Florence Desneiges Bergeron Lee Riley 1910-2010

 

    Florence was born on 5 February 1919 to Henry Louie Bergeron and  Annetta (Anita) Theroux, she was the second of four children and their only daughter. Her mother, Anita was a twin with Henrietta (Rita) and eight other children. Her life was filled with many cousins in her growing up years, however, later on  they were on the east coast and she was off to school. Uncle Armand nicknamed her "Little Miss Muffet" and it stuck, over the years she was know as "Muff."

    She spent her childhood on a farm in New England and graduated from High Schoool. She married in South Attleboro, Massachusetts, on 11 June 1942 to Norman Melvin Lee, a was a pilot serving in World War II. Unfortunately, he was killed on 25 August 1943 during this war. They had been married just after barely a year, it was a difficult time for her. 

    She graduated from Clincal Laboratory Technique from Northwest Institute of Medical Technology in Minneapolis, MN with diplomas in clinical laboratory, X-ray and electrocardiograph techniques in 1945. She worked as a lab attendant in Boston, Mass. Despite the hardships she faced early on, Muff remained determined to carve out a meaningful life for herself. Her dedication to clinical laboratory work reflected her sharp intellect and perseverance, helping her contribute to medical advancements during a transformative era in healthcare.

    She married Leo Alfred Riley on 19 April 1947 in South Attleboro, Mass. Coming from the east coast and having a love for the water, settling in Redondo Beach, California, in 1955, offered a fresh start. where she was a stay at home mother with the responsibilities and the joys and challenges of raising five children. Her home became a hub of warmth and activity, filled with laughter, lessons, and the occasional chaos of a bustling household. 

    She returned to the workforce in 1971 as a nurse's aide at Los Angeles County's Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey, Calif. She retired from the county in 1981, and moved to Prescott in 1987 with her husband.  Florence, known as "Muff" to her siblings as stated above, and "Mil" to her close family members, enjoyed people. She was devoted to her family and kept in close contact with her relatives, near and far. She was undaunted by the computer world, which she viewed as another opportunity to keep in touch with her relatives. Whether old acquaintances or new, she invariably impressed all she met with her vivid recollection of a lifetime of memories.

    This author had the pleasure of spending a few days with her and her husband and the sheer delight of meeting another "cousin" was amazing as she shared stories from the past and all of our relations. She would have been my mother's first cousin making this author a first cousin once removed. Her husband passed away in 2005 and she passed away 11 February 2010. She surely will be missed by her family and friend all over.

Florence Desneiges Bergeron Lee Riley "Muff" - 1910-2010

    

Aunt Ozina

On January 25, 1995, I interviewed my Aunt Ozina to learn more about her. Ozina Cora Marotte was born on August 15, 1908, to Alphonse Arthur Marotte and Lovina Theroux on Aug. 15, 1908, she was the oldest of 9 children, with my mother, Claire Virginie Marotte Brisson, being the youngest with almost 19 years apart. 

She spent most of her life helping others and became a Registered Nurse in 1934. She also helped the Red Cross as a nurse.

Her father, had the first Model T that did not need to be cranked, and she learned to drive in it. 

She shared with me about her mother Lovina Theroux, and how she played the piano and had a green thumb. She would see a plant along a path that looked like it was dying, bring it home and nurse it to good health. When she got too old to have any more children she was very upset. Unfortunately, her mother passed away in 1945, Ozina had just turned 37 and had been married for five years to Eugene Baron, they were married 20 June 1940 in Mansfield, Massachusetts where they lived for many years.

Ozina was an accomplished organist, and in June, 1979 she became Grand Organist of the Eastern Star. 

Not having any children of her own, she was like our grandmother as Lovina had passed away before we were born. She outlived two husbands, Eugene Baron and Dexter Stripp.

She taught me how to knit, and crochet using string, and sew my own clothes by helping me make my high school prom dress. She made many sweaters and gloves for us over the years. Whenever possible, we would play cribbage and Scrabble together, go blue berry picking at her summer home, made the best blue berry muffins. We learned much about life from her as she shared of her own life experiences. Whenever we play either game, we always think of her and Uncle Gene. Eugene died in 1969, and she remarried Dexter G. Stripp on 16 September 1975, he died 22 January 1984.

She is missed very much and were blessed to have had her in our lives. She is buried at Spring Brook Cemetery in Mansfield, Massachusetts with her first husband, Eugene Arthur Lewis Baron, and her mother-in-law, Annie Baron Slater.

Remembered: Ozina C. M. B. Stripp 1908-1997   

Updated: 15 Aug 2021