It was with both sadness and fond remembrance that I read the obituary of Cecile V. Burgoyne, age 98.
During my time as mayor of Lewiston, I had the pleasure of seeing Cecile many times — proudly wearing her Franco-American War Veterans Color Guard uniform, marching with grace and vigor in parades and at countless community events.
She was always a delight to speak with — cheerful, witty and full of life. I remember her sharing, with her trademark twinkle, that she had once tried to join a religious order of nuns. The sisters told her she’d need to provide a dowry, but as she put it with a smile, “I didn’t have the money, so I joined the U.S. Army — they gave me my dowry in uniforms for free!”
That was Cecile — practical, spirited and ever-ready to serve.
Cecile, along with her fellow Franco-American War Veterans Color Guard members who have passed on, will be dearly missed. We owe them deep gratitude for their decades of service, dedication and pride in our Lewiston-Auburn community.
May they rest in eternal peace in the glorious company of God.
Laurent Gilbert Sr.
Lewiston
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