Romeo J. Champagne (1906-2000)
He was born “Romuald Champagne” in 1906 in Chelsea Maine, a tiny town outside of Augusta. He was the son of Canadian immigrants, Mathias and Marie Louise (Martineau) Champagne, both mill workers who immigrated to Maine, later removing to New Hampshire. His parents moved to Manchester by the time Romeo was 3 years old and in 1910 his family is shown in the census living with maternal grandparents, Joseph & Desange Martineau, who resided at 566 Montgomery Street. He was called ‘Romuald’ on his birth and marriage certificates, ‘Raymond’ [once] on the census, and finally was being called ‘Romeo’ by the time he owned his first grocery store. Continue reading
