The Messier Family
Manchester, New Hampshire
Circa 1924
This Mother's Day I'm celebrating my mother-in-law. My own late mother was a wonderful woman whom I usually honor here on Mother's Day. This year, because Bob's mother is in such frail health, I wanted to say a few things about this amazing lady.
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Berta (Bertha) Messier was born in 1918 in Manchester, NH into an already large French-Canadian family from Quebec. She was the youngest of the ten children. Like so many others seeking employment, the family moved to New England to work in the textile mills. Manchester, on the banks of the Merrimack River, housed the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company the largest cotton textile manufacturing center in the world.
When Bob and I married and moved from Washington, D.C. to Manchester, his hometown, in 1965, I was warmly welcomed by this lovely lady, known since childhood as "Connie". I was fairly new to America and had a lot to learn regarding how to run a household in my adopted country. It was a time where I often cried for my own mum, wishing she was close by to give me pointers, and later to help with the children. However Connie was always the best mother-in-law, and my late father-in-law was also a gem of a man. Some of the happiest memories are of their fabulous hospitality toward my own parents when they crossed the pond to visit us in New England.
Connie and I got along swimmingly from the get-go - she taught me a lot and took me places as I didn't even drive at that time. We shopped a lot and, as she was very careful with money, showed me where to find the bargains. With many factories still operating in the mid-sixties in Manchester, there were great outlets for furniture, clothing and shoes. Those were the days when quality items were actually made right here in America - and even back then I loved furniture, clothing and shoes - I had come to the right place!!!!!
She knew a lot about nutrition and plied me with articles on eating right and cooking fresh. She taught me how to make special dishes so new to me - spanokopita (because she had many Greek friends), and tourtiere, the French-Canadian savory meat pie(enjoyed prior to becoming vegetarian), and the best vegetable soup which she would pour into big jars for us to take home. We often bought fabrics from the mill outlets and sewed together using her machine as I couldn't afford my own until later!
Bob and his mom - Pennsylvania 2005
Over the years, after a few moves, we ended up here in the Southeast, and Connie moved to Pennsylvania to be close to her daughter.
We visited Connie a couple of weekends ago, sad to see her now struggling to make her 95th birthday next month.
Although those dark piercing eyes of little Berta are no longer, and she was unable to talk about the old days, we hope and pray she knew we were there, that it was us whispering in her ear.
We will always be so grateful to have her as our very special mother. She is the last remaining person from this family photograph.
We will always be so grateful to have her as our very special mother. She is the last remaining person from this family photograph.
Happy Mother's Day dear Connie and thank you for everything.
Here's wishing you a very happy day too.
Here's wishing you a very happy day too.
Note: The above family photo was discovered online just last week when Bob was searching for Messier family members. It was a shock to him and his siblings, none of whom recall ever seeing this beautiful photo previously. We all feel blessed to have this and will be sharing with our family members.
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