On April 2, 1954 the St. Paul Dispatch published an article about the family titled “Parents Overcome Deafness.”29
In 1962 the St. Paul Dispatch published a second article about the family.30
Charles was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and throughout their lives both Charles and Florence were quite active in a number of deaf community organizations including: the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, International Catholic Deaf Association, Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens and the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall (the first social club in the nation designed exclusively for the deaf).
The oldest of these organizations, the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) was established in 1901 to provide insurance coverage to deaf people, a service that regular insurance companies refused to provide. At the time, insurance companies and fraternal benefit societies often denied deaf people the ability to buy insurance coverage, under the impression that deaf individuals were more likely to be involved in accidents and had shorter life spans than the general population. As a result, deaf men were either overcharged or denied coverage. I found it interesting, but not surprising, that women were not allowed to join NFSD until 1937 and that race restrictions weren’t lifted until 1955.
Florence and Charles lived and raised their children in their home on Bald Eagle Avenue, just a block or so from the family business, White Bear Oil Company, where Charles kept the books for the company until his retirement on October 1, 1976. As you can see in the memo, he continued to work part-time at the company. That continued until sometime in 1988.
Since he signed the document, Charles must have been the secretary at the time, but the handwriting is that of Charles’ brother, my father, Jack Vadnais.
Dick is 65 years old, Gordy is 55 years old, George is 74 years old, Charles is 73 years old and Jack is 59 years old.
Charles and Florence celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 18, 1986. Their children held a party for them at Bobbie’s in the Park, a restaurant venue in the old post office in White Bear Lake.
Left to right: Tim, Steve, Mike, Charles, Florence, Julaine and Patty
Charles passed away from pneumonia at the White Bear Care Center in White Bear Lake on Sunday, June 11, 1989.33 He was 78 years, 8 months and 1 day old.
A mass of Christian burial was held on Tuesday, June 13, 1989 at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in White Bear Lake, followed by burial in the church cemetery.
Florence lived almost 3 more years after Charles, passing away on Saturday, May 23, 1992.35 She was 80 years, 8 months and 27 days old.
A mass of Christian burial was held on Tuesday, May 26, 1992 at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in White Bear Lake, followed by her being laid to rest next to Charles in the church cemetery.
The hands in the upper corners of the stone are signing “I love you.”
Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia
© 2024 Copyright by Cynthia Vadnais, All Rights Reserved
Footnotes for Charles Adlore Vadnais and Florence Cecelia Doran post
Loved those two sweethearts. xoxox
My husband Steve was very fond of Uncle Charles. He will tell you that he always greeted him with a firm hand shake, smile and conversation. That really left an impression of caring. It really is something that I never thought of him or Aunt Florence as different. They were just an Aunt and Uncle I admired. Spent many evening playing at the house. Annie Annie over and hide and seek. Fun with many cousins.