A long life...

Mme Argaillot

My name is Alice Argaillot. I was born in 1920 in the little town of Roche-la-Molière, near Saint-Etienne. I grew up in a universe of coal and dust, because of the several coal mines in the surrounding area. When I was at school (which was run by nuns), pupils played with the dust in the schoolyard.

I left school when I was twelve to work as an apprentice in the mine. I stayed there for six years.

At the age of eighteen, I started to work as a room maid at the Château de Lavoir, which was owned by a rich family. It was in 1938, and as my family was poor, we didn’t have the radio at home. So, during the four years I spent in the mansion, I listened carefully to the owners, in the hope of obtaining more information about the war that had just began, far away from here.

As my father had already been enlisted during the First World War, he didn’t take part in the defeat of the French army in 1940.

During the occupation of Saint-Etienne by the Nazis in 1942, an important part of our food stock was requisitioned, and poor families were forced to buy food in Haute-Loire, on the black market, taking the risk of being arrested. Fear was felt throughout the country. When a SS patrol passed by in the street, everyone closed their shutters. Today, I still remember the sound of the German boots!

I got married in 1941, and my first child, a boy, was born in 1942, the second, a girl, in 1946.

In the years that followed the war, there were some food shortages, but thanks to my parents who had gone to live in the countryside, we could eat farm produce like eggs.

In the 50’s, the mining company grew, and a lot of inhabitants of Roche-la-Molière were working in the mine, my husband and I too, while the children went to school.

In 1956, television arrived in our house, after much pleading from the children. At this time, every child wanted a television at home! I haven’t travelled a lot (I saw the sea for the first time when I was 75!) so this technology was an opening onto the world for me! I could finally know about world news like the first step on the Moon in 1969 (which the entire village spoke about for at least a week!).

In 1965 and 1967, our children left the house. My grandson Christophe was born in 1966.

The following years were quite calm until the death of my husband in 1984, due to a heart attack. This upset me deeply, and I went into depression for several months; I was alone now. 

I had to go to a retirement home in 1990. Fortunately, I celebrated the birth of my great-grandson in 1999.

This year, I’ll celebrate my 96th birthday, and I hope now to reach one hundred, to spend a few more years with my family.

Article by Clément ARGAILLOT