VAN BUREN – Rachel (Desjardins) St. Jean, 94, wife of the late Raoul St. Jean, passed away peacefully Oct. 26, 2012, with her son by her side at a Van Buren health care facility. She was born March 13, 1918, in Van Buren, the daughter of Marcel and Georgiana (Desjardins) Desjardins.
She was a loving mother and raised eight children, and worked at the Van Buren school lunch program for many years before retiring. Everyone who knew her loved her and she will be greatly missed.
She is survived by two daughters, Geneva Lagasse and her husband, Guy, of Manchester, N.H., and Winona Cavanaugh and her husband, Raymond, of Marlboro, Conn.; four sons, Delmont St. Jean, his mother’s longtime caregiver, of Van Buren, Eugene St. Jean of Colchester, Conn., Roger St. Jean and his wife, Mary, of East Hartford, Conn., and Clayton St. Jean and his wife, Kelly, of Manchester, Conn.; nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by two daughters, Marjorie Daigle and Pauline St. Amand; and eight brothers and three sisters.
Relatives and friends may call 6-8 p.m. Monday at Ouellette-Thibault Funeral Home, 118 High St., Van Buren, and 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Bruno-St. Remi Catholic Church. Committal service and interment will be afterward at the parish cemetery. To leave online condolences, please visit www.ouellettefuneralhome.com.
Rachel St. Jean
