Marion Deschere, Page One

Comparison of Ages: Left: Marion Deschere, just passed 13 years. Helps sister in mill "some." Next is Mildred Greenwood, "going on 14." Goes to school. Next is Mamie La Barge, 13 years, but said 14 years. Right end is Rosina Goyette, said 14, probably 12 or 13. Mamie and Rosina have steady jobs. Location: Winchendon, Massachusetts, September 1911, Lewis Hine.

"Aunt Marion was always dressed up. That was her thing. In fact, in the picture that you showed us, you could tell that she was fashionable even at that age. She's wearing pearls." -June Rhodes, niece of Marion Deschenes

Comparison of ages: On right end is Mary Deschene, admitted 11 years, helped sister spool all summer in Glenallen Mill. Next her is Lumina Demarais, admitted 12 years, and doffing all summer in Spring Village Mill. Next is Rosina Coyette, said she was 14 but Mr. Hine doubted it; has steady job doffing and spinning in Spring Village Mill. Left end is Eva Caonette, spinner in Spring Village Mall, said she was 14 but may not be. Location: Winchendon, Massachusetts, September 1911, Lewis Hine.

"She was always up early before my brother and I got up, and she would always hide somewhere downstairs when she heard us coming. The first thing we had to do was find Meme, before we had breakfast. She'd be behind a door or in a closet." Edward Bigelow, grandson of Mary Rose Deschenes

According to detailed information compiled over the years by Marion Deschenes, and other records, the family moved on September 5, 1912, to Fitchburg, a thriving manufacturing city about 15 miles south of Winchendon. It had been almost exactly a year since Marion and her sister had been photographed by Lewis Hine. Their parents, Zoel and Amanda (Belanger) Deschenes, natives of Quebec, married in Greenville, New Hampshire in 1890, where he worked at the Columbian Manufacturing Company, a large textile mill. They had all of their nine children there, including Marie Anne (later called Marion), born on April 24, 1898, and Mary Rose (called Rose), born on March 12, 1900. They moved to East Jaffrey, New Hampshire on August 15, 1908, and then to Winchendon on September 29, 1910.

The day they moved into their rented home in the Cleghorn section of Fitchburg, the local newspaper advertised velour hats from $3.00, jelly glasses for 33 cents a dozen, and a five-cent matinee for ladies and children featuring a performance by Colonel Sam Holsworth, "the 82-year-old tenor."

Rose married Edward Pinard in 1928. They had four daughters. She passed away in Fitchburg on January 4, 1976, at the age of 75. Marion never married. She passed away in Fitchburg on January 10, 1988, at the age of 89. Thanks to obituaries found in the Fitchburg Sentinel digital archives, I was able to contact several descendants almost immediately.