Helen Bernice FOSTER

(b. 8 October 1928 , Poland, Maine, USA d. 6 May 2003 , Madison, Maine, USA )

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Helen Bernice FOSTER was born 8 October 1928 in Poland, Maine, USA

Helen Bernice FOSTER was the child of Vinton Alma FOSTER and Florence M SWALLOW and the grandchild of: (paternal) Andrew Jackson FOSTER and Minnie Cummings LOWELL (maternal) Leon Larnard SWALLOW and Ada Lilly ROBINSON

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Helen Bernice married Wallace David FRENCH 2 July 1946 in Poland, Maine, USA . The couple had (at least) 2 children.
Wallace David FRENCH was born 27 August 1924 in Lewiston, Maine, USA. Wallace David died 18 June 1975 in Chelsea, Maine, USA (Togus). Wallace David was the child of James Lincoln FRENCH and Susan Louise HANSCOM.

Helen Bernice FOSTER died 6 May 2003 in Madison, Maine, USA.

photo/ portrait (above) from ancestry.com

Details of the family tree of Helen appear below.

Everyday Chronicles: Life of the Average American Woman in the Mid-1900s

Family and Children of Helen Bernice FOSTER

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Helen Bernice FOSTER married

Wallace David FRENCH-- Date: 2 July 1946 Place: Poland, Maine, USA
Wallace David FRENCH was the child of James Lincoln FRENCH and Susan Louise HANSCOM

marriage announcement
Lewiston Evening Journal, Lewiston, Maine
July 6, 1946

Name of Groom: Wallace D. FRENCH
Groom's Place of Residence: Poland, Me.
Name of Bride: Hellen B. FOSTER
Bride's Place of Residence: Mechanic Falls, Me.
Marriage Date: Tuesday, 2 July 1946
Marriage Certificate Number: Not available

Source citation: "Maine Marriages, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, Maine Genealogy (www.mainegenealogy.net : accessed 3 Jun 2012), entry for Wallace D. FRENCH and Hellen B. FOSTER, Tuesday, 2 July 1946, citing Maine Vital Records.

Children of Wallace David FRENCH and Helen Bernice FOSTER:

Wesley Wallace FRENCH (b.27 March 1950, Lewiston, Maine, USA d. 9 May 2013, , Maine, USA)

Gary Allen FRENCH (b.3 July 1954, Lewiston, Maine, USA d. 27 April 2015, Canaan, Maine, USA)

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Discovering the Ancestry of Helen Bernice FOSTER: Events, Photos & Historical Records

1928 Birth
8 October 1928
Poland, Maine, USA

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1946 Marriage / Partner
Helen Bernice FOSTER and Wallace David FRENCH 2 July 1946, Poland, Maine, USA (Poland Spring) (East Poland) (Hackett Mills)

She was 17 years old.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 Birth of Child
Wesley Wallace FRENCH was born 27 March 1950, Lewiston, Maine, USA

Helen Bernice was 21 years old.

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1954 Birth of Child
Gary Allen FRENCH was born 3 July 1954, Lewiston, Maine, USA

Helen Bernice was 25 years old.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.

1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1975 Death of Spouse/Partner
Wallace David FRENCH died 18 June 1975, Chelsea, Maine, USA (Togus)

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

1993 - William J. Clinton becomes President of the United States

2001 - George W. Bush becomes President of the United States

2001 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, leading to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the War on Terror.

Obituary
MADISON - Helen B. 'Gram' French, 74, formerly of Poland died Tuesday, May 6, at Maple Crest Nursing Home.

She was born October 8, 1928, a daughter of Vinton and Florence Swallow Foster. She lived in Poland most of her life. She graduated from Mechanic Falls High School in the class of 1946. She married Wallace French on July 2, 1946.

She was a stay at home mother while raising her two sons. She enjoyed making her children clothes, knitting and crocheting. She also did this for others to make extra money for her family. She was so good at this that she had a crochet dress on display at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.

After her children were grown she worked many years at Bonan Footwear and then at General Electric Co. in Auburn where she retired from. She loved and enjoyed her grandchildren very much. She also enjoyed gardening, camping, and canoeing the Saco River and having a good time with friends and family. When there was a good time to be had she was the first...Read MORE...