Sidonia Person-Charpenter

(details) Sidonia Person, young girl, circa 1860

(details) Sidonia PERSON at 18 years of age in 1863)

Sidonia Charpentier-Person, circa 1870
and below, circa 1890

(details) Sidonia

"My mother Sidonia Person, who had a delicate health being young - very often migraines - strengthened herself in the middle age and she rendered us a lot of services by receiving our children indefinitely. They loved her very much and holidays in Dampierre were always a great pleasure.
After my father's death (1917)She lived alone with an old Henriette who she had been over 30 years old.
His last years have been painful because of his memory loss, and we took him home for five years. (at Seals, from 1931) My sister and I could not live alone."

"My mother, born in Dampierre On November 13, 1845, she had a delicate health at the beginning of her marriage, she lost 2 little girls, born in ExpenditureAnd who lived one fortnight, the other six months, then my sister and I, (Jeanne and Marguerite).
The journeys were always painful for her; she suffered from migraine as many women of her time. But she was well strengthened and lived 90 years.
With my father, she lived in Epense for ten years and returned to Dampierre where my parents still lived on the farm. (speaks of the castle).
The fence belonged to my grandfather who had rented his farm since 1866.
She made and organized the house and garden of Dampierre where we played so much as young people with our friends and children in turn.
She had helped me a lot when my kids were young, taking them home as little as possible, and my two daughters in particular spent years there. (Suzanne lived there for 4 1/2 years and Andrée 6 years) but having caught lice at school, Suzanne was removed and returned to Reims's home
It was the charm of this good Dampierre where we were always so well received!
My parents lived a very simple life despite a very solid fortune; my father had left his study as a notary at a very young age and he confessed to me that he had been bored at first."
Memories of Claude: "She was all dressed up in black, with a very long skirt in old fashion, and I'm surprised to see she had several petticoats on her, a white A black one over, in the country fashion of old times without a doubt.
I remember my great grandmother, she was in Sceaux and had lost her head, she was trotting and when she saw me, her great little girl, she called me "little, little" because she didn't remember my name.

In a letter from 11 October 1933, Etienne told her mother about the difficulties of her grandmother Sidonia who escaped from the house of Seals and was lost in the streets.

Marguerite: "I just learned that it was Napoleon 1 who presented the first sugar of beet. Until then, we only made sugar of cane - which was expensive - and sugar was a luxury product. My grandmother, who was born in 1819 (Modestine Collet-Person, mother of Sidonia), told us that we were happy to find it.
For me, I remember that around 1890, sugar was still sold in bread (the sugar loaf) and I remember cutting it out, of course, we made irregular pieces and we, little ones at the time, picked up the crumbs!..I was 15 or 16 years old."

More memories of Claude and Grannie:

"Good Mom from Dampierre has organized the Home - made tapestries (chairs of the living room and seats of the dining room - good, soft, maternal -
Grannie lived there for 4 1/2 years and Andrée also, to relieve her daughter Marguerite from her 5 children. (photos by Aunt Notte, i.e. her daughter Jeanne, Vonnette's mother). They were happy and did the 400 shots."

See the detailed account of the exodus of 1914-15 by Marguerite Maillet, exodus that the Personal-Charpenters followed in part with the Maillet in Dornecy

Here are some letters written by Sidonia Person-Charpenter:
1908, 6 January 1908, written by Dampierre, addressed to her daughter Marguerite Maillet who is in Reims. she talks about an accident that happened to her husband Emile Charpentier, perhaps the fall that allowed her to heal a paralysis and to walk again without her little car. Her little daughter Suzanne (8 years old), in boarding at her grandmother also writes.
1915, March 4, written by Dornecy where she remained in refuge for a few months with Andrée, while the Maillet parents moved to Epernay. She wrote to them at the same time as little Andrée (11 years old).

1915, October 9, written by Dampierre where she returned with her husband, Dampierre occupied by many French troops. She wrote to her little daughter Suzanne Maillet who is in Cherbourg with her uncles and aunt Thirion and cousin Vonnette.

1916, November 20, written by Dampierre by Sidonia Charpentier to her children, her husband's health is disturbing. She speaks of René, who has committed himself to war as a soldier, to whom she sent money.

1917, June 22, written by Dampierreshortly after her husband Emile Charpentier's funeral, addressed to the Maillet in St-Cyr sur Loire.

Around 1925, a Monday, written letter from Dampierre To Marguerite Maillet in Sceaux. Sidonia exposes her difficulties with the farm she still owns and has to sell.
1926, on January 4, Sidonia, still alone in Dampierre, wrote to her little daughter Suzanne who is planning to marry.

1929, October 7, Sidonia wrote from Dampierre to Maurice Rougier, and spoke of the birth on the eve of his 2nd great little girl Claude Rougier.