Altagrace Rateua, was born on September 22, 1922 in Pareidon, a small community in Haitis Central Plateau. A dynamic business women in her twenties, she married Pierre Moliere Rateau in 1945 in Lascahobas. They had 7 children together: Immacula, Claudette, Marie Marthe, Jacques Gerard, Yves, Armelle, and Lucia. They lose Jacques Gerard and Marie Marthe at a tender age. The children were raised in Lascahobas and soon Yvrose, Altagrace's niece and Walens, their adopted son, joined the household. A housewife and mother, Altagrace soon became a leading church activist. Joining the Holy family and the Legion of Mary church groups, she was quite a leader, reaching out to the communities around her and praying with people. Simultaneously, she succeeds in her sewing business and sells produces in the market places.
After losing her husband, Moliere, in 1974, she is left to care for her children alone but manages to get even more involved in the Church. These activities made her well known in Lascahobas and led her to travelto many parts of Haiti's Central Plateau. SHe had gone to St. Raphael, Cange, Thomonde, Belladere, Mirebalais, Carrefour Peligre, and Hinche on business trips.
In the early eighties, her children are all grown, but she loses two of her daughters, Lucia and Armelle. THis led her to move to Port-au-Prince where she lived with her oldest daughter, Immacula. IN 1999, she also moves to the United States, in Boston and starts to share her time between Claudette in Boston and Immacula in Port-au-Prince. Altagrace continued managing small business, sewing for clients both in Boston and in Port-au-Prince. Her last trip to Haiti was in November of 2014.
Granmie, as she was known, remained steadfast in her faith throughout her life and maintained great relationships with everyone she knew. She was a very energetic and proud women, very passionate. Her jokes are legendary and have become the family's most treasured memories. Leading by example, Granmie's door was always open to the neighbor. Her faith always made her to reach out to others to bring joy and counsel, give comfort and help.
Altagrace is survived by her children, Immacula, Claudette, Yves, Yvrose, Walens, by her grandchildren, Ducarmel, Jamima, Philippe, Francis, Lagella, Danielle, Cassandre, Yves Marie, Nicholas, Steven, Nathaniel, and by her great-grandchildren: Dario, Donal, Dimitri, Jonathan, Layla, Gabrielle, Olivier, Cameron James, Stacy Anne, Emma Rose and Anyssa. SHe remains forever in our hearts.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Visiting hours in the Joseph Russo Funeral Home, 814 American Legion Highway, Roslindale on Friday, May 6th from 7-9PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday morning May 7th at 10:00am in St. Matthews Church, 33 Stanton Street, Dorchester at 10AM. Interment at Saint Michael Cemetery, Roslindale, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Altagrace's memory to the charity of one's choice.