Love and Marriage – Emile Roy and Angeline Hogue in 1937

Angeline Hogue and Emile Roy, c. 1937

The following excerpts are drawn from the 1994 book Nootsie, The Life of Ernest Emile Roy (1914-1992) written by J. Paul-Emile Roy, CA. As mentioned in a previous blog posting, Emile Roy and Angeline Hogue shared many precious moments. She noted that, “It didn't take much to please a person in those times.” They would hold hands and Emile would whisper “sweet nothings” in her ear. Even though his feet were planted firmly in the present, he would talk about his plans, hopes and dreams.

Emile married Angeline on August 18, 1937. When asked whether Emile carried her over the threshold, Angeline responded, “Yes, I think so. I weighed less then, only about 105 or 110 pounds.” After the honeymoon, they settled down with a 100 pound bag of flour, a 100 pound bag of sugar and an extra large box of cookies. They had about $5.00 left between them to start married life, but they owed no bills.

How were Emile and Angeline going to manage on their own? In Emile's words, “I’ve got a piece of land, my bucksaw and my two hands. With that, I’ll make a living.” Thinking back, Angeline recalled that the land was rich, black soil which was ideal for growing a nice garden. The beets were just beautiful and the potatoes very large and tasty. Many things from the garden could be stored in a cold cellar to provide a continued source of food over the winter. Some vegetables were canned as preserves. Little was wasted for the motto “Waste not, want not” was a necessity in times of depression.

According to Angeline, “We survived. Somehow, we survived.” When they were first married, Angeline used to go into the woods to keep Emile company. He was clearing land and she would help as best she could. On one occasion, they talked about the love letters he had sent her before they were married. He remarked, “I hope you are not going to keep them. I wouldn’t want others to read them and see how sentimental I was.”

As a symbol of her never-ending love, Angeline shared a precious memento she had received all those years ago, when they were engaged to be married. It was her first Valentine’s Day card from Emile in 1935. Reproduced above, the greeting from Emile (who was learning English and quickly becoming bilingual) says “Loads of Loves, Luck and Kisses, Your Fiancé who Love You so much, Emile.”