Mignonne V. Paquin

Mignonne (St. Onge) Paquin, 86, of 1370 Front St., died December. 26, 2004 at Laurel Place Assisted Living in Hudson. She was born in Quincy, MA on September 17, 1918, the daughter of Joseph and Ida (Villeneuve) St. Onge and had been a Manchester resident for over 50 years. Mrs. Paquin attended Presentation of Mary Academy in Hudson, NH and Holy Angels High School in Manchester. At 16, she joined her parents’ vaudeville act and performed until 1944 when she married and her parents retired. The ariel gymnastic act, developed by Ida and Joseph St. Onge, originally debuted at the Palace Theatre in 1919. She and her husband raised their family in Cornwall, NY. She worked at the US Military Academy hospital at West Point and supported the Museum of the Hudson Highlands in Cornwall. Widowed in 1973, she moved back to Manchester and worked at the city’s Veterans Administration Hospital until 1981. During retirement, Mrs. Paquin traveled and volunteered at Pearl Manor Assisted Living, Catholic Medical Center and Prime Time. She is survived by two sons, Ernest Paquin of Gansevort, NY and Paul Paquin of Cornwall, NY, two daughters, Suzanne Paquin of Nashua, NH and Jacqueline Granier of Lynden, Washington, four grandchildren, one great grandchild, nieces, nephews and cousins. She was the widow of Ernest W. Paquin who died in 1973. IN HER LIFE: Mrs. Paquin visited 32 countries on five continents, maintained a lifelong correspondence with over 150 friends and family, wrote a memoir of her childhood on Manchester’s West Side, and made daily diary entries for 70 years. In 1996, she gave a standing-room only presentation at the Manchester Historic Association about her career in vaudeville. Subsequently, she also made the presentation to numerous nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the area. A memorial gathering will take place at Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 250 Coolidge Avenue on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM. A Memorial Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday morning at 11:00 in St. Patrick Church. Urn burial will take place in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the VNA Home Health and Hospice, 1850 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101. To view an online obituary, get directions or send condolences go to www.phaneuf.net.