Family of the Month
Family of the Month
Council: 13861 - SANFORD
Project Description:
Names Melanson Family
as Family of the Month
for June 2022
June 25, 2022
The Knights of Columbus St. Thomas Council has selected the Family of Louis and Lorraine Melanson as Family of the Month for the month of June 2022.
Louis and Lorraine exchanged vows at Holy Family Church in 1956 and have been happily married for 66 years. They are proud parents of two children. They have a son James, whom they adopted as an infant. James graduated from the University of New England and resides in Portland. They have a younger daughter Elaine Ford who makes her home in Lyman.
Both Louis and Lorraine have been lifelong residents of Sanford and were educated at local schools. Louis served our country in the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1953 during the Korean conflict where he served as a Communications Officer. After being honorably discharged from the service, he worked at Goodall Mills from 1953 to 1955 and Biddeford Textiles from 1955 to 1956. In 1956, utilizing his Air Force skills, Louis was able to secure a position at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a Communications Officer. His most memorable experience occurred on April 10, 1963. It was on that date that the nuclear sub the USS Thresher was lost at sea during sea trials following an overhaul at the Navy Yard. Louis had the task of sending telegrams of condolence to the families of each of the 129 hands on board that were lost at sea. Louis retired from the Navy Yard in 1986 after 30 years of service.
Before she married Louis, Lorraine worked at Goodall Hospital in the maternity ward for five years. After that, she became a homemaker and raised James and Elaine. Later-on, she performed all the housekeeping at St. Ignatius Convent.
The Melansons have been communicants at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish for over 69 years and have been very active in the Parish. Louis served as an usher and collector. Both Louis and Lorraine were Eucharistic Ministers too. In 1957, the parish broke ground for the present Holy Family Church building. Louis and Lorraine served on the fundraising committee to raise the necessary monies to construct the church. From 1957 to 1960, when the church was completed, the committee was able to solicit $100 from each family. That was quite a financial commitment from each family, as $100 in 1957 is equivalent to $1,040 in 2022. That was quite a feat! However, by the time the first mass was celebrated in the new church, it was completely paid for!
Louis is also a Brother Knight in the former Sanford Council and the present St. Thomas Council. Louis has been a knight for the past 29 years, 10 years of which he served as the council’s Advocate.
For over 30 years, the Melansons led several pilgrimages from Sanford to sites in Canada like Our Lady of the Cape and St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. They also led pilgrimages to the Eureka Springs Passion Play in Arkansas, Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal and Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
The Melansons continue to serve the parish by sharing the beautiful picture of our Lady of the Cape for families to bring to their home.
God bless Louis and Lorraine Melanson for their hard work and dedication to both family and church
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