Living life to the full…

Mme Berthaud

I was born in Chatellerault, Vienne département, in 1929. My first eight years were peaceful. I had loving parents. We moved to Poitiers then to Niort. I was eight when one of the happiest events of my life occurred: my younger brother Gérard was born.

In middle school, I was a good pupil, friendly, but also a bit of a chatterbox! Niort was occupied in 1940. Each inhabitant of the city had to put up a German soldier, including us. I have good memories of this soldier; he was very polite and rather distinguished. It was during the Occupation that I had one of the biggest frights of my childhood. During bombing raids, my family used to take refuge in my grandparents’ house, further out from the city. One day, as my father had broken his leg, I had to return quickly home with my bike to get the medical kit. The siren was terrifying. This dedication to my family was a fundamental aspect of my upbringing.

I got my baccalaureate with distinction and then got a degree in Classics in Poitiers in 1951. I continued my studies in Paris. I remember enjoying reading Molière in particular. I then became a boarding school teacher in Angoulême. When I was 25, I began to teach French, first in Versailles then in Grenoble.

I met my future husband Jean-Claude at Christmas, 1960. We got married six months later, on June the 24th 1961. We settled in Bordeaux, where Jean-Claude worked, and we had our first child. We later moved to Limoges where our two other children were born. We then settled in Niort for seven years. I taught in middle school, then in high school. We went back to Bordeaux in 1975.

In 1989, I retired and I started working for AREF, an association which some friends and I had just set up. We wanted to promote respect for human rights and the family. We led various campaigns, some with the elected representatives, until 2002. I then stopped campaigning for family reasons, but, in 2007, I began again! I have been very committed to causes all my life. I even stood as a candidate for Bordeaux in the General Elections.

Next June, we shall celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary. I have nine grandchildren and, who knows, I might be a great-grandmother soon!

My family and my faith have been central to my existence. My education and my convictions have modelled how I have led my life, and I continue to defend family values. I can say that I’ve made a success of my life. 

I was given responsibilities very early, during my studies and at the Girl Guides too. I was taught to love others, and to enjoy each activity I undertook. I naturally chose teaching as a career and managed to combine both my family and professional lives. Of course, all the events of my life happened the way they did because I had my husband by my side. We share the same values and convictions. I can say that I have really enjoyed my life to the full.

Article by Timothée BERTHAUD