For many decades, Monique Emmanuel was a He was the recommended taxi driver by all travelers to Saint-Martin who happened to get in contact with him, and this has given him an unequalled reputation to be the right man for travelers to Saint-Martin, worldwide.
Monique relates his memory of his early years as taxi driver at Juliana Airport, with an extraordinary nostalgia as he compared with today's enormous change.
Monique did not officially integrate the Taxi trade on the island before 1969, because up to that date the only possibility to get a Taxi license was to apply to the Dutch Administration. But he was rendering transportation services upon demand, as early as 1961.
The airport was created in 1943, in a zone that was before reserved for cultivation of food crops, particularly by the people of Simpson Bay. The terminal consisted of just a little home style building, the landing run-way was unpaved.
The air traffic was very slow, and limited to propeller aircrafts deserving the leeward and windward islands.
Up to the early sixties traveling from or to St-Martin was essentially assured by boat, but from about 1964, Juliana Airport was developed into an international airport with a paved run-way, capable of accommodating intercontinental airlines. The air traffic started to multiply at a rapid space, flights to Guadeloupe, Martinique and within the Netherlands Antilleans: Sint-Maarten, Bonaire,Curacao, Aruba were multiplied and turn around flights through the English and American West indies, principally by the airline LIAT were scheduled all through the day.
With Juliana Airport, becoming an international airport open to large intercontinental flights , taxi trade had become a very coveted profession and the number of taxi drivers on the island was growing tremendously. It had become a necessity to organize the profession on the French Side of the island.
In 1969, Monique took the initiative to organize the profession on the French side by creating the first FrenchTaxi Driver's Union of which he remained the president up to the time of his retirement from the profession, this means from 1969 to 1997.
It's through his persuasion and voluntary work that the French State's Administration (Sous-Prefecture) started deliver taxi driver's license on the French side. Before 1969, French residents had to apply to Dutch St-Maarten Administration to obtain a Taxi license.
In the early seventies, on the French Saint-Martin, was also opened an airport, Grand Case “Esperance”. A new Taxi Station was created, but the objective was mainly to assure independently domestic flights between french West Indies islands, this explains it's slow growth and it's little attraction to Taxi Drivers. The Taxi's stations of interest were Juliana Airport and Philipsburg's pier.
As president, Monique struggled very hard so that Taxi Drivers be recognized their full rights according to the profession laws and regulations in the French legislation. In the late seventies he had to deal with a real threat, the State's administration plans to open up the profession to European settlers. He took an uncompromising stand, the taxi trade must remain in the hands of locals.
On the other hand, he had to compromise with the limitation of taxi drivers property rights to their license, so that the protection rights he was claiming on the top may not become possible at the bottom, by taxi drivers selling out their license to anybody and emigrating to Santo-Domingo as that was a popular attitude in those days.
Another outstanding struggle he had to confront was the State's Administration unilateral decision to induce a double standard within the Taxi Trade, consisting of dividing the profession into: On one hand Taxi operators and on the other hand Taxi Drivers. All Taxi Drivers were compelled to work as an employed for a Taxi operator. Monique interceded and see to it that that prefectoral decree be voided and replaced by a new decree respecting the trade autonomy.
From time to time, Monique will hint me on his hard struggle, often being misunderstood by his fellow-taxi-Drivers, and will say to me: “I'm between the devil and the deep blue sea, but I'm not given up”.
In 1995, Monique was honored by the Municipality decision to name the Taxi Drivers Stand on Marigot Water Front after Him. Here is his speech:
We are gathered here today to celebrate the Grand opening of our Taxi Stand in Marigot.
I congratulate Monsieur Le Maire Albert Fleming and his councillors, also many thanks to Madame Bernadette Davis, president of the tourist office and Mr. Romeo Fleming, Vice president.
I will pray to God that the Tourist Trade continues in unity between French and Dutch Taxi drivers with love and respect.
I would like to thank also the Taxi drivers who are here to celebrate with us.
Years ago, before I began to form a Taxi Syndicate, I had written to the Prefecture in Guadeloupe to form a Taxi Syndicate in St-Martin.
One month later, I was told that if I agree to stay responsible for the syndicate, they will do so.
I answered then, stating yes, I will be responsible for the Syndicate in St-Martin.
I formed the Syndicate in St-Martin on the 11th of September 1969.
This Syndicate was for Taxi, Bus and truck. I received a letter from the Prefecture asking me for the rates/Tariffs for each district on the island. I send them the information and then I received another letter on the 11th of September 1972, asking for information on the distance in kilometers from each district and charge per kilometer to make the total price.
This was done three years after the Taxi Syndicate was formed.
The prefecture secretary with his wife came to St-Martin to hold a meeting with me, relating to what they claim was a mistake in my kilometer/tariff calculation. I counted 10 Km from Marigot to Philipsburg and 7 km from Marigot to Grand Case.
I explained to him that it was not a mistake, the reason why, is that we prefer to go to Philipsburg or to Juliana five times before going twice to Grand-Case. Because going to Grand Case, we have to burn more gas, damage our brakes shoes and our life is in more danger.
Then he ask me what sort of machine I used to calculate the Kilometers I had advanced in my tariff list. I told him it is my car I had to use for everything.
He told me I was right and invited me to have a drink with his wife. I was appointed to take them from Juliana Airport to Marigot and back.
From 1969 to 1995, makes a total of 26 years that I served the Syndicate. The first Taxi Syndicate to be formed in St-Martin's
Let me wish all Taxi Drivers may they stay in unity and love,
Stand shoulder to shoulder
In God we trust
Emmanuel Monique
Monique resigned in 1997, in a very short speech:
Brothers and Sisters,
I have been president of the Syndicate for Taxis and Buses from 1669 to 1997.
Thanks to all the members for keeping me there as president
It's one year and five months since I'm suffering a health problem, praise God I'm much better.
I'm resigning from the Taxi service and is no more qualified to be your president. My colleague Mr. Arnell William Artsen, vice-president, will be taking over as president of the syndicate.
I will be there to help, cooperate and inspire him if he needs advice.
He is a man with a large family and a member of the Commission of suspension of license in Sous-Prefecture of Marigot.
Brothers and Sisters, nothing in the world is better than unity.
Believe in God, our Master. Amen
The president/ Emmanuel Monique
Monique was honored on March 23rd, 2000 by the French Tourist Office for his outstanding contribution in the tourist industry
Monique received on October 28th, 2000 from Mr. Jean Luc Hamlet and members of his Associatiom “Demain Saint-Martin” the prize of excellence in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of the island.
Monique received the Grand distinguished National Awards medal from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (C.T.O.) Comity at the C.T.O. 50th anniversary held at the Waldorf Astoria New York from the 27 to the 31 of May 2001. Monique was present at the ceremony to receive his award.
(The C.T.O. was etablished in 1989 but as the merger of the Caribbean Tourism Association created in 1951 and the Caribbean Tourism Research & Development Center founded in 1974.)
Monique was presented with a Tourism Lifetime Achievement Award by Tourism Commissioner Theo Heyliger on the 27th of September 2001 in commemoration of World Tourism Day held at the Great Bay Beach Hotel.
Monique received on December 18th, 2009, from Saint-Martin United Taxi Association (SMUTA) a certificate of acknowledgement for his good and faithful service as being the ambassador and architect of the Taxi Trade organization on the island of Saint-Martin
MONIQUE, HIS FAMILY AN SOCIAL LIFE:
Taxi trade might has been Monique last exercised trade before his retirement, but surely it represented only a little slice of his life time struggle. Monique declared:
Born on May 6th, 1917, in St-Martin. My mother was Emmanuel Marie Magdeleine, daughter of Anasine Baly and Roumou Hippolyte from Marigot Hill and my father Emmanuel Abraham.
My father died when I was five years of age. I was raised by my mother and my aunt Leontine Roumou.
From the age of 8 years, I already started to work like a man, precisely, as a field worker and milk boy on the Spring estate, owned by Mme Marie Leydet ( call Mme Ledee), last French European plantation owner in St-Martin. Every morning I had to deliver the milk to all of her customers in Marigot. My aunt Leontine also worked for her.
At the age of ten to twelve I was managing the Spring Estate for Mme Marie Leydet, responsible to oversee the rearing and milking of the cattle.
My souvenir of Mme Leydet, is that of a very solitary religious and mysterious woman, a fervent believer in the Roman Catholic Church , she observed all the ritual of the catholic faith. She had her own little Lady chapel on her estate where she make her daily prayers to the Holy Saints
I can remember her walking very early every thursday morning from her home in the Spring/Marigot to Grand Case to attend the Church mass.
After Mme Leydet died, her son came to St-Martin and sold the Estate to Mme Yvette Fleming. I decided to quit the Estate and the new owner asked me to recommend her a good man so I presented her Mr. Paul Mingo.
I then went to learn a trade, I started first training to be a carpenter, I found that too slow so I switch over to training to be a tailor.
At the age of fourteen I was already a self-employed tailor.
I can also remember in my young age going every monday morning to Cole Bay to work with Mr. BELL, we use to sail through the lagoon to get to his root crops and vegetable plantation at Simpson Bay, in the zone now transformed in Juliana Airport.
In 1937 I married Elisabth FITALY from Gourbeyre/Guadeloupe. After 62 years of marriage, she died on December 2nd, 1999 at the age of 82.
In 1939, I was recruited by the French army in view of the 1939-45 second world's war and send to Basse- Terre/Guadeloupe on a battleship, “Le Barfleur”.
Shortly after the official French Government under the German's occupation of France, Known as the Vichy Government, had abdicated and agreed to cooperate with the enemy, so I was not send to the battle field in France.
It was a death sentence crime to try to join General Charles De gaulle resistance army after his June 18th, 1940 call to the people to resist and join with him, from his exile place in London. Many French West Indians tried and succeeded with the help of the American Marines, but many had also lost their lives taking the risk.
After one year service I was discharged and returned to St-Martin.
After my return to Saint-Martin, unlike most Saint-Martiners of my status, whose highest ideal was to emigrate from St-Martin to Aruba, Curacao to profit of jobs opening in the oil refinery, or to the united States of America, I decided to make myself a man with a future in my own country.
I took photographer training and established myself as a self-employed tailor and photographer, and later around 1950, I get involved in the retail market selling a little of everything and two years later in addition I started to fabricate and sell construction and decorative blocks.
In 1959 I was elected deputy-mayor on Dr Petit Hubert list and was attributed the Sports and festivity portfolio jointly with Mr Simon Jeffry.
In 1961 Monique I obtained my driven license and started to render little transportation services here and there on demand.
It is only in 1969 that I obtained a Taxi operator's license and started to operate officially, in particular, from Juliana Airport.
After the death of my beloved wife Elizabeth, I have chosen to remain faithful to her memory, I remained single but living a very happy life in my family circle, surrounded by the most loving and faithful children one can think of, in particular my daughters: Julia, Cecile, Louisa and Angele and my son Rodolphe.
Today, the age of 93, I have a lot to thank God the Almighty for, most of all my health. I'm a retired taxi driver, and also a registered veteran (Ancien Combattant).
Contrary to the recent tendency here in St-martin to place aged parents in Old People's Home, treating them as if they have become too much of a liability, I thank God for granting me the privilege to be enjoying my old age in the happiness of my family circle in particular in the precious, loving and caring hands of my above mentioned daughters and son.
Monique relates his life from childhood to this day with a great sense of pride and satisfaction, as a man that has fully accomplished his mission here on earth. He reminds God's apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4: 7 “ I have fought the good fight, I have finish the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.....”
On May 29th, 1964, Monique received the Decoration medal for large family with congratulation from the Mayor Dr. Hubert Petit.
MONIQUE, MY RELIGIOUS FAITH & SPIRITUAL BELIEF
Born of a mother Catholic and a father Methodist, I was baptized within the Roman Catholic faith, and remained up to this day a faithful follower, believing in all the Church's teaching, believing in the Holy Trinity, God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Are one.
I raised my children in the same faith, teaching them how to pray and the right way to know God's love and also how to ask his protection. In all their doing, I told them to put their faith, trust and belief in God.
Ask for his protection and guidance, without his light present in your life you cannot feel safe. When you put your trust in him he will keep you safe from all danger.
Search for God and you will find him, trust him, he will not fail you.
Monique also testifies of the double nature of human being , to be at the same time human in the flesh and Soul in God's Spirit, through God' breath blown into us by creation. In God' Spirit, we have great spiritual power that unfortunately we often ignore.
Monique talks of many occasions in which he saw things times before their effective occurrence. He said: When you know what is coming, you know the precaution to take.
I personally can recall, once I felt myself at death's door with non-stop hiccups for over a week, when on the morning I felt life leaving my body, my door bell rang, I open the door, It was Monique, I said to him: “Monique I'm not going to make It through” He ran back and returned in minutes, with some leaves of a castor-oil plant and told me to make a tea and drank it.
I immediately made the tea and after drinking the first cup in his presence, instantly the hiccups were gone, never to come back. We just sit and enjoyed our conversation as if I was never ill.
From that day I look at him as a God send Angel to save my life.
On April 6th, 2008 Monique received from the Diocese of Guadeloupe, Parish of Saint-Martin de Tours, from the hands of Father Samson DORIVAL, the Testimonial and Acknowledgement Certificate in acknowledgement of his exceptional support and devotedness
MONIQUE, MY ELECTIVE FUNCTION
I was one of St-Martin's elders in 1959 to push for a political change in St-Martin. I along with many others, had seen in the person of Doctor Hubert Petit, son of the soil, and St-Martin's first successful medical physician, the incarnation of that dreamed political change for St-Martin.
Dr. Hubert PETIT established his clinic on St-Martin in june 1955, and performed miracles in the medical and surgery field in St-Martin, he was honored by the people as a God send savior.
Myself along with many other elders, selected him and encouraged him to run as candidate for Mayor.
As expected, he was elected Mayor in March 1959 and I was elected on his list as 3rd Deputy-mayor, in charge jointly with Simon Jeffry, of the sport and festivity portfolio. I occupied that function until 1977 when our party lost reelection.
During the reign of Monique and Simon Jeffry, the 14th of July festivity had taken a new dimension, a new enthusiastic spirit of joy amongst the natives. Anguillians also began to participate fully in particular in the boat races. It is also under the impulse of the team Monique/Simon Jeffry that public festivity was organized for the first time on the 21st of July in Grand Case and on the11th of November in French Quarter.
MONIQUE, HIS PATRIOTIC IDEAL
Monique lived all his life with the dream to see many things change in the way the affairs of the people is handle in St-Martin by the government and its Administrations.
Not long ago, Monique expressed to me his very deceitful feeling over the uncontrollable and unprincipled manner in which St-Martin's heirs are selling out indiscriminately ancestral succession property.
He claims to have suggested to the young generation of elected politicians to introduce a law limiting heirs liberty in the transfer of ancestral succession. St-Martin is too small an island to allow any further pursue of the unprincipled sell out of succession land.
Monique concern is that if the wild sell out of succession property should perpetuate any longer, in short St-Martiners will be bare-natives in their ancestral homeland.
A native without at the very least a house lot of land in his country is not only unworthy of being a son of the soil, but sooner or later will find himself in a very frustrated and humiliating human condition in all that concerns his native's rights.
Monique also regrets the little interest shown by younger generations in benefiting of their elder's wisdom. Wisdom is built on knowledgeable experiences that younger generations should seek from their elders as a relay because it is ignorant to believe that a people can progress wisdom-wisely by each one depending on his own personal lived experiences.
Monique claims that the progress of a people is a matter of one generation passing on to the other his wisdom, enriched by his own experiences of life. Just as a truncated branch of a tree dies, so will generations truncated from their elders die culturally-wise and progressively-wise. Communication from generation to generation is the key to our progress as a people.
One can pretend to be a self-made man in education or knowledge, but wisdom is a combination of knowledge and continued experience through generations.
Monique claims: It is a shame what is happening in St-Martin today, the younger generations have lost the upright principles and patriotic pride of their forefathers. I believe this comes from an absence of communication from one generation to a next.
Monique claims: my recommendation to the young people is to give high honor to words of wisdom of their forefathers for that is the secret of a fruitful life. This is my deep and sincere thought to my young people.
For many decades, Monique Emmanuel was a name in the traveling world associated to Saint-Martin. As one of the pioneers in the organization of the taxi trade on the island, his finesse, welcoming and friendliness spirit reflected the Friendly island Saint-Martin.
He was the recommended taxi driver by all travelers to Saint-Martin who happened to get in contact with him, and this has given him an unequalled reputation to be the right man for travelers to Saint-Martin, worldwide.
Monique relates his memory of his early years as taxi driver at Juliana Airport, with an extraordinary nostalgia as he compared with today's enormous change.
Monique did not officially integrate the Taxi trade on the island before 1969, because up to that date the only possibility to get a Taxi license was to apply to the Dutch Administration. But he was rendering transportation services upon demand, as early as 1961.
The airport was created in 1943, in a zone that was before reserved for cultivation of food crops, particularly by the people of Simpson Bay. The terminal consisted of just a little home style building, the landing run-way was unpaved.
The air traffic was very slow, and limited to propeller aircrafts deserving the leeward and windward islands.
Up to the early sixties traveling from or to St-Martin was essentially assured by boat, but from about 1964, Juliana Airport was developed into an international airport with a paved run-way, capable of accommodating intercontinental airlines. The air traffic started to multiply at a rapid space, flights to Guadeloupe, Martinique and within the Netherlands Antilleans: Sint-Maarten, Bonaire,Curacao, Aruba were multiplied and turn around flights through the English and American West indies, principally by the airline LIAT were scheduled all through the day.
With Juliana Airport, becoming an international airport open to large intercontinental flights , taxi trade had become a very coveted profession and the number of taxi drivers on the island was growing tremendously. It had become a necessity to organize the profession on the French Side of the island.
In 1969, Monique took the initiative to organize the profession on the French side by creating the first FrenchTaxi Driver's Union of which he remained the president up to the time of his retirement from the profession, this means from 1969 to 1997.
It's through his persuasion and voluntary work that the French State's Administration (Sous-Prefecture) started deliver taxi driver's license on the French side. Before 1969, French residents had to apply to Dutch St-Maarten Administration to obtain a Taxi license.
In the early seventies, on the French Saint-Martin, was also opened an airport, Grand Case “Esperance”. A new Taxi Station was created, but the objective was mainly to assure independently domestic flights between french West Indies islands, this explains it's slow growth and it's little attraction to Taxi Drivers. The Taxi's stations of interest were Juliana Airport and Philipsburg's pier.
As president, Monique struggled very hard so that Taxi Drivers be recognized their full rights according to the profession laws and regulations in the French legislation. In the late seventies he had to deal with a real threat, the State's administration plans to open up the profession to European settlers. He took an uncompromising stand, the taxi trade must remain in the hands of locals.
On the other hand, he had to compromise with the limitation of taxi drivers property rights to their license, so that the protection rights he was claiming on the top may not become possible at the bottom, by taxi drivers selling out their license to anybody and emigrating to Santo-Domingo as that was a popular attitude in those days.
Another outstanding struggle he had to confront was the State's Administration unilateral decision to induce a double standard within the Taxi Trade, consisting of dividing the profession into: On one hand Taxi operators and on the other hand Taxi Drivers. All Taxi Drivers were compelled to work as an employed for a Taxi operator. Monique interceded and see to it that that prefectoral decree be voided and replaced by a new decree respecting the trade autonomy.
From time to time, Monique will hint me on his hard struggle, often being misunderstood by his fellow-taxi-Drivers, and will say to me: “I'm between the devil and the deep blue sea, but I'm not given up”.
In 1995, Monique was honored by the Municipality decision to name the Taxi Drivers Stand on Marigot Water Front after Him. Here is his speech:
We are gathered here today to celebrate the Grand opening of our Taxi Stand in Marigot.
I congratulate Monsieur Le Maire Albert Fleming and his councillors, also many thanks to Madame Bernadette Davis, president of the tourist office and Mr. Romeo Fleming, Vice president.
I will pray to God that the Tourist Trade continues in unity between French and Dutch Taxi drivers with love and respect.
I would like to thank also the Taxi drivers who are here to celebrate with us.
Years ago, before I began to form a Taxi Syndicate, I had written to the Prefecture in Guadeloupe to form a Taxi Syndicate in St-Martin.
One month later, I was told that if I agree to stay responsible for the syndicate, they will do so.
I answered then, stating yes, I will be responsible for the Syndicate in St-Martin.
I formed the Syndicate in St-Martin on the 11th of September 1969.
This Syndicate was for Taxi, Bus and truck. I received a letter from the Prefecture asking me for the rates/Tariffs for each district on the island. I send them the information and then I received another letter on the 11th of September 1972, asking for information on the distance in kilometers from each district and charge per kilometer to make the total price.
This was done three years after the Taxi Syndicate was formed.
The prefecture secretary with his wife came to St-Martin to hold a meeting with me, relating to what they claim was a mistake in my kilometer/tariff calculation. I counted 10 Km from Marigot to Philipsburg and 7 km from Marigot to Grand Case.
I explained to him that it was not a mistake, the reason why, is that we prefer to go to Philipsburg or to Juliana five times before going twice to Grand-Case. Because going to Grand Case, we have to burn more gas, damage our brakes shoes and our life is in more danger.
Then he ask me what sort of machine I used to calculate the Kilometers I had advanced in my tariff list. I told him it is my car I had to use for everything.
He told me I was right and invited me to have a drink with his wife. I was appointed to take them from Juliana Airport to Marigot and back.
From 1969 to 1995, makes a total of 26 years that I served the Syndicate. The first Taxi Syndicate to be formed in St-Martin's
Let me wish all Taxi Drivers may they stay in unity and love,
Stand shoulder to shoulder
In God we trust
Emmanuel Monique
Monique resigned in 1997, in a very short speech:
Brothers and Sisters,
I have been president of the Syndicate for Taxis and Buses from 1669 to 1997.
Thanks to all the members for keeping me there as president
It's one year and five months since I'm suffering a health problem, praise God I'm much better.
I'm resigning from the Taxi service and is no more qualified to be your president. My colleague Mr. Arnell William Artsen, vice-president, will be taking over as president of the syndicate.
I will be there to help, cooperate and inspire him if he needs advice.
He is a man with a large family and a member of the Commission of suspension of license in Sous-Prefecture of Marigot.
Brothers and Sisters, nothing in the world is better than unity.
Believe in God, our Master. Amen
The president/ Emmanuel Monique
Monique was honored on March 23rd, 2000 by the French Tourist Office for his outstanding contribution in the tourist industry
Monique received on October 28th, 2000 from Mr. Jean Luc Hamlet and members of his Associatiom “Demain Saint-Martin” the prize of excellence in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of the island.
Monique received the Grand distinguished National Awards medal from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (C.T.O.) Comity at the C.T.O. 50th anniversary held at the Waldorf Astoria New York from the 27 to the 31 of May 2001. Monique was present at the ceremony to receive his award.
(The C.T.O. was etablished in 1989 but as the merger of the Caribbean Tourism Association created in 1951 and the Caribbean Tourism Research & Development Center founded in 1974.)
Monique was presented with a Tourism Lifetime Achievement Award by Tourism Commissioner Theo Heyliger on the 27th of September 2001 in commemoration of World Tourism Day held at the Great Bay Beach Hotel.
Monique received on December 18th, 2009, from Saint-Martin United Taxi Association (SMUTA) a certificate of acknowledgement for his good and faithful service as being the ambassador and architect of the Taxi Trade organization on the island of Saint-Martin
MONIQUE, HIS FAMILY AN SOCIAL LIFE:
Taxi trade might has been Monique last exercised trade before his retirement, but surely it represented only a little slice of his life time struggle. Monique declared:
Born on May 6th, 1917, in St-Martin. My mother was Emmanuel Marie Magdeleine, daughter of Anasine Baly and Roumou Hippolyte from Marigot Hill and my father Emmanuel Abraham.
My father died when I was five years of age. I was raised by my mother and my aunt Leontine Roumou.
From the age of 8 years, I already started to work like a man, precisely, as a field worker and milk boy on the Spring estate, owned by Mme Marie Leydet ( call Mme Ledee), last French European plantation owner in St-Martin. Every morning I had to deliver the milk to all of her customers in Marigot. My aunt Leontine also worked for her.
At the age of ten to twelve I was managing the Spring Estate for Mme Marie Leydet, responsible to oversee the rearing and milking of the cattle.
My souvenir of Mme Leydet, is that of a very solitary religious and mysterious woman, a fervent believer in the Roman Catholic Church , she observed all the ritual of the catholic faith. She had her own little Lady chapel on her estate where she make her daily prayers to the Holy Saints
I can remember her walking very early every thursday morning from her home in the Spring/Marigot to Grand Case to attend the Church mass.
After Mme Leydet died, her son came to St-Martin and sold the Estate to Mme Yvette Fleming. I decided to quit the Estate and the new owner asked me to recommend her a good man so I presented her Mr. Paul Mingo.
I then went to learn a trade, I started first training to be a carpenter, I found that too slow so I switch over to training to be a tailor.
At the age of fourteen I was already a self-employed tailor.
I can also remember in my young age going every monday morning to Cole Bay to work with Mr. BELL, we use to sail through the lagoon to get to his root crops and vegetable plantation at Simpson Bay, in the zone now transformed in Juliana Airport.
In 1937 I married Elisabth FITALY from Gourbeyre/Guadeloupe. After 62 years of marriage, she died on December 2nd, 1999 at the age of 82.
In 1939, I was recruited by the French army in view of the 1939-45 second world's war and send to Basse- Terre/Guadeloupe on a battleship, “Le Barfleur”.
Shortly after the official French Government under the German's occupation of France, Known as the Vichy Government, had abdicated and agreed to cooperate with the enemy, so I was not send to the battle field in France.
It was a death sentence crime to try to join General Charles De gaulle resistance army after his June 18th, 1940 call to the people to resist and join with him, from his exile place in London. Many French West Indians tried and succeeded with the help of the American Marines, but many had also lost their lives taking the risk.
After one year service I was discharged and returned to St-Martin.
After my return to Saint-Martin, unlike most Saint-Martiners of my status, whose highest ideal was to emigrate from St-Martin to Aruba, Curacao to profit of jobs opening in the oil refinery, or to the united States of America, I decided to make myself a man with a future in my own country.
I took photographer training and established myself as a self-employed tailor and photographer, and later around 1950, I get involved in the retail market selling a little of everything and two years later in addition I started to fabricate and sell construction and decorative blocks.
In 1959 I was elected deputy-mayor on Dr Petit Hubert list and was attributed the Sports and festivity portfolio jointly with Mr Simon Jeffry.
In 1961 Monique I obtained my driven license and started to render little transportation services here and there on demand.
It is only in 1969 that I obtained a Taxi operator's license and started to operate officially, in particular, from Juliana Airport.
After the death of my beloved wife Elizabeth, I have chosen to remain faithful to her memory, I remained single but living a very happy life in my family circle, surrounded by the most loving and faithful children one can think of, in particular my daughters: Julia, Cecile, Louisa and Angele and my son Rodolphe.
Today, the age of 93, I have a lot to thank God the Almighty for, most of all my health. I'm a retired taxi driver, and also a registered veteran (Ancien Combattant).
Contrary to the recent tendency here in St-martin to place aged parents in Old People's Home, treating them as if they have become too much of a liability, I thank God for granting me the privilege to be enjoying my old age in the happiness of my family circle in particular in the precious, loving and caring hands of my above mentioned daughters and son.
Monique relates his life from childhood to this day with a great sense of pride and satisfaction, as a man that has fully accomplished his mission here on earth. He reminds God's apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4: 7 “ I have fought the good fight, I have finish the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.....”
On May 29th, 1964, Monique received the Decoration medal for large family with congratulation from the Mayor Dr. Hubert Petit.
MONIQUE, MY RELIGIOUS FAITH & SPIRITUAL BELIEF
Born of a mother Catholic and a father Methodist, I was baptized within the Roman Catholic faith, and remained up to this day a faithful follower, believing in all the Church's teaching, believing in the Holy Trinity, God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Are one.
I raised my children in the same faith, teaching them how to pray and the right way to know God's love and also how to ask his protection. In all their doing, I told them to put their faith, trust and belief in God.
Ask for his protection and guidance, without his light present in your life you cannot feel safe. When you put your trust in him he will keep you safe from all danger.
Search for God and you will find him, trust him, he will not fail you.
Monique also testifies of the double nature of human being , to be at the same time human in the flesh and Soul in God's Spirit, through God' breath blown into us by creation. In God' Spirit, we have great spiritual power that unfortunately we often ignore.
Monique talks of many occasions in which he saw things times before their effective occurrence. He said: When you know what is coming, you know the precaution to take.
I personally can recall, once I felt myself at death's door with non-stop hiccups for over a week, when on the morning I felt life leaving my body, my door bell rang, I open the door, It was Monique, I said to him: “Monique I'm not going to make It through” He ran back and returned in minutes, with some leaves of a castor-oil plant and told me to make a tea and drank it.
I immediately made the tea and after drinking the first cup in his presence, instantly the hiccups were gone, never to come back. We just sit and enjoyed our conversation as if I was never ill.
From that day I look at him as a God send Angel to save my life.
On April 6th, 2008 Monique received from the Diocese of Guadeloupe, Parish of Saint-Martin de Tours, from the hands of Father Samson DORIVAL, the Testimonial and Acknowledgement Certificate in acknowledgement of his exceptional support and devotedness
MONIQUE, MY ELECTIVE FUNCTION
I was one of St-Martin's elders in 1959 to push for a political change in St-Martin. I along with many others, had seen in the person of Doctor Hubert Petit, son of the soil, and St-Martin's first successful medical physician, the incarnation of that dreamed political change for St-Martin.
Dr. Hubert PETIT established his clinic on St-Martin in june 1955, and performed miracles in the medical and surgery field in St-Martin, he was honored by the people as a God send savior.
Myself along with many other elders, selected him and encouraged him to run as candidate for Mayor.
As expected, he was elected Mayor in March 1959 and I was elected on his list as 3rd Deputy-mayor, in charge jointly with Simon Jeffry, of the sport and festivity portfolio. I occupied that function until 1977 when our party lost reelection.
During the reign of Monique and Simon Jeffry, the 14th of July festivity had taken a new dimension, a new enthusiastic spirit of joy amongst the natives. Anguillians also began to participate fully in particular in the boat races. It is also under the impulse of the team Monique/Simon Jeffry that public festivity was organized for the first time on the 21st of July in Grand Case and on the11th of November in French Quarter.
MONIQUE, HIS PATRIOTIC IDEAL
Monique lived all his life with the dream to see many things change in the way the affairs of the people is handle in St-Martin by the government and its Administrations.
Not long ago, Monique expressed to me his very deceitful feeling over the uncontrollable and unprincipled manner in which St-Martin's heirs are selling out indiscriminately ancestral succession property.
He claims to have suggested to the young generation of elected politicians to introduce a law limiting heirs liberty in the transfer of ancestral succession. St-Martin is too small an island to allow any further pursue of the unprincipled sell out of succession land.
Monique concern is that if the wild sell out of succession property should perpetuate any longer, in short St-Martiners will be bare-natives in their ancestral homeland.
A native without at the very least a house lot of land in his country is not only unworthy of being a son of the soil, but sooner or later will find himself in a very frustrated and humiliating human condition in all that concerns his native's rights.
Monique also regrets the little interest shown by younger generations in benefiting of their elder's wisdom. Wisdom is built on knowledgeable experiences that younger generations should seek from their elders as a relay because it is ignorant to believe that a people can progress wisdom-wisely by each one depending on his own personal lived experiences.
Monique claims that the progress of a people is a matter of one generation passing on to the other his wisdom, enriched by his own experiences of life. Just as a truncated branch of a tree dies, so will generations truncated from their elders die culturally-wise and progressively-wise. Communication from generation to generation is the key to our progress as a people.
One can pretend to be a self-made man in education or knowledge, but wisdom is a combination of knowledge and continued experience through generations.
Monique claims: It is a shame what is happening in St-Martin today, the younger generations have lost the upright principles and patriotic pride of their forefathers. I believe this comes from an absence of communication from one generation to a next.
Monique claims: my recommendation to the young people is to give high honor to words of wisdom of their forefathers for that is the secret of a fruitful life. This is my deep and sincere thought to my young people.
