Mignonne Bouvier

AUBURN — Mignonne “Midge” Bouvier, 89, of Auburn died peacefully Wednesday, July 4, at Clover Health Care Facility. She was born in Lewiston on June 27, 1929, the daughter of Romeo and Blanche (Gervais) Bouvier. Midge, as she was known to everyone, grew up in Lewiston, attended Ecole St. Pierre and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1947.

After being employed in various local businesses, she applied and was accepted for employment in the United States federal system and appointed to a civilian secretarial position with the U.S. Army in Heidelberg, Germany, thereby starting a lifelong career. She enjoyed the several years in Germany, not only for the employment but also the opportunity to travel to several European countries and her favorite, the city of Paris, where she was eventually employed with the U.S. Department of State. She returned to Lewiston and was fortunate to become associated with then Lewiston attorney Frank M. Coffin as his personal secretary. That association was to continue for many years, which included secretarial duties for attorney Coffin when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Maine 2nd District in 1956 and 1958, and his unsuccessful bid for governor of Maine in 1960. Midge returned to Paris when attorney Coffin was appointed by then President Johnson to head the Agency for International Development in Paris from 1964 to 1965. Midge again returned to Maine, this time to Portland when attorney Coffin was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First District and eventually as chief judge of that court. Midge retired from the U.S. government in the late 1950s, and upon leaving, the 73 attorney clerks who had served Judge Coffin each for two years presented Midge with a bound volume of individual letters of thankful comments, a real tribute for her service.

Upon her retirement, Midge embarked on another career as a volunteer in several areas, including Portland City Library, opening and managing a thrift store for the Portland Catholic Parishes, Sacred Heart Church and Mercy Hospital. Her most enduring volunteer endeavor in those years, however, was to travel to the world famous Shrine of Lourdes in southern France, and serving as a translator for the many groups of ailing patients arriving at the Shrine. She did this for the entire month of May for 12 consecutive years. And if that were not enough, also in her retirement years she attended the University of Southern Maine and earned her bachelor of arts degree. Midge did indeed enjoy a most interesting life, she eventually returned to Lewiston and lived at Montello Heights Assisted Living Facility.

Midge was predeceased by her parents and her younger brother Vincent Bouvier.

She is survived by her brother Roger Bouvier; sister-in-law, Karin Bouvier; niece, Nicole of New York City; nephew, Jeffrey Bouvier; and grandnephews Alexander and Andrew, all of Exeter, N.H.; several other nieces and nephews; and a lifelong friend, Fernande Leblond, of Portland.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.