Renee left for Canada soon after her daughter's marriage in June of 1948. I am under the impression that she took a leave of absence from her position with the Red Cross in Geneva so was meant to return. However, it would be many years before she would be able to make her way back to Switzerland. As the story goes.....apparently Uncle Leon only bought a one way ticket and she could not afford to travel back. An important lesson to remember if anyone offers you a free trip anywhere - make sure it is return.
Renee left behind her young son, John, who she would never see again nor be able to return for his funeral. He died within two years of her departure in a car accident. Her daughter, Michele, was left to cope with the death of her brother alone as well as the challenges of marriage and starting a family.
Renee found joy and love in Canada after so many years of being a widow in Switzerland. She and Augustin would fall in love and marry. She also had the love and support of her parents that she had gone without for so many years after her departure from Montreal as a young widow with her three children. I wonder if Charles Fleur de Lys had bought the farm in an effort to try to reunite his family. Renee's brother, Horace, would eventually settle in Salmon Arm. Perhaps there was a hope that John and Michele would eventually join the rest of the family although I have never seen or heard any evidence of that. Maybe it was a silent wish that Charles and Caroline had within them.
Michele
Michele and Paul, June 1948
Renee left behind her young son, John, who she would never see again nor be able to return for his funeral. He died within two years of her departure in a car accident. Her daughter, Michele, was left to cope with the death of her brother alone as well as the challenges of marriage and starting a family.
Renee found joy and love in Canada after so many years of being a widow in Switzerland. She and Augustin would fall in love and marry. She also had the love and support of her parents that she had gone without for so many years after her departure from Montreal as a young widow with her three children. I wonder if Charles Fleur de Lys had bought the farm in an effort to try to reunite his family. Renee's brother, Horace, would eventually settle in Salmon Arm. Perhaps there was a hope that John and Michele would eventually join the rest of the family although I have never seen or heard any evidence of that. Maybe it was a silent wish that Charles and Caroline had within them.
Michele
Michele and John
John
Michele and Paul, June 1948
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1 comment:
Well done Mom!
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