I've
written in Somersworld before about how Somersworth had many
adult mentors whose contributions were equal in importance to
the school system. Without knowing it, these were unpaid staff
who inspired Somersworth young people in the 50's and 60's by
example.
One such inspiring mentor was Roland Hebert who passed away
at the age of 81 on June 30th in Spring Hill Florida. If I could
have expressed in words what I thought as a teenager when I
saw him going about his business, it would have been, WOW, that
man has a handicap but he doesn't know it. He knew it of course
better than anyone but never let it get in his way.
Said John Meserve who worked at Hebert's Market as soon as he
was old enough to work, "Roland Hebert certainly was an
incredible human being. I worked for him and/or the store for
10 years or more and marveled at his refusal to let his handicap
stop him from living a full and productive life. He worked at
a pace that would have taxed most able bodied men."
As a Senior in High School I remember his campaign pledge to
serve as Mayor at no charge. He returned his $5,200 salary to
city coffers. That was decent money in those days. I did not
earn a hundred bucks a week until two years after High School.
I remember thinking it made a wonderful statement about the
man. He built a supermarket out of a very small store in a community
he was proud of and benevolently gave back by serving as Mayor
for free.
I tried contacting his siblings for first hand accounts of their
energetic brother who grew a business where most of them worked
their entire working lives. I found none of his siblings listed
in phone books in the communities where the obituary said they
lived. Equally credible however, were the clear memories of
John Meserve and my Uncle George LaFrance.
My late Mother, close in age to Roland Hebert, was a St. Martin's
classmate of his. It seems she once told me his Father (Louis)
started the store to give his allegedly handicapped son something
to do. He certainly knew what to do and how to do it. He grew
Hebert's Market into one of Somersworth's big three. My Uncle
George recalls the original store: "It was really limited
to candy and cigarettes with a very small inventory; his clientele
was limited to friends and neighbors. He kept expanding until
he ended up with the Super-Market. Quite a success!" He
also said Hebert was considered a superb athlete. "Baseball
was his game," said my Uncle George. "His position
was behind the plate and many thought that if he grew to be
big enough for the majors he would certainly make it there."
I was ten when we moved to the Plains section (Hebert's part
of town) of Somersworth in 1957. I recall Mr. Hebert sitting
in his open ground floor office at the front of the store with
an open bottle of Jic Jac soda. "What's your name?"
he asked. I remember being impressed with how genuine his inquiry
sounded. I recall the gray two door Cadillac with Legislative
plates. Seems to me it was #5 but I could be mistaken. His inauguration
as Mayor took place at a school assembly. Though I was a Senior
(1966) it was the first time I'd attended such an event. There
was much to be learned about perseverance by watching Mr. Hebert
"press on" while on those crutches.
John Meserve experienced a true student/mentor
relationship with Roland Hebert. Meserve stocked shelves and
bagged groceries at Hebert's and also worked on Mr. Hebert's
City Council and Mayoral campaigns. "I learned a lot about
human nature, the retail grocery business and Somersworth politics
during the many hours I spent with him," Meserve wrote.
"Those lessons certainly helped shape my life in many ways."
Meserve continued, "My first political activity was passing
out pamphlets when he (Hebert) ran for City Council in the early
60's. A decade and a half later I was privileged to sit beside
him when I served my first term on the council and he had come
back to that body after being away from government for several
years. I worked on his Mayoral campaigns in 1965 and 67 and
he returned the favor 20 years later by endorsing me when I
ran for Mayor (and was elected) in 1985."
In one of the National Enquirer's attempts at non-fiction, it
once featured a story about Roland Hebert. It was a story about
how the City had rallied behind a favorite son and elected him
Mayor. The article featured a photo of Hebert and store employee
John Meserve. I asked John if he still had the article and picture.
"I don't have that photo, or even a copy of the article,
unfortunately. I will see if I have any other old photos of
him in my scrapbooks."
My Uncle George recalls how news of the swimming accident that
caused his paralysis spread through the community. "He
was diving in the Salmon Falls river, either at the bridge at
the end of Market Street or the so-called Eddy Bridge on the
back road from Berwick to Rochester. People didn't believe it
since he was known to be a very good swimmer. He apparently
dove into the river head first. His head hit bottom. He was
twelve or thirteen when it happened. It was a miracle that he
survived."
In a world where many believe all things happen for a reason,
a Universe where life would not exist (Time Magazine 12/28/92)
physicists have concluded, if the force of gravity varied by
a few microns and if initial conditions at the time of the big
bang had been jiggled a bit, matter and energy would not have
coagulated into galaxies, stars, planets or other platforms
stable enough for life. One can't help but wonder if Mr. Hebert
was destined to have survived his swimming accident so that
he could inspire many in the community blessed by his time here.
If you are reading this, then you are obviously interested
in learning about the yesteryear of this great city.
Just like you, I love hearing and sharing information about
events, occurrences and people who made Somersworth what it
is today.
But, I can't do that without your help. Many of you have memories,
experiences and anecdotes to share. Please don't be shy! We
need ideas for segments.
Remember: the dumbest
ideas are the ones we keep locked in our minds and don't share
with anyone (words of wisdom told to me by my Dad in 1970).
So, open up - put those ideas into words and e-mail them to
Somersworth Past. This is your past and we need your help to
make the column shine.
Some hints -
No formal composition is
necessary, just jot down your thoughts and send them along.
The past belongs to all
of us - the more senior you are, the more you have to contribute.
Photos are always welcome
(send us that picture of your '57 Chevy and tell us how it
felt to cruise the streets in it).
Tell us about a favorite
person who changed your life in some way (similar to how Barber
Harvey Nadeau affected Dick Gosselin's life).
We want to hear about it. Let's all share the
fun of keeping Somersworth's Past alive!!
Civics Corner: Scott Gessis | Community
Calendar: Patricia Roberge LeHoullier Free Press Chronicles: John Ballentine | Guess Who:
Keith Dinger | The Military Briefing: Richard & Tammy
Heon News & Reporting: Lisa Eastman | Photos: John
Huff | Seniors Page: Jack LaBonte
Somersworth Past: Betty Gagne | Sports: Bud Jones
Opinions expressed
are those of the editor or contributors only. While every
effort is made to ensure that the information provided to
us is accurate, we cannot be responsible for any typographical
errors or those factual errors which might occur in information
contributed by others. We reserve the right to refuse publication
of any contributed information and to edit such material
to correct typographical or grammatical errors or for the
purpose of meeting size restrictions. Rights to contributed
work or images remain those of the owners.
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