Number of Interviews: 58
Dates when interviews were conducted: 1981-1984
Time period covered: twentieth century
Principal interviewers: Raymond Pelletier, Marcella Sorg, Mark Silber, Stephan Duplessis
Finding Aides: partial transcripts
Access Restrictions: None

Description: The project “Notre Vie, Notre Travail – Our Life, Our Work” was initiated by the Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council, led by Diane Brown who worked there. Funded by the Maine Humanities Council, this project involved a series of bilingual interviews utilizing family albums to stimulate discussion about Franco-American culture in the Lewiston, Maine, area, particularly as it pertained to work. Topics covered included: how work reflected cultural values; work ethic; work/occupation patterns; how work was integrated with family life (or interfered with it); the history of work patterns in the Lewiston area; and Franco-American culture and family life in general. Interviewees were elderly persons identified by the Western Area Agency. The products of these interviews included: (1) a filmstrip with bilingual audio tape using reproduced family photos which illustrated themes from the ethnography and excerpts from the tape-recorded interviews; and (2) a bilingual traveling photo exhibit using selected family photos and captioned with quotes (with translations).

1667 Sorg, Marcella and Dupiessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 43 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ trans. Interview with Simone Michaud about her life as a Franco-American; several songs sung in French. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1786

1668 Sorg, Marcella and Dupiessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 3 pp. Tape: 3 hrs. No cat, or trans. Interview with Adelard Janelle about life as a Franco-American (in French). Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1787

1669 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Auburn. 5 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ partial trans. Interview with Faye Jordan about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1788

1670 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Auburn. 11 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ partial trans. Interview with the Honorable Retired State Supreme Court Justice Armand J. Dufresne about his early life and his many years as an active and semi—retired justice, working with French-speaking people in Androscoggin County. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1789

1671 Pelletier, Raymond and Silber, Mark. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 10 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ partial trans. (Side 1, English; Side 2, French.) Interview with Jeanne d’Arc Turgeon about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1790

1672 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 70 pp. Tape: 3 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (French). Interview with Albert Dumais about his life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1791 – T1792

1673 Pelletier, Raymond and Silber, Mark. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 27 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ trans. Interview with Raoul Pinette about his life as a Franco-American and his experiences as a professional funeral director. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1793

1674 Sorg, Marcella and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 12 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ partial trans. (French). Interview with Joseph and Anne Marie Blais about their lives as Franco-Americans. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1795

1675 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 9 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ partial trans. (French). Interview with Genoria Pelchat about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1796

1676 Silber, Mark and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 15 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ partial trans. Interview with Berthe Roger about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1797

1677 Lewiston Senior Citizens Choir. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 6 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ brief cat, of songs sung. A concert of mostly French songs given for the Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council by the Lewiston Senior Citizen Choir; list of Choir members. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1798

1678 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 33 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (French). Interview with Florida Charest about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1799

1679 Duplessis, Steffan and Sorg, Maccells. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 51 pp. Tape: 2 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (French). Interview with Juilette Blais about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” project. T1800

1680 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 26 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ trans. Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Armand Sansouci about their lives as Franco-Americans; French culture and language an asset to his political career. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1801

1681 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 16 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ partial trans. (parts in French not transcribed). Interview with Cecile Dionne about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1802

1682 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Winter 1981. Maine: Auburn. 29 pp. Tape: 1 3/4 hrs. w/ partial trans. (French). Interview with Francoise Bolduc Charest about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1803

1683 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 18 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ trans. Interview with Paul Labbe about his life as a boxer and trainer and about his Franco-American heritage. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1804

1684 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 20 pp. Tape: 1 3/4 hrs. w/ trans. Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Alex Rouleau about their lives as Franco-Americans. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1805

1685 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 17 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ partial trans. Interview with Paul Belanger about his life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1806

1686 Pelletier, Raymond and Sorg, Marcella. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 15 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ partial trans. (Side 1, French; Side 2, English). Interview with Odilie Maillet about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1807

1687 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 44 pp. Tape: 1 1/2 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (part in French). Interview with Marguerite Michaud about her life as a Franco-American; her experience writing songs. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1808

1688 Pelletier, Raymond and Sorg, Marcella. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 12 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ partial hand-written trans. (parts in French not transcribed). Interview with Irenee and Simone Bolduc about their lives as Franco-Americans. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1809

1689 Pelletier, Raymond and Sorg, Marcella. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 35 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (Side 1, French; Side 2, English). Interview with Neolia Fortier about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1810

1690 Fortier, Neolia. Fall 1977. Maine: Lewiston. 3 pp. Tape: 1 hr. (French). No cat, or trans. Genealogy of the Fortier family by Raymond Fortier, Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1811

1691 Sorg, Marcella and Pelletier, Raymond. 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 3 pp. Tape: 1 hr. (part in French). No cat, or trans. Interview with Ephrem Boucher about his life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1812

1692 Silber, Mark and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 18 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ partial trans. (parts in French not transcribed). Interview with Cecile Lebel about her life as a Franco-American and her work as a seamstress. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1813

1693 Duplessis, Steffan and Pelletier, Raymond. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 38 pp. Tape: 1 3/4 hrs. w/ hand-written trans. (part French, part English). Interview with Romeo Boisvert about his life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1814

1694 Duplessis, Steffan, Sorg, Marcella, and Silber, Mark. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 38 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hr. w/ handwritten trans. (French). Interview with Cecile Boisvert about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1815

1695 Duplessis, Steffan and Silber, Mark. Winter 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 38 pp. Tape: 1 hr. w/ trans. Interview with Juliette Filteau about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1816

1696 Duplessis, Steffan and Silber, Mark. Winter 1980. Maine: Lewiston. 19 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ trans. (French). Interview with Antoinette Boucher about her life as a Franco-American and her family history. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1817

1697 Pelletier, Raymond and Silber, Mark. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 32 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ trans. (part French, part English). Interview with Father Henri Carrier about his life as a parish priest in several Maine Franco-American communities. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1818

1698 Sorg, Marcella and Duplessis, Steffan. Spring 1981. Maine: Lewiston. 39 pp. Tape: 1 1/4 hrs. w/ handwritten trans. (French). Interview with Josephine Morin about her life as a Franco-American. Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council “Our Life, Our Work” Project. T1819

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