- Date Of Birth: October 15, 1923
- Date Of Death: November 10, 2015
- State: Maine
Marie Therese Fauk
October 15, 1923
November 10, 2015
MARIE THERESE FAUK
MARIE (MARY) THERESE FAUK, 92
Portland, Maine – Mary Fauk, 92, formerly of Houlton, and late of Portland entered into eternal life with her Savior on November 10, 2015. Marie, also known as Mary, was born in Petite Bethany, France on October 15, 1923, the only daughter of Marcel and Jeanne Beaulieu.
As a young woman Mary worked in both a cheese factory and a champaigne factory in Reims, France. During World War II her home was bombed and destroyed by the British during a raid on German installations in the area. Her home had also been bombed in WW I, rebuilt and then rebombed. Now homeless, she lived, with her father in the cheese factory where they both worked. Jean, her younger brother and she were separated for almost four years during the war. Jean, being subject to tuberculosis, the disease that took their mother at 40 years of age, was moved to a sanitorium (for TB) in a safer region in southern France, while Mary remained in Reims.
There were several POW compounds in the area around Reims. Two of them were commanded by Robert (Bob) Fauk, a US Army 1st Lieutenant who would become her future husband. The compounds held both German and Polish prisoners, many of whom had been forced into the German Army. Most of them did not want to fight, but they had no choice… .and were happy to be captured by the Americans. Many of the prisoners were artisans, craftsmen, bakers and musicians. Rather than being continually confined in prisoner camps, and none willing to return to Germany till the war was over, were happy to work in French fields and factories, including the cheese factory where Mary worked. Bob would frequently stop by the factory to ensure the prisoners were behaving and not causing problems. Mary also noticed this same American officer in church on Sunday, standing quietly at the back of the church.
The cheese factory also served as a place for dances and other social activity, like Christmas and Easter Dinners. At one of these Easter dinners, Mary and Bob began to talk and enjoyed each others company… .though Mary spoke little English and Bob stumbled through French. He was a fluent German speaker, however. After a time of courting, they decided to be married.
On July 6, 1946, Marie T. Beaulieu and Bob Fauk were married at St Joan of Arc Church in Reims, France. The food was all prepared by the German prisoners, the music was provided by the German prisoners, and numerous wedding gifts were hand made by German prisoners of whom Bob took such good care and showed personal interest. The prisoners painted beautiful paintings on canvas and framed them, made jewelry of melted down rank insignia, a jewelry box and vase made with discarded ammunition casings, carved wooden bowls from wood and with tools provided by their captor, the POW compound commander, Lt Fauk. On the night of their honeymoon, staying in a hunting cabin in the woods near Reims, an unknown someone fired several shots at the cabin. Bob dug the bullets out of the walls and took them to the German prisoners who mounted three of them on a silver bracelet for Marie.
In the Spring 1947, alone, Marie began a three week ocean voyage from France to the New York City on a troop ship. Being pregnant with her son, she was sea sick the entire journey. After landing in New York City she boarded a train for a several day journey to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of her husband who remained in France.
