The Orphanages

Tuesday, July 7, 1931 On this day, I was born in Waterbury, CT.
My 1st remembrance is my mother adjusting a pair of long trousers on me. I may have been 4 years old at the time. I am the oldest of 3 brothers. Larry, (Laurent) was born the following year and Ferdie, or Fred, (Fernand) was born 2 years later. My sister Rollie, (Rolande) is 1 year older than me, and Claudette was born in 1937.

We lived on the 4th floor of a tenement building on East Liberty St. My grandparents (the LaPerriere family) lived across the street, also on the 4th floor.

My father's mother lived in Canada. My grandfather passed away when my father was about 10 years old.

We spent most of our play time at my grandparents. They had a bigger yard. We also played in the street a lot, traffic was not a problem. One day while playing in their yard, I was fooling around a waste barrel that had burned some trash. I was wearing mittens, so I didn't think of getting burned. When I got home later, I threw the mittens in a closet with my coat and hat. Some time later, my father smelled smoke. He looked in the closet and there were my mittens, threatening to burn the building down, Fortunately, he got to them on time.

Bibiane LaPerriere. Wedding day June 25, 1929

Alphée and Adelia Côté about 1900, with Rose
and young Alphée

Mémère and Pépère LaPerriere, about 1945 in Wolcott CT.

Mémère Adelia Côté in Isle Verte.

From 1931 to 1941 the U.S. (in fact the whole world) was in a deep depression. My father was not working regularly and neither could my mother. In the later '30s, as they were able to find some work, they still could not afford baby sitters for us. They figured we would be better off at a boarding school.

The boarding school, actually an orphanage (Orphalinat St. Joseph) was run by an order of nuns from Canada in Lowell Mass. The orphanage is today called the Franco American School. Our parents were able to come see us about once a month when they could beg a ride from someone in Waterbury.

We actually spent time at two different orphanages, both with the same name. The 1st was in Fall River MA. But my recollections are of the one in Lowell more so than at Fall River. I was older in Lowell.
These were the most depressing and lonely years. we were there for maybe 2 years. What a joy it was when we finally got to go home.

The picture on the left is of my father with 4 of us standing in front of the grotto at St Joseph's in Lowell. This picture was taken about 1938-39. Claudette was not present. She was just a baby. I guess this a representation of the grotto at Lourdes.
(Click on photos for larger view.)

This is St Joseph
Orphanage in Fall
River, MA where we
spent some time.

As it looks today. Stafford Condos Photo thanks to George Beaudry Jr. of
Fall River.

This picture shows the front entrance to the Lowell orphanage.

Grotto of the Virgin Mary at St. Joseph's. Photos above taken in 2000

Boys were separated from girls. There was a chain link fence that separated the play yard into boys and girls areas. My brothers and I on one side and our sister Rolande on the other. At recess we would talk to each other through the chain link fence. Only when our parents came to visit could we actually be in the same room.

Finally, in the later '30's my mother wanted her kids home, so we left the orphanage and headed for home on East Liberty St. What a happy day that was for all of us.