Myrian Currie Bergeron

Beloved mother and friend Myrian Currie Bergeron passed away on Friday, April 19, 2019 at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. There are facts about Myrian's life, and then there are the qualities that made her one of the most special people anyone ever met.

The facts of Myrian's amazing life began November 3, 1943 in Munich, Germany. Her mother, Alma Pass, an Estonian, had been conscripted by the Nazis when she was 21 or 22 years old. They took Alma from her family and home in Estonia to Munich to work in a factory.

In January, 1944, when Myrian was just two months old, she was separated from her mother and placed in an orphanage. She lived in several orphanages for the remainder of the Second World War and beyond. It wasn't until she was four years old that she was reunited with her mother and adopted by her American soldier father, Gordon Currie. Spending her early childhood in Texas, Myrian loved tennis and swimming, but most of all, she loved learning. She became a Naturalized American citizen studying and taking the test together with her mother.

In November, 1965, Myrian married Gerald Bergeron, and together they had two daughters, Tracy and Wendy. The marriage ended in divorce in 1983, after which Myrian started adopting children from abusive situations, ultimately adopting seven, plus raising a foster child. While working and raising her large family, Myrian returned to college to work toward earning a degree in Social Work.

Myrian's adult life was devoted to children, her own large family, and those who grew up in her home in her child care business. Her extended family included the mothers, fathers and children that she cared for, nurtured and counseled. Myrian worked closely with Dr. Selma Deich to improve both health care and child care for low income children. Devoted to the importance of education, Myrian's crusade was for all children to grow up in safe homes, to appreciate reading and education, and to become the best that they could be.

An indefatigable fighter for children, whether her own, or those of families whose children she cared for, Myrian negotiated government and non-profit bureaucracies fighting for "her" kids. Because of her strength, kindness, and non-confrontational yet powerfully strong focus on doing what is best for the individual child, she became friends and co-advocates with many social workers, therapists and DCYF staff.

Myrian's contacts and knowledge about advocacy for abused and neglected children led her to the co-founding of CASA-NH in 1987, where she served as the first Volunteer Coordinator and Trainer providing a voice for the voiceless. Guiding CASA volunteers in their efforts to achieve successful resolutions for the children they represented in court and advocating for them through the maze of DCYF, their families and the courts, Myrian was instrumental in the success of CASA volunteers.

Throughout her life, Myrian's relationship with her mother was clouded by her mother's sadness, and her unwillingness to talk about her life in Germany. Myrian asked always unanswered questions: Why did she spend years in orphanages? Where was her mother during that time? Who was her biological father? What happened to her mother to create such sadness and unwillingness to discuss the war years?

Fourteen months ago, while looking for information about the war, Myrian found a photograph of herself on the Kloster Indersdorf displaced persons website taken when she was 22 months old (the photo is also on the Holocaust Museum website). Seeing her photo ignited Myrian's search for answers. With more than serendipity guiding her Internet searches, every fact she found and followed led her to communications with an amazing array of historians, researchers and documentarians who became her guides, and because of who Myrian was, became her friends. Primary among this group was Anna Andlauer (author of "The Rage to Live").

In the last week of her life, Myrian visited Germany, fulfilling her life-long quest to learn about her early childhood during the Holocaust. She learned that her placement in an orphanage was after her mother's arrest and imprisonment by the Gestapo. Visiting historical archives, Myrian was able to view her mother's arrest and trial documents. She learned that her mother's crime had been to falsify a food coupon to buy a winter coat when she was pregnant and cold. During her imprisonment, the Gestapo sought information on the people who created fake coupons for people to buy food. It took several months of torture before Alma ultimately gave in. For her crime, she was sentenced to prison, with a release date in 1946. In 1945, American soldiers liberated Alma from prison, but it wasn't until 1947 that Alma and her American husband found and reunited with Myrian.

During her recent visit to Germany, Myrian was invited to speak to several groups devoted to keeping the history of the Holocaust alive, especially the untold and forgotten story of forced laborers like Alma. Accompanied by a documentarian, Myrian's story will be among those told in articles about the Holocaust, and how their parents' experiences impacted their adult lives. There is no doubt that these early experiences helped shape the amazing woman Myrian would become.

Myrian's generous, loving spirit created friendships wherever she went. She was not only a great listener, she was wise in her counsel and kind in her efforts to bring out the best in everyone. Devoted to friends and family throughout her life, she was part of the heart and soul of Gail Fisher's All Dogs Gym for over 25 years. Her open office, open home and open heart welcomed all and helped heal the spirit of the countless people who loved her.

So much a part of who Myrian was, her family includes her children Tracy Bergeron, Wendy Bergeron, Marybeth Tessier, Katharine Currie, Alex Currie and his wife Jennifer, Wil Currie and his wife Becky, Jessica (Currie) Miller, Sam Currie and her partner Matt Dupuis, Nathan Currie, and several amazing grandchildren. Myrian was predeceased by her daughter Kristen Sarah Currie, her mother Alma (Pass) Currie and her father Gordon Currie.

Myrian passed away with family and close friends by her side, and her beloved dog Dash licking her face. Myrian's legacy of love, kindness and acceptance lives on through all the people who knew and loved her. As Anna Andlauer wrote in the inscription of her book she gave to Wendy in Germany, "Your mother taught us all to be human." That was Myrian Currie Bergeron.

The family would like to acknowledge the amazing care provided by the Elliot Hospital ICU staff, and the lifesavers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Manchester.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Angiosarcoma Awareness (cureasc.org), to Reach Out and Read (reachoutandread.org) or to a children's-related charity of your choice.

A celebration of Myrian and her daughter Kristen will be held June 29th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at All Dogs Gym in Manchester, open to all friends and family.