1924 – 2016

LEWISTON — It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our precious mother, Anita (Garneau/Hamann) Levesque, at the age of 91. Mom was also a sister, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Mom was born in Saint-Herménégilde, Quebec, Canada, on Nov. 8, 1924, the firstborn of Omer and Exilda Garneau. She was educated in Canadian schools and, like many of her fellow citizens, migrated to the United States and her new home in Lewiston.

She worked at the Hill Mill before eventually meeting her future husband, Jean Louis Hamann, whom she married on Sept. 3, 1949, in a double wedding in her hometown of Dixville, Quebec, along with her sister, Olive, and her groom, Ray Beaudette.

Anita was a stay-at-home mother while raising her four children, but that certainly did not stop her from contributing to the support of her family. She was involved in upholstering many kitchen sets in the L-A area back in the 1960s. She also did housecleaning for several prominent Lewiston residents.

Mom was a wonderful baker … Oh, the smell of fresh bread wafting through the kitchen. There is nothing she wasn’t afraid to tackle, except driving, THAT she was never too fond of, but she did her best.

In October 1975, our family lost Dad to cancer and Mom became the strength of her ever-growing family. Anita remained a widow for almost 12 years until she met the second love of her life, Oscar Levesque. They married in August 1987 and bought a new home together on Martin Drive in the Holy Cross area.

They celebrated many years of traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe. Riding the whitewater rapids in Colorado, an ocean cruise to Alaska, and visiting in Hawaii, Italy and Russia are but a few of the many adventures they enjoyed before Oscar passed away in 2011.

Since her health had, by then, declined some, Mom made the move to Schooner Estates in Auburn where she could live independently yet still enjoy the companionship of family and friends. A medical condition necessitated a move to Marshwood Center in Lewiston in 2013.

The kindness and love shown to Mom by the caring staff at Marshwood, especially one of her favorite nurses, Pam, as well as Barbara and Beth from Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, will always be cherished and remembered.

Mom leaves behind her four children, Roger Hamann and wife, Joan, of Greene, Nicky Hamann of Portland, Gerry Hamann and wife, Pam, of New Gloucester and Dan Hamann of Lewiston. Mom was stepmother to Bert Levesque of Santa Rosa, Calif., Marguerite Letourneau and husband, Ray, of Bowdoin, Christine Gagne and husband, Dan, of Poland and Claudette Hanscome of Olympia, Wash. She is also survived by her brother, Raymond Garneau and wife, Armande, of Dixville, Quebec; sisters, Muriel Beaudette of Billerica, Mass., Angele Routhier and husband, Bernard, of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Vermont, and Hermance Lessard and husband, Prudent, of Granby, Quebec; and her sister-in-law, Irene Gagne of Greene. Mom also leaves behind 24 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; and many nieces and nephews.

Besides her husbands, she was predeceased by her brother, Gerard Garneau; her sister, Olive Beaudette; her stepdaughter, Pauline Bresnahan; stepdaughter-in-law, Louise Levesque; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in law.