
I have had the opportunity of getting to know
Frances Dumond Levasseur better in the past three years, although we were
from the same town and her name was always familiar to me, I never really
knew her.
I will always remember my first visit to her
home in Old Town. I knew that she would be an excellent resource
for the Franco-American Centre, and I very much wanted to add her works
to the Centre's library. I was amazed to see her library filled with
photos, books and files upon files of materials. As I watched her
knotted fingers leaf through her folders and albums all the while explaining
to me what this project was and what it would consist of.
Throughout the years of our keeping in touch
with one another, I have grown to highly respect and admire her,
she is my mentor. She is such a wonderful, loving caring person with
a captivating personality. She has shared with me her many works
of restoration and preservation of our wonderful French culture and heritage.
She is a tiny woman in stature but she has accomplished what many dream
of accomplishing throughout their lifetime. She has touched
my being, inspired me with the yearning to preserve our culture and our
heritage.
Fran so graciously invited me to her home to
show me her latest undertaking. She has compiled two volumes filled
with Bangor Daily News articles of when she was a News Correspondent, titled,
"La P'tite Bangor" 1971-1973. After leafing through these wonderful
books, filled with articles of my hometown, I was amazed at all the hard
work and dedication that Fran put into the creation of these books.
I must add that she compiled these Volumes all the while having failing
health, battling cancer, and on top of that she is afflicted with arthritis
that has severely crippled her hands. This is a person with the will
and if there was not a way, Fran would find one. Anyone who knows
Fran, will surely agree with me, that when she wants and says she is going
to do something, it gets done. As I was leaving her home she mentioned
that the work she had done, and is doing, is a labor of love. She
enjoyed compiling and organizing materials so that it would be accessible
for future generations. These works are priceless, generations
to come will profit from these compilations, works that Fran so unselfishly
dedicates much of her time to.
Frances has authored many books and founded many
projects, she undertook each project with utmost dedication. Some
titles of the books that she compiled are, The Madore-Laplante Genealogy,
A Dumond Family Genealogy and Photo Album, A Pictorial History of the St.
John Valley, and a Pictorial History of St. Bruno Parish, a Historical
Calendar depicting important events of the century.
She was founder of the Acadian
Village along route one in Van Buren, Maine. Also started at
the time of the Acadian Village was a nonprofit organization that administers
the Village's activities and business, "l'Heritage Vivant."
She was a prime organizer of her 40th Class Reunion at Van Buren High School.
Fran is also responsible for compiling photos
of Keegan, Van Buren, Cyr Plantation, Hamlin and the Acadian Village which
have been laminated. Included in these laminations are the photos
of the person that the town has been named after, along with photos of
that area. Again, these wonderful mats depict our heritage and our
culture.
I am sure I have forgotten some of her many works,
but this is just to give you an idea of the wonderful work this lady has
done.
Frances has preserved Acadian History and is
quick to mention that she does not want to get any recognition for this
work, for it is a labor of love.
Thank you Fran, for your ”labor of love."
OLD TOWN and CYR PLANTATION-- Frances A. LeVasseur,
70, fell asleep in death, Oct. 3, 2000, at her daughter's home in Lewiston.
She was born, Aug. 3, 1930, the daughter of Isidore and Mattie (Madore)
Dumont and was the wife of Alphy LeVasseur for 40 years.
She and her husband owned and operated the LeVasseur's
Country Store and Red & White Motel/Cabins in Van Buren for 33 years.
She was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and served in the Old Town congregation
and had previously served in Caribou.
Frances was the coordinator of the Cyr Plantation
centennial celebration in 1970 and the author of the historical book of
Cyr Plantation. She was a member of St. Bruno's Church Council from
1975-1977. Due to her love of genealogy and Acadian culture, she
was the driving force behind the creation of the Acadian Village in Van
Buren from 1972 to 1978 and was elected first president of the L'Heritage
Vivant-Living Heritage Historical Society. To document the events
from an imposible dream to an established village, her photos were used
to create a five video series chronicling the six-year undertaking.
She represented Cyr Plantation as a school board director of SAD No. 24
from 1971-1973. She also enjoyed being a news correspondent for the
Bangor Daily News from 1971-1973, which gained her the nickname "La P'tite
Bangor". She recently compiled her newspaper clippings into a two-volume
book with her nickname as the title.
She was the author and photographer of the 2000
century calendar and photo/video album of Cyr Plantation. Her pleasures
included teaching sewing through adult education, doll collecting, artistry
and carpentry. An instensive study of the Bible led her to dedicate
her life to serving Jehovah and had been a faithful witness for the past
22 years.
She is survived by two daughters, Marjorie LaChance
and her husband, George of Lewiston and Jennie Byram and her husband, Timothy
of Sarasota, Fla.; one grandson, Jamie and his wife, Jennifer of Auburn;
four sisters, Mildred Munson and her husband, Frederick of Presque Isle,
Robertine LaChance and her husband, Roger of Bangor, Jacqueline of Concord,
N.H. and Verna of Biddeford; five brothers, Joe Dumond and his wife, Joan
(Ayotte), Donald Dumond and his wife, Irene (Ouellette), Jim and his wife,
Irene (Bellefleur), all of Van Buren, Dick Dumond and hsi wife, Patsy (Beaulieu)
of Hermon, Percy Labrecque and his wife, Jackie (Ouellette) of South Windsor,
Conn.; sister-in-law, Mary (McCrossin) of Caribou; numerous nieces and
nephews, who often referred to her as "Auntie Click-Click" because of her
photography enthusiasm. She was predeceased by a daughter, Verna;
and one brother, Stacy.
A memorial talk will be given 2 p.m. Sunday,
Oct. 8, at the Old Town Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Rt. 2, Old
Town, by Ed Emmons. Afterwards, there will be a gathering featuring
the theme of Acadian Culture at the Black Bear Inn in Orono. In lieu
of flowers, expressions of sorrow may be donated to the Kingdom Hall Fund,
care of Charles Wallace, 482 South Main St., Old Town 04468. |
She also enjoyed being a news correspondent for
the Bangor Daily News from 1971-1973, which gained her the nickname "La
P'tite Bangor". She recently compiled her newspaper clippings into
a two-volume book with her nickname as the title.
Frances Dumond Levasseur
Founder of
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