Tombstone Tuesday: Franco-American War Veterans' Memorial, Cimetière Saint-Joseph, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

For this week's Tombstone Tuesday I made a special visit to the Franco-American War Veterans' Memorial at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

The monument, which was dedicated on Tuesday, May 30th, 1933, sits at what was once the main entrance of the cemetery along Riverneck Road and is made from the highest grade granite. It is twenty-one and one-half feet long, five and one-half feet in height, by one and one-half feet wide, and is surmounted with 3 flag staffs.

On the left and right sides of the monument there are the following inscriptions; A LA MEMOIRE DE CEUX QUI TOMBERENT, and  EN L’HONNEUR DE CEUX QUI SERVIRENT  which translate to: IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED, IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO SERVED. In the center of the monument there is the inscriptions GUERRE MONDIALE, 1917-1918 and LES FRANCO-AMERICAINS RECONNAISSANTS. which translate to:  WORLD WAR 1917 - 1918, GRATEFUL FRANCO-AMERICANS

According to Albert V. Cote's website, The Franco-Americans in Lowell, Massachusetts, the monument was refurbished by the Franco-American War Veterans, Post No.4 of Lowell, MA, in the early 1990s. This refurbishment added two brass plates (I did not find) and the English translations of the left and right side inscriptions. Also added was the inscription, FRANCO-AMERICAN WAR VETERANS POST NO. 4 1995. And to the back of the monument, Refurbish Committe May 27, 1995. Ronald Sevigny, Roland Provencher, Arthur Papillion, Ronald Guilmette, Leo Cloutier and Leo Martin.

The first Veteran to be buried at the memorial  was *Alfred Peter Barron, Seaman 2 Cl., USN. He died on 11 October, 1933 and was interred on 14 October.

Also laid to rest, in order of interment, are:

Hormisdas Gauthier

*Ernest Villandry

*Oscar Rene

*Peter Dufour

Joseph Forbes

Alexandre Gagnon

*Mathias St. Laurent

Gilbert Richard

*Harry Porter (Ira F. Porter)

Ovila Briere

Salluste Fournier

Joseph Bedard

*Walter St. Hilaire

*Peter Desmarais

*Louis Dube

George A. Richard

Louis Provencher

Rocky Ambrosino

Ovila Frenette

Antonio Roussell

Joseph R. Laferriere

Victor Charette

Rosario Martineau

Raymond O. DeMange

Raymond A. Ferris

Roland Gagne

Henry J.Couture

Armand J. Carbonneau

Leo S. Harnois

Raymond P. Vincent

Perley R. Munsell

Omer Frechette

Raymond. E. L'Heureux

William B.Aresenault

Paul J. Pare

Arthur J. Proulx

Gerard R. Gauthier

Paul L. Greenwood Sr.

John H. James Jr.

Franklin D. Ambrosino

Walter, J. Ciesla

Raymond J. Landry

George N. Gilbert

Joseph R. Corcoran

Joseph Leo Lacourse

John J. Mele Jr.

Eugene Sylvain

Daniel Lavoie

Calvin Simpkins

Robert W. Finn

Leo R. Plante Jr.

Norman M. Ayotte

Daniel A. Thompson

Ralph N. Biron

Richard J. Marshall

Donald G. Foote

Paul H. Durand

Thomas Olivera

Armand Bibault

On May 31, 1933, there was an article that appeared in Lowell Sun describing the dedication ceremony of this memorial on pages 6 & 7. I have extracted some of that article below. 

Erected to honor the memory of Franco-American war heroes, this monument was dedicated on Tuesday, May 30, 1933 in an open air ceremony at St. Joseph's cemetery in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The dedication was largely attended and a musical program was provided by an augmented choir under the direction of Telesphore Malo, director of the choir at St. Joseph's parish.

Delegations from the many Franco-American organizations in the area were there, as well as: Guard St. Louis, Sacred Heart Guard, Franco-American veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, United Spanish War Veterans, Boy Scouts of America, the C. M. A. C. and the Jewish War Veterans. There was a mass and the eulogy was delivered by Rev. J. A. Fortier, OMI, a former war chaplain and pastor of Notre Dame de Lourdes church in Lowell . The monument, unveiled by Spanish war hero, Lieut. Georges Charette, U. S. N. retired, was presented to the Franco-American population by Arthur H.R. Groux, president and general chairman of the committee in charge of erecting it. Received and accepted by Rev. Louis G. Bachand OMI, superior of St. Joseph's parish, he gave a brief acceptance speech. Also, a burial plot was presented to the American Legion and accepted by Commander James H. Rooney, followed by a few words by Rev. Willliam F. Mahan, OMI, chaplain of the post.

Among those in attendance were Rep, Edith Nourse, Mayor Charles H. Slowley, Rep. Henry Achin Jr., Col. Charles A. Stevens, Rep. Frank E. Maclean, Postmaster Xavier A. Deslise and the following goldstar mothers: Mrs. Olivier Renaud, Mrs.William H. Cloualre, Mrs. Philomene April, Mrs. Eugene Lajeunesse, and Mrs. Ralph Lashua. The following delegations represented Franco-American societies: CMAC, Alphonse Fortier, Leo Barou, Ferdinand Rousseau; Council J. N. Jacques of  l'Union St. Jean Baptlste d'Aremique, Telesphore Leblanc, Edouard Casaubon, Eugene Gullbault; Council Ste. Therese, Mrs. Eva Michel, Mrs. Florida Nadeau, Miss Adeline Martin; Council Carillon, Olivier 'A. Page; National Benevolence union,; Louis N. Milot, Eugene Longval,; Donat Vadeboncoeur; Court Pawtucketville ACF, Pierre Leblanc, Joseph E. Lambert, Josephat Sawyer; Pawtueketville Social club, Origene Descoteaux, James St. Hilalre, Emilien Leblanc; CCA, George Pednault, Achille St. Pierre, Alfred Beauchesne; Court St. Antoine OFC, Onesime Tremblay, Joseph Magraa, Armand Beauchesne; St. Joseph's alumal, Stanislaus 0. Paquln, Rev. Brother Alphonse, Richard L. Provencher; Court Ste. Marie, ACF, "Joseph A. Plante, Albert Morln, Zotique Sauvageau; Franco-American Educational association, Mrs. Louis P. Vincent, Mrs. Napoleon Lozeau, Mrs. Clarina H. Morier, RN; Franco-American Civic League of Massachusetts, Lowell branch. Joseph A. Legare, Joseph A. Routhior, Albert J. Blazon; Cercle St. Louis, Elzear J. Dionae, Orlando P. Viau, Joseph A. Biron; Club Lafayette, Dr. Raymond Gendreau, Alphonse Coutu, Georges D. Dozois; Ste. Marie's parish, Edouard Gadreau, Edmond Gendreau; Notre Dame de Bon Secours society, Miss Julia Landry, Mrs. Eugenie St. Ives, Mrs. Jeremie Champagne; Court Ste. Eveline ACF, Mrs. Jules G. Deschenes, Miss Rosa Gagnon; SI. Jean Baptiste ACA, Charles Brousseau, Donat and Omer Joyal; United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, local 1610, Philippe Chaput, Damiens Descoteaux. Victor Breton; Franco-American Naturalization association, E. Lajeunesse, Emllien Leblanc, Louis Harnois.

The committees in charge of arrangements follow: General committee, Arthur H. R. Gtroux, president; Maxime Cornellier, secretary; religious program, Maxime Cornellier, chairman; Joseph T. Dusseault, Louis Renaud, Joseph Payotte, Joseph I'Heureux; invitations committee, Dcwey Archambault, chairman; Arthur Monty, Elphege Phaneuf, Onesime Tremblay, Paul Dostaler; committee on speakers, Donat Brunellc, chairman; Zenon Chouinard, Hector Duputs, Barnabe Dusseault, Joseph Robillard; transportation, Heclor J. McDonald, chairman; Alfred S. Gagnon, Donat Dery. Edmond I,. Belley; reception committee, Hon, Arthur I,. Eno, chairman; Albert L. Bourgeois, Paul R. Foisy, Lucien R. Brunelle, Lazare Boule. and Rozider Leclair.