5.5 MILES TO ETERNITY

 

 

PURLEY GATE TO ETERNITY

 

 French-Canadians brought many traditions with them as they settled in America. The French language seemingly lasted for generations. I saw this with my family. Whenever my parents wanted to keep a secret from me..they spoke in their Mother Tongue! "By 1850 about 20,000 French Canadians settled in the New England area with clusters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Vermont led the flow into America. At least one of my forebears lived in Enosburg, VT before moving to N. Brookfield, MA.

 

"The French were regarded differently in Canads than in the United States. In Canada they represented two nations .. in the USA they were one of many ethnic groups." Little Canada sprouted up in New England as neighborhoods such as Lowell, Woonsocket, Worcester and Southbridge with lesser communities welcoming large families. North Brookfield was one of them.

 

The Power of the Cradle saw families exceeding 12 children in some cases. My forebears, too, had large families. Catholic parishes formed to offer Franco-Americans everything needed to rear and educate their kids.  With each generation English was learned, gradually. Traits of many took generations to learn English not to mention formal educations.

 

My generation is, perhaps, the last of being pure breds. Then, Irish, Polish, Italian, Lithuanians  and others crossed the lines of purity. The acculturation to being real American took much time. Work was in factories and textile mills. A college education was unheard of in most families.

 

Food stuffs included pork fat & jelly spread on slices of bread. Pea soup was a no-brainer. Pan fried salt-pork was a delicacy and one reason for early deaths. Luxuries in the French-Canadian camps were few and far between. Clothing was fashioned with the cloth from grain bags!

 

The best part of being a Canuck was FAMILY! My maternal grandparents were musicians.. Ida playing the piano and Oscar playing the fiddle. Families congregated each Sunday after Mass.. spoke French and were content with their own lot. My father would tune into WACE radio each Sunday and danced the gigue..(jig.) Dad was happy in entertaining me with valuable traditions. Square dances were enjoyed being held in the North Brookfield town hall. I recall Lawrence Loy and Buzz Whitiker entertaining us on cold winter nights. "Playing cards, singing, drinking and dancing were the entertainments before television.

 

Today, all Americans make up the Melting Pot. This is good. In name only, in many cases, do we even think of a French-Canadian heritage and life-style.

 

If you are French Canadian American why not tell your kids and grandkids?

 

In my case, Eternity is only 5.5 miles away1

ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN
AN AMERICAN
box 11
West Brookfield, MA