L'OEIL SE FERME   /  THE EYE IS SHUT.

Our father, Louis P. Gagne, passed away on Monday January 13, 1964. His interment took place on Friday January 17, 1964. A radio tribute was produced and narrated by Mr. Robert Couturier, owner of Radio Transcript Inc. two Sundays later on radio station WCOU, Lewiston Maine.

The tribute, in French, was recorded on a reel-to-reel player in 1964, and transferred to CDs on June 20 2006. The tribute serves to demonstrate the extreme devotion expressed by an unselfish person not only for friends and family but for any Franco American who needed assistance, particularly for Immigration and Naturalization documents from Canada to United States.

He took pride in being a Franco American. He was born in 1900 in Quebec, Canada to Elphege and Georgiana Soulard. His father died in 1908 and he was soon placed in Nazareth Orphanage for boys when he was eight years old. After 4 years, he entered the Seminary in Quebec until graduation in 1916. Shortly after he left the Seminary he started to work at Le Soleil, a major newspaper of Quebec City, Canada. Two years later he was doing Sport editions.

He met a young lady, Ernestine Hamann in 1920 whom he later married in Lewiston Maine on June 18, 1923 . During a short courtship, they both left Quebec City for Lewiston. The day after his arrival , he started his work at Le Messager, a daily French newspaper. He worked for Le Messager for 38 years where he devoted his life to family and Franco American interests.

He belonged to the St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Lewiston Me. He founded several snowshoe clubs and enthusiasts as well as several social organizations. He loved music and in the late 1930's-1940's era, the Gagne sextet came alive, singing at the radio and churches and festivals. The French song that is heard on this CD is titled, "C'est l'aviron qui nous mene" or "the row boat brought us here ".

His devotion to politics and Franco Americanism left his prints among the leaders of the Twin Cities of Lewiston and Auburn Maine. He was an ardent worker, not only for the newspaper business but also for his involvement in all aspect of Franco American life, families, schools and churches. That's the way dad wanted it, and he did it "HIS WAY".

Written by Louis Gagne II