With next Monday being Labor Day in the US, it seems a good time to think about how our ancestors earned a living. Share what you have found about an ancestor's occupation.
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| The storefronts of Newburyport, Massachusetts |
Alfred Francis Hamel was born on February 6th, 1896 in Suncook, New Hampshire to French-Canadian immigrants, Eugene Hamel and Celanise Lefebvre. Eugene immigrated to the United States in the 1870s and was a teacher according to the 1880 US census. What exactly he taught remains a mystery. I'm betting it was French for obvious reasons. Eventually, he and his family made their way to the mouth of the Merrimack River and settled all over the valley.
A veteran of both World Wars, Alfred set up a repair shop in downtown Newburyport some time after marrying Clara Laplante in June of 1916. It was there that he became known as "Mr. Fix-It". I think I might have alluded to him in an earlier blog. But, now is the time to really go into depth about what I know about him, why his job was pretty cool and how it unknowingly shaped the future.From what my mother has told me, the repair shop had all kinds of junk in there. Let's not mince words. There was a lot of junk. Useful, I'm sure! When she first told me about the shop, I was thinking he was repairing things like the first cars on the road or things like that. I was surprised to learn that he worked more on small appliances, radios, phonographs and he even made keys the old fashioned way.
What was interesting about his job was really how well respected he was around town. Look at his obituary. He was known as "Mr. Fix-It." That's pretty high praise coming from the people in the city isn't it? He was a disabled veteran who managed to rise above his disability and became highly respected in an age where people with disabilities were looked down upon and chastised. He made a name for himself through hard work and determination.
It really struck a chord with me because I have hearing aids and since I am deaf I've had to deal with various issues, too. He managed to do a lot of work and passed away relatively young by today's standards. Still, his legacy lives on.
I'm not really that great at fixing things like my dad and my grandfather. Though, I have built some cool things with Legos when I was a kid. I digress. My brother definitely is good at fixing things. He doesn't have a fix-it shop or anything. He just fixes computers for the University of Virginia. So, if you think about it the "Fix-it" shop moved from a tiny shop in Newburyport to working in a very high tech field in central Virginia. The world of fixing things has evolved considerably from my great-grandfather's day to 2019.
Alfred passed away in April of 1962 while my mother was still in high school. He was living in a house on Plum Island, which is not far from Newburyport and sadly was found by friends of his as he hadn't reported to work for several days. It's really a sad end to a life spent repairing things and making a name for himself.
Today, the fix-it shop is long gone. It was lost to development and urban renewal years ago. Still, it is good to know that his legacy lives on in his great-grandchildren who all fix things in one way or another. For example: A cousin of mine works on cars. Another cousin works on houses. My brother works on computers. The list goes on and we probably have him to thank for our skilled hands. And hey even my nephews are getting in on the act with a toy called "Snap circuits". That's pretty neat.
The only thing I really wish I had, though, was a picture of Alfred. Some day I hope to get one and you can bet I'll be sharing it here.
See you next time!
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