Obituary of Bernadette Louis

Bernadette Bourdeau, known by most of you as Mammine, was born in a small village in the south of Haiti “carefour sanon”, in the outskirts and the hills of Jeremie, on February 14, 1929, Valentine’s day. Her father was a landlord and farmer “relatively wealthy” for the region, and her mother was a merchant and store owner. When she reached the primary school age, she was registered at the Catholic school of “Soeurs de la sagesse” in the main town, and sent to live with her maternal grandmother who practically raised her from that moment on. She had to complete her academic journey with the year of Brevet – as it was called then, which would correspond to the second year of high school, and then had to choose a manual profession. She became a seamstress, one of the very few in town for many years. Because her parents did not believe in higher education, she made sure, with her sewing machine, that all her six children went to college. A bitter sweet revenge on her parents, one might say.

Manmine met Dad, they fell in love, and decided to get married in their early twenties and build a family. Dad was the oldest of his family, he had to leave school as well after his “brevet”, at the tender age of 17, to find work and take care of his mother and siblings. Very young, they both decided to put their fear aside, embrace their challenges and face life’s difficulties. They hoped that their love and commitment to each other would always help them go over hurdles, which they did together until dad passed away twelve years ago.

In Lieu of Flowers donations to Agape-Haiti.org/donate would be appreciated.