To the editor:
Most of you know I was raised across the road from the Normand Lajoie family. Normand was a true Cyr Plantationite — born, brought up and lived in Cyr Plantation his entire life.
When Normand’s father died in 1956 Normand came back from the seminary at a young age of 19 to take over the family potato farm. Normand is the last Cyr Plantationite of Franco American pillars of our small town of Cyr Plantation. Normand will end the list of some of our great settlers who have gone before him, the Vaillancourts, Deveaus, Cyrs, Laplantes, Lapierres, Ouellettes, Madores, Dumonds, Gagnons and Levasseurs, to mention a few. We must not forget that all these settlers have played a physical and spiritual role in Normand’s family.
Farmers have a saying: “our soil, our strength,” proudly displayed on the Lucas Lajoie potato storage on Caribou Road in Cyr Plantation. Normand was a man of the land, but more importantly the motto “our soil our strength” was our Lord our strength. Yes, Normand was a man of the land but also a man of and for the people in his community as he demonstrated this in his actions among us, clearly displayed in his work and commitment in our town of Cyr Plantation.
It is tribute for Cyr Plantation that Normand will be remembered as the last of the old guards and very proud that he is in heaven with all his forefathers. Normand was one of the last students to attend our little red schoolhouse. Cyr Plantation will never be the same again since 1870 when it was first incorporated as a community.
Daniel V. Deveau
First Assessor,
Cyr Plantation
