13. Matilda Arsenault Richard

13, Matilda Arsenault Richard

The third child of the family, Matilda was born on 9 March 1906. She started her education in Maximeville and then attended the Abram's Village school where she completed her grades 9 and 10. Wanting to become a school teacher, she went to Charlottetown and studied for a year at Prince of Wales College, where in 1922 she received her teacher's license. She then taught for a total of 22 years. Before marrying she taught in the rural schools of Egmont Bay and Mont Carmel and, after having raised her family, she taught French at Parkside School in Summerside and at the Air Marshall Johnson School at the Military Base.

On 4 August 1926, Matilda married Dolore Richard, son of Pierre Richard and Marguerite Arsenault from Cape Egmont. They lived in Cape Egmont until 1943 when they moved to Summerside. Dolore died on 6 November 1966.

In town, Matilda became active in a number of organizations, sitting on the executive of the local chapter of the Société Saint-Thomas d'Aquin, the Women's Institute, the Catholic Women's League and the Parkview Senior Citizens Club. For many years she was an active member of the French liturgical committee of St. Paul's parish and the Summerside correspondent for the French-language weekly, La Voix Acadienne.

The Richard family around 1938. Back row, from left to right: Dolore, Dorothy, Matilda, Eunice. =m Front row: Peter and Eugene.

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