Marthe Paquin was born on February 5, 1923 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, in the United States, and died on July 31, 2006 in Saint-Herménégilde. Born with a bone disease that stopped her from walking during her youth, she promised to dedicate her life to others if she managed to walk one day. As her dream came true, she was haunted by the constant worry ot the others' well-being.
Married with Félicien Crête in 1945, she went through several moves during her existence. The Paquin-Crête couple settled in Saint-Herménégilde in 1952, Madam Crête gave birth to ten children in sometimes delicate conditions.
She got involved in a cause that she really cared about, children. Between 1970 and 1993, Madam Crête welcomed home over a hundred children from the social services. Militant and devoted, nothing stopped her to attempt the impossible for those she loved.
Just like many people back then, she remained a religious woman with a resolute faith in God. Despite the death of her two young sons, Mrs Crête kept saying: "Eveything's fine". She was easily recognized in town because she always wore an apron: a napkin in one hand to clean herself, and in the other a rosary to pray and, of course, treats for children. When you went by her house, you often heard her say: "Come, the water is hot!" It shows that coffee and soup were always ready to welcome us.
Thus, even if Mrs Crête didn't correspond to the generally recognized criteria to define a celebrity, nothing changes the fact that people from Saint-Herménégilde admire her and think that she is a pioneer in their municipality.
Source: Mylène Urbain for the TCCC, 2010