Sisters is the topic for week 13 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and some of my favorite childhood memories were when the “tantes,” my Nana Connie’s sisters, would visit from Canada. There was always so much excitement leading up to a visit, and a warm, chaotic energy when all of the Meloche sisters were together again in the same room. Because Aunt Gaetane spent most of her career as a nun in Haiti, it was rare for all of the sisters to be together at once, but it was unusual for more than a year to pass without a visit from at least one of the tantes.
There were five Meloche sisters – six if you count little Gabrielle, who was technically the eldest, but died when she was two. In birth order, the sisters were Gaetane (1922), Pierette (1924), France (1925), my Nana Connie (1927), and Denise (1930). They lived on Brandon Avenue in Montreal in a two-story, five-room home that was torn down in the 1960s. Their home was full of people, pets, and neighbors running in and out. The sisters shared a room, and each night before bed the girls would help each other roll their wet hair in rags so it would be curly the next day. They would chat and laugh. Any subject was fair game, and as they tucked into bed, there would be a chorus of “good-nights” to one another. They loved and supported each other, and like sisters do, they covered for one another as well. None of the sisters ratted my grandmother out for smoking at the neighbor’s house or sneaking cigarettes in the bathroom.
I’ll share some of my impressions and memories of the Meloche sisters.
I already wrote about Gaetane, and because she lived so much of her life in Haiti, I didn’t know her as well as the other aunts. I only saw her a handful of times growing up, but I remember her being kind and affectionate, but a bit outspoken. If you like, you can read more about her interesting life here.
Pierette, or “Aunt Pete” as we called her, was regal, or at least that was my impression of her. She didn’t joke and tease as much as the other aunts, and she always struck me as being the fanciest, most elegant, and most dignified of all the sisters. I bet my impression isn't correct. I bet she was probably just a tad less crazy than the rest of them, which made her look normal in comparison, but probably crazier and more fun than most of the population. Out of all of the sisters, I think she looks the most like her mother, Laura.
France was the aunt I knew best, followed closely by Denise. Tante France was Nana’s favorite sister. The two were extremely close, and out of all of the Meloche cousins, my mom and my aunt are still closest with France’s daughter. Tante France and her husband, Uncle Gerry, visited the most, and during my few childhood trips to Canada, we stayed at their place. France was a little quieter than my Nana (caveat: being louder than my Nana would have taken some special skill or a bull horn) but she was always kind and welcoming. Like my grandmother, she enjoyed crafts and was quite creative. She balanced Uncle Gerry well. He was a prankster, and my Nana couldn’t stand him when she first met him. I don’t know if she was jealous that someone was interested in her favorite sister, or if she had a problem with him being Irish instead of French, or if maybe she didn’t want to vie for the spotlight of Prankster Supreme, but for whatever reason, it took her forever to warm up to Gerald Ryan, who really was one of the sweetest, dearest men I've ever known. When he’d come calling on France and was unfortunate enough to have my grandmother answer the door, she’d say, “Go home, Ryan!” and slam the door in his face! I don’t think he let it bother him, and instead laughed about it. When my grandmother realized France was smitten and wasn’t getting rid of him, she eventually came around and the two became friends. Sometimes when he visited her in Maine, he’d find whatever book my grandmother was currently reading, and right before he left for home, he’d rip out the last few pages and hide them in the house (usually up in the ceiling tiles). Nana would get to the end of her book, and yell, “Damn, you, Ryan!” call him up, and curse at him. Did I tell you my grandmother enjoyed mysteries? Yeah, imagine getting to the last few pages of a mystery novel only to learn that the real mystery was where the hell your brother-in-law hid the last few pages!
Nana Connie was the 4th youngest child and the 2nd youngest daughter. She was always dramatic and always a princess. Wherever she went, she was the life of the party, and would instantly become your best friend. She could have been the poster child for extroversion. Nana Connie was outgoing and personable, and told some of the raunchiest jokes and wildest stories you’ve ever heard. She was one of the most creative people I’ve ever met and was good at anything artistic that she tried. She could sew, knit, and crochet, but enjoyed other crafts too. If she saw a piece of trash, she could make something spectacular with it. She was a good cook, and a decent musician, especially considering she was completely self-taught. I believe she was the sister with the largest family (five kids) and one of her only regrets was that she couldn’t have more. After her children were all in school, she worked for several years as a preschool teacher, which she enjoyed. It was the perfect job for her because it allowed her to be both creative and adored, and Nana was the type of person who craved adoration. Everyone loves their preschool teacher, and everyone loved her.
The youngest child for five years, which was the largest stair-step age gap between any of the Meloche siblings, was Denise, the baby sister and second youngest of the family. She was the most fun out of all of my grandmother’s sisters and visited almost as often as France and Gerry. She was dubbed “Denise the Tease” because she always teased us and joked around with us. She was the only sibling to never marry, besides Gaetane who was married to God. Denise had many close friends, was athletic, and among her siblings’ children she was one of the favorite aunts. If you’ve ever had an aunt or uncle who was younger and more fun than all the rest, and definitely cooler than your own hopelessly lame parents, you’ve had someone like Denise in your life. She had an interesting career working in music licensing and mentored one of her nieces in the field.
I remember all of the tantes visiting in the summer of 1984. My grandmother had a stroke at the beginning of the year, and she had a long, slow recovery. I imagine her sisters came down because of that, only as a kid, I didn’t realize that was the reason for their visit. Their worry that time was passing them by and there was a real possibility they might not all be together again, was probably the reason they all came down at once. I don’t remember any specifics of their trip, but I do remember the vibe. There was lots of laughter and a bit of bickering. Conversations were a mixture of French and English, and the French was spoken impossibly fast. Each day my grandmother’s sisters were there felt like a party, and indeed, some days were actual parties. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins came to enjoy the pool, the aunts, good food, and laughter. There was an overwhelming sense of love interwoven in all of the chaos whenever Nana was with her sisters. As these pictures show, the reunion of the Meloche sisters of Brandon Avenue was a crazy, silly, wonderful time.
Comments