AUBURN – Mariette F. Rodrigue, 83, passed into the arms of the Lord with her family by her side at Clover Nursing Care, Sept. 9, after a long illness.

She was born in St. Prosper, Quebec, on July 30, 1924, the daughter of Denis and Florentine Gagnon Champagne. She grew up in St. Prosper and Hurst, Ontario. She attended schools in Ontario, where she obtained a degree in fashion and design.

She returned to St. Prosper later, where she met her husband Conrad. They were married on Aug. 12, 1944, and he died on Dec. 17, 2005.

Together they owned and successfully operated the family farm and her tailoring business.

In 1955, they moved to Auburn. She worked for many years at St. Louis school, as the director of the lunch program.

As a professional seamstress, her years of experience in sewing were evident in her creations of baptismal gowns to wedding gowns. She designed and sewed her own clothing and no outfit was complete without the matching “chapeau.”

Her accomplishments were many. In the eyes of her six children her most notable was that of a devoted, caring mother. She was a loving wife to Conrad for 61 years, and had unconditional love for each of her children. She loved life and embraced every day with great optimism. That was apparent of Mariette especially at a hockey game, where one of her sons would score the winning goal!

She could create out of a green open space a beautiful flower garden, crocheting and tatting beautiful tablecloths for each of her children and baking homemade bread. She was happiest when preparing a big meal for her family. She had the ability in making everyone welcomed into her home especially at her holiday “reveillon,” where an elegant table was set with all homemade goods.

Her greatest pride and joy were her grandchildren. She was proud of her French heritage and to all of them she was “grand-maman” with the best “tourtiere”and fudge in town. Thank you grand-maman for the memories.

She was a communicant of Holy Family Parish and a member of the Holy Family Parish Senior Citizens. She was also a member of La Rencontre and a Eucharistic minister for the St. Louis Parish. She was deeply spiritual and very dedicated to our Blessed Mother.

She will be greatly missed by her two daughters, Renee Bosse, and her husband, Richard, of Wales and Nancy Mennealy, and her husband, Stephen, of Lewiston; four sons, Guy Rodrigue, and his wife, Nicole, of Lewiston, Andre Rodrigue of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Roger Rodrigue, and his companion, Brenda Williams, of Oxford and Jacques Rodrigue of Norway; five sisters, Colette (Charles-Henri) Larochelle, Therese (Raymond) Larochelle, Yvette (Gaston) Poulin, Huguette (Marc) Chabot, all of Quebec, and Georgette (Roger) Beaudoin of New Hampshire; three brothers, Guy Champagne of Quebec, Claude (Micheline) Champagne of Florida, and Michel (Renelle) Champagne of Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Conrad; and a daughter-in-law, Christiane Menard Rodrigue.

The family would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to Dr. Morisette, the staff at Clover Manor, as well as Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.