The Maine Franco-American Genealogy Society is pleased to introduce its officers and board members who were newly elected at the last general membership meeting on Oct. 26.
Beliveau is a Lewiston native who now lives in Lisbon. She worked for a few local businesses retiring after 18 years at Marshwood Center Nursing Home. She was a regular patron at the MFGS Library researching her ancestry and discovered that one of her grand-fathers came from France to Acadie in the mid-1600s. Beliveau was first elected to the board as corresponding secretary in 2016 and continues to volunteer in the MFGS Library to help members research their roots.
Murphy was employed by the City of Lewiston for 37 years. She now enjoys spending her time with her granddaughter. She was born and raised in Lewiston and proud of her deep Canadian roots which include the family names of Cloutier, Dostie, Nadeau, and Veilleux.
Martin won a scholarship that permitted him to study in France for two months, but the end result was a stay of two years. He graduated from the Lycée Albert Camus in Nîmes, France. Upon returning to Maine, he worked at Museum L-A, now known as Maine MILL, before becoming the French teacher at St. Dominic Academy where he continues to spread his love of the French language and culture, and to inspire future generations. Martin is also a board member of the Alliance Française du Maine and of the Franco-American Collection at USM.
Hitchcock is a retired school librarian who holds a BA in English from UMaine and a masters in library information science from Rutgers. She joined the board as recording secretary in 2016. She is a second-generation Franco-American hoping to expand the information in her genealogical lines of Bissonnette, Laplante, Duclos, and Cloutier. She is also very active with the Maine Music Society currently serving as its vice-chair and singing in the MMS Chorale.
Fr. Parent has served as a board member, librarian, and president for several terms. He brings a wealth of information and many contacts that help to expand the resources at the library.
Dionne retired after 47 years in finance and HR functions. She starts most mornings swimming laps for over an hour. She has been working on family genealogy research for over 30 years, tracing most lines to France. These lines consist of Choret/Charette, Cloutier, Dionne, and Pelletier families.
Lamie is an independent contractor and licensed professional engineer who also holds degrees in business and public administration from UMaine. He has served on the board of directors and as president of the Maine Water Utilities and the New England Water Works Association. His position as treasurer for the Auburn Lewiston Rotary Club adds to his extensive experience in financial management developing numerous professional working relationships with various officials in the area. In his spare time, Lamie enjoys genealogy research and spending time with seven grandchildren.
The Maine Franco-American Genealogical Society is a 501(c3) non-profit, primarily self-help genealogical research library dedicated to help Americans of French-Canadian & Acadian ancestry discover their history. It is a totally volunteer-led organization with members available to help you maneuver your way through its 3,200 volumes which include a collection of marriage repertoires from all six New England states as well as Canada, New York, and Oregon. The library also includes digital files for researching Census information, Social Security Death Benefits information and Maine obituaries. These are only a few of the many resources available. Please visit www.mfgen.org for more information, including revised hours of operation.
