Helene’s Obituary Somersworth – Helene Houde, 90, of Somersworth, passed away on May 3, 2019 after a short period of failing health, with family by her side. She was born to Adolphe and Lea (Couture) Bisson, the only daughter of ten children, on January 31, 1929 in Somersworth, NH. She grew up in Somersworth and attended Academie St. Martin.
She married Arnold Houde in 1951, and they remained lifelong residents of Somersworth. Helene is survived by seven of her children; Irene Derosier and husband James of Center Barnstead, NH; Diane Houde Duffy and husband Daniel of The Villages, FL; Donald Houde and wife, Anna of Somersworth, NH; Paul Houde and wife Marcia of Eliot, ME; Roger Houde and wife Dawn of Rochester, NH; Philip Houde and wife Donna of Somersworth, NH; Norma Giovinelli and husband David of Manchester, NH. Additionally, she is survived by two brothers; Fr.
Roger Bisson of St. Petersburg, FL and David Bisson and wife Anita of The Villages, Fl. ; also fourteen grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. Helene was predeceased by her loving husband, Arnold, in 2009; her daughter Helene Rendell in 2008; as well as seven of her brothers; Joseph, Jules, Raymond, Leo, Maurice, Adelard and Paul Bisson.
For most of her early marriage Helene was a homemaker raising eight children. Along with being a dedicated and selfless wife and mother, she worked part-time, then full-time, all while managing all aspects of the household. With all of this, she still found time for crossword puzzles, sewing and gardening.
When she was young, Helene was employed by local shoe shops where she was a “fancy stitcher”; after her youngest children were off to school she worked at Ray’s Bakery where she learned to decorate wedding cakes and make the best whoopie pies ever. She worked for a time in the office at General Linen but eventually found her way to General Electric, where she was the administrative assistant for the engineering department of the Meter Division in Somersworth. Helene celebrated her French-Canadian heritage, spoke fluently in French and English and, along with Arnold, belonged to the Richelieu Club, a service club comprised of Franco Americans.
She was a lifelong communicant of St. Martin Church. She was an outstanding cook and a beloved hostess. It was typical of her to cook for and serve 25-30 guests for any occasion.
It became something of a family tradition, that on Sundays she would make her famous “Mémère’s Soup” and feed whoever stopped in – sometimes a few, sometimes many, but no one ever went hungry. When friends and family came to town, she would welcome them and unassumingly and graciously provide for all of their needs. A special visitor arrived in 1993, when she and Arnold hosted a close friend of her brother, Fr.
Roger Bisson – Cardinal Bernadin Gantin who was serving Pope John Paul II as Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in Rome. He was returning, with the Pope, from the World Youth Day celebration in Denver, Colorado. He left the entourage in Boston and stayed several days incognito at their home, enjoying a respite from his busy days at the side of the Pope.
They remained friends, and years later Cardinal Gantin would return their generosity by inviting them, along with Fr. Roger, to visit Rome. There they were honored to attend a private mass said by Pope John Paul II in his small personal chapel inside of Vatican City.
Helene loved to travel, whether it was locally, Florida, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Canada or Europe. She once took a trip, with her brother Fr. Roger, to visit the site of the reported apparition of Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Medjugorje in (then) Yugoslavia.
For many years, on Labor Day weekend she would, along with her Canadian cousins, help to organize a Houde Family gathering in St-Fortunat, Québec. Often, they would travel to Canada in the spring for the Maple Syrup Harvest celebrated at a cousin’s function hall “l’Érablière chez Lahaie” in Grand-Mère, Québec. Songs were sung, stories were told and old family memories relived.
Helene was a much loved and admired matriarch, in the truest sense of the word. If there was a question about a detail of family history, Helene was the one to ask. She never forgot a birthday or anniversary, often being the one to throw the party and even bake the cake.
Her extended family and friends numbered in the hundreds – she knew and loved them all, and they loved her. She will be deeply missed and remembered always. Services: Calling hours will be held at the Bernier Funeral Home at 49 South St., Somersworth, NH on Monday, May 13 from 5 – 8 pm.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 14 at 11:00 am at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish, St. Martin Church, 120 Maple Street, Somersworth, NH, followed by burial at nearby Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Helene’s name to the “St. Ignatius of Loyola Memorial Fund” at 404 High St, Somersworth, NH 03878 or a charity of your choice.
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