Onesime Wilfred (Bill) Gagnon
| 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 Connie Lebel |
| Married: | September 28, 1946 Rochester, New Hampshire (Rena)<December 14, 1980(Grace) xx, (Connie) |
| 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
Bill left for the war in 1942, as did Albert. By this time, Cecile was already married and having children, and Blanche was married in 1942 as well.
Mail delivery was very delayed. In addition to the collection of outgoing mail from soldiers on the front line, and 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.
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.
Later in Connecticut, he met a nice French girl, Orena 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.
==In Business with Albert==
