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under control. She always did.

In the evenings when the chores were done, the family would spend time together; sometimes Eleonore played the organ. Her favorite hymn was Whispering Hope and during Advent, she would play old favorites like Silent Night and [1 Est Né.

There were times when there was very little money, but plenty to eat - mostly fish and potatoes. Henri was a fisherman who also did

mixed farming to keep his family fed.

In 1914 Alphy started school. His inquisitive mind and interest in books made him an eager scholar. However his formal education lasted only a few brief years....I am getting ahead of the story.

In his spare time, Alphy would sometimes play short tunes on the organ, for example Elle Est Morte, la Vache a Piouch. He would also follow his father to the barn to tend the animals there. And then there were always the leisurely visits to his grandparents.

Then came the day that Eleonore discontinued the visits to Grandmere and Grandpere Poirier. She would go without the children and would stay for several hours. When Alphy asked his mother why was she going there without him, she answered that Uncle Alphé and Uncle Ferdinand were very ill and that she went there to help take care of them. Uncle Alphé and Uncle Ferdinand were terminally ill with tuberculosis. Then came the day that Uncle Alphé died, and Alphy remembers going to the funeral. He could not understand this somber event. Everyone was dressed in black and had serious expressions on their faces. Later when the family returned home, Alphy heard the adults talking. They were saying that when Grandmere and Grandpere Poirier returned home after burying Uncle Alphé they found out that Uncle Ferdinand had also died at home while they were at church. Alphy knew something was wrong, because his mother did not laugh as much and she hardly ever played the organ anymore.

Then came the day when Alphy found out that his mother was ill.