Mademoiselle Madeleine Moncelet
At certain ages or points in life, circumstances or events steer people in ways that leave open questions and longings forever.
While still in France after the war, Lewis Selmeier gave up one of the most important opportunities of his life in order to stay with Madeleine in Le Mans. I have a letter from his mother who was not in favor of their marrying.
Decades after the war he went to France and tried to find her, with his perturbed wife in tow, but was unsuccessful.
The return address on her letters when he returned stateside was:
Melle MONCELET, Madeleine
3 rue du Crucifix
Le Mans (Sarthe)
France
Click to enlarge
On the back of the photo on the left is handwritten, "Here they are - Madeleine & Mme Moncelet & my shadow in the foreground." Apparently it was mailed either to his brother or parents - so the families were introduced as much as war and distance allowed.
The back of the center photo says it is Madeleine in her doorway.
The back of the photo on the right identifies it as the two of them in a park in Le Mans.
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Once Mom asked me why people feel that normal morals and laws do not apply when they are in a foreign country. It's something that isn't as strong these days. The world is smaller. When it took weeks to reach another country and letters took weeks as well, there was a separation that doesn't exist in a world where cell phone calls can be made from the top of Mount Everest. But besides being separated from the motherland, they were at war.
One cold night when I was a child, Mom asked Dad to get a blanket. He returned with an army blanket that he threw over them. That was a coarser cover than she had anticipated. She asked, "Do you feel at home now?" He said, "Just speak French." She turned to where she could kick him hard and kept kicking him until she had kicked him out of the bed.
* * *
If you are wondering about how Mom would feel about my recording information about Dad's previous girlfriend, I got the information from her. Dad never spoke of it, but Mom used to tell that story and others at parties when our family as well as many other people were present. So in this, as in too many other things, I believe I am complying with her standard.
My interest is in the chance of being contacted by someone in France who has information or photos Madeleine Moncelet might have had from the period. How interesting it would be to have that input here.