Difference between revisions of "Onesime Wilfred (Bill) Gagnon"
(→1942 and During World War II) |
|||
| Line 54: | Line 54: | ||
After a while, Albert began to have problems living at Wilfred’s. Over several months, it became apparent that there were growing tensions at Bill and Rena’s. For one thing, Rena did not like the business – she thought it was dirty and smelly. The next day, Albert decided to move out of Bill’s, and find his own accommodations. That was fine with Rena. Albert moved into a rooming house on Prospect Ave. owned by Mr. & Mrs. Roy. His friends Charlie and Jesse lived there, too, and they all had adjoining rooms. This worked out great, because he also could now walk to work, instead of being stuck on the bus. | After a while, Albert began to have problems living at Wilfred’s. Over several months, it became apparent that there were growing tensions at Bill and Rena’s. For one thing, Rena did not like the business – she thought it was dirty and smelly. The next day, Albert decided to move out of Bill’s, and find his own accommodations. That was fine with Rena. Albert moved into a rooming house on Prospect Ave. owned by Mr. & Mrs. Roy. His friends Charlie and Jesse lived there, too, and they all had adjoining rooms. This worked out great, because he also could now walk to work, instead of being stuck on the bus. | ||
| − | The gas station was a well-run and lucrative business - however, two events occurred that spelled the end of the business in 1949. In the fall of 1949, Albert met Irene and began seriously dating her, and Rena had reached the end of her tolerance for the dirty, smelly laundry impact. They sold the business at a profit, and Bill entered the job market with his tool and die maker skills, acquired earlier, upon which he would now build a successful career. | + | The gas station was a well-run and lucrative business - however, two events occurred that spelled the end of the business in 1949. In the fall of 1949, Albert met Irene and began seriously dating her, and Rena had reached the end of her tolerance for the dirty, smelly laundry impact. They sold the business at a profit, and Bill entered the job market with his tool and die maker skills, acquired earlier, upon which he would now build a successful career. |
==Move to California== | ==Move to California== | ||
| − | In the early 1950's, Bill got an opportunity to re-locate to southern California, and work for Teledyne, Corporation as a tool and die maker. Over the years, they lived in a few houses in Simi Valley, in Orange County just outside of Los Angeles. | + | In the early 1950's, Bill got an opportunity to re-locate to southern California, and work for Teledyne, Corporation as a tool and die maker. By this time, their family was complete: they had two daughters Jeanne and Lorraine, and a son Richard. |
| + | <gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=2 caption="Click on the photos below to view a larger image:"> | ||
| + | File:Renas-3kids.jpg|Rena and Jeanne, Lorraine and Rick, around 1955. | ||
| + | File:JLR-c55.jpg|Jeanne, Lorraine and Rick. | ||
| + | . | ||
| + | </gallery> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Over the years, they lived in a few houses in Simi Valley, in Orange County just outside of Los Angeles. | ||
Revision as of 13:06, 17 March 2015
| Onesime Wilfred (Bill) Gagnon | |
| Nationality: |  American
|
| Born: | April 8, 1917 Jay, Maine |
| Died: | April 18, 1995 Long Beach, California |
| Father: | Onesime Gagnon |
| Mother: | Rosa Yvonne Michaud |
| Spouse: | Orena Adrianne Potvin Grace E Langford Connie P Lebel |
| Married: | September 28, 1946 (Rena) Rochester, NH December 14, 1980 (Grace) Las Vegas, NV October 1, 1994 (Connie) Presque Isle, ME |
| Children: | Jeanne Gagnon Lorraine T Gagnon Richard Gagnon |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
| Residence: | Chisholm, Maine Keegan, Maine Chisholm, Maine Biddeford, Maine East Hartford, CT Newington, Connecticut (1948) Simi Valley, California Livermore Falls, Maine (1979) Bradenton, FL Long Beach, California |
| Profession: | Machinist, Tool and Die Maker for Teledyne Woodworker Hobbyist |
Contents
Bill's Childhood
Not surprisingly, as the oldest of Rosa and Onesime's children, Bill grew up with a lot of responsibility expected of him. He was expected to help with the chores, and with such a large family, there were plenty of them. He also experienced some traumatic events at a young age. His baby sister Jeannette died when he was only 4. His grandfather, Jimmy, died when he was only 10, the same year that his younger brother Albert got run over by a truck and was in a coma for several days.
It's well known that Rosa was a critical mother, but Bill's personality was suited to the task as he was serious and had high standards for himself. He was a good student, and applied himself.
- Click on the photos below to view a larger image:
Bill in back row, at age 10.
Bill in center (circled) at age 12.
Bill graduated with honors in 1935.
The Years After High School
After graduating from high school in 1935, there were few jobs to be had, because it was during the depression and work was scarce. That summer he worked for Mr. Winfield on his farm. His mother, Rosa, gave birth to what would be her last child, Robert. Now there were 7 children, and Wilfred decided to join the CCC’s in order to earn money to send home each month. As such, he was in New Hampshire for sometime. In March of 1936, there was a big flood because the dam broke, so Bill got an opportunity to work with the team of men who were rebuilding the dam. In the summer of 1936, Wilfred had an opportunity to get a job in the mill, and he got a 1936 Pontiac coupe.
A short while later, in 1939, Bill was laid off from the mill. This time, he went to Dexter, Maine to learn to be a machinist, and then later, to learn to be a tool and die maker. Although he returned to J.P. mill, he was soon laid off again. Clearly, the news in the world was not good either. Europe was now embroiled in a war with Germany. Bill went to Connecticut to find work, and the family did not know if he would ever return to Maine (in fact, Bill did not return to Maine to live until his retirement many years later).
1942 and During World War II
Albert enlisted and left for the war in 1942 shortly after Blanche got married. According to the records, Bill enlisted and left in the Spring of 1943. By this time, Cecile had been married a while and been having children - her first, Ronald, was born in 1935 just before Bobby was born. Rosa's house emptied out of older children almost all at once.
Communication with her older sons was difficult because mail delivery was very delayed. In addition to logistics of collecting outgoing mail from soldiers on the front line, it was also audited by the War Department. It was especially important that no soldier should send home information that could be stolen by the enemy to pinpoint troop locations or deployment plans. Any information like this was redacted from the letter – that is, it was actually cut out of the paper. After being redacted, the letters were photostated. It was called V-mail – “V” for Victory.
During the war, Bill served in the European theater. Although we know that Bud served in Italy and Northern Africa, we don't know where Bill fought while he was away, or how his skills were utilized.
War is Over
On May 10, 1945, the war in Europe ended. Wilfred, who had not yet married, was the first one to come back home after the war. When he arrived, Norman and Robert were very ill with scarlet fever and the house was quarantined. So, until the quarantine was lifted, Wilfred had to go live with a cousin, Flossie Beaulieu.
When he was in the army, Wilfred had been engaged to a nice girl named Connie, who lived in Brunswick. He expected that they would marry soon after his return, but when he came back from the war, she broke the engagement. Brokenhearted, he moved back to his job in Connecticut.
Bill and Rena
Bill met a nice French girl, Orena (Rena) Potvin, originally from New Hampshire who was also working in Connecticut. They were married a short time later in Rochester, N.H. on Sept 28, 1946, and settled in Connecticut. They bought a small house in Newington, a suburb of Hartford, and soon started a family.
In Business with Albert
Somewhere around 1947, Bill found a gas station for sale in an excellent area on the Hartford & West Hartford CT border that he wanted to purchase, but he would need a partner with mechanical skills. He decided to ask his brother Al be a partner. Albert, who was never fond of working in the mill, and was an adventurer at heart anyway, jumped at the chance.
Together, they purchased what was at the time an Atlantic-Richfield station, on the corner of Prospect Ave. and Farmington Ave. At first, Bill and Rena offered Al a room in their home in their unfinished, unheated attic. Jeannie, who was Albert’s godchild, was a baby. At the time, Albert did not own a car, and because he and Wilfred worked different shifts, Albert took a bus to and from work.
The brothers had complementary skills - Bill ran the books, and did the ordering of supplies and equipment. Bill was quiet and serious, but Albert was friendly and gregarious, and attracted many new customers. He was the salesman and mechanic, and he enjoyed working at the station.
After a while, Albert began to have problems living at Wilfred’s. Over several months, it became apparent that there were growing tensions at Bill and Rena’s. For one thing, Rena did not like the business – she thought it was dirty and smelly. The next day, Albert decided to move out of Bill’s, and find his own accommodations. That was fine with Rena. Albert moved into a rooming house on Prospect Ave. owned by Mr. & Mrs. Roy. His friends Charlie and Jesse lived there, too, and they all had adjoining rooms. This worked out great, because he also could now walk to work, instead of being stuck on the bus.
The gas station was a well-run and lucrative business - however, two events occurred that spelled the end of the business in 1949. In the fall of 1949, Albert met Irene and began seriously dating her, and Rena had reached the end of her tolerance for the dirty, smelly laundry impact. They sold the business at a profit, and Bill entered the job market with his tool and die maker skills, acquired earlier, upon which he would now build a successful career.
Move to California
In the early 1950's, Bill got an opportunity to re-locate to southern California, and work for Teledyne, Corporation as a tool and die maker. By this time, their family was complete: they had two daughters Jeanne and Lorraine, and a son Richard.
- Click on the photos below to view a larger image:
Rena and Jeanne, Lorraine and Rick, around 1955.
Jeanne, Lorraine and Rick.
Over the years, they lived in a few houses in Simi Valley, in Orange County just outside of Los Angeles.
Bill and Grace
Bill Mends an Old Broken Heart
