A collaborative illustration of Frank Jean-Louis, Papa by contemporary artist Junhan Shen.
In 1928 in Jérémie, Frank Jean-Louis, Papa was born on Friday May 11. Frank the father of Pierre-Marie Jean-Louis, Ampassan born in Petit-Trou-de-Nippes. This is an extract of genealogical dots marked by changes, and the governance of Jérémie, and a bit of the personal history of a daughter-in-law, Elza Leriche Jean-Louis, Loulouz, narrates by two granddaughters Moïse-Léna Jean-Louis, Tinana and Pierrelza Jean-Louis, Tata. Particularly on Frank’s love life, which over the years involves transcription of oral hilarity at family dinner and in discussions with extended family members.
The family history of Jean-Louis and Supré begins during Frank’s trips in 1958 to Anse-à-Veau in the commune of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes. According to the 2003 census, Jérémie is populated by nearly 31,000 inhabitants, and located in the department of Grand-Anse, founded in 1756. Jérémie is known to have been the seed of Haiti’s poets, which earned its nickname “City of Poets”.
From Jérémie, Frank who through profession as sergeant at the Parquet de Jérémie, was called to be relocated to Anse-à-Veau, to join the staff of the newly promoted ranks at the Commissariat de Anse-à-Veau in 1958. In a public interest venture to promote law and order among the department, as that co-governance of communes, at a time when Petit-Trou-de-Nippes was still one with the department of Grand-Anse. At the same phase, Haiti was in spite of having the ninth department, until the merging of the departments that took place after a law creating a 10th department, which was approved by Parliament and signed by former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. According to archived content located on the United States Department of State’s government website, this merger materialized on the eve of hiver in November 2003.
During Frank’s mandate and his acclimatization to the Grand-Anse department, it was briefly after, in 1959, that the fateful meeting of Marie-Térèse Supré, Chouchoute, and Frank Jean-Louis, Papa betide.
The couple welcomed an illegitimate son, at dawn on November 21 (Happy Birthday), and they decided to name him Pierre-Marie Jean-Louis, and call him by their agreed cognomen “Ampassan” originated by Marie-Térèse.
Ampassan later married Elza Leriche Jean-Louis, Lolouz at Sacré-Cœur Parish in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday June 8, 2005. Marie-Térèse describes Frank as “the man of my vision, the man with whom I fall in love at first sight, the man whom destiny preserves and sends on my path”. Supré never shied away from talking about how Frank’s gallantry made her feel and how she was so happy and excited to see them blossom. Their affections were blessed by the gods of amorous love. Their love story has remained constant and renewed over the years. To those who were in close company with Frank, he called Marie-Térèse his “Chouchoute”. Frank loves Marie-Térèse and was not particularly reserved when talking about his feelings, often seen together at community audiences at Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, or on the river banks of the Batado in Carrefour Cadet, and at the couple’s family residence in Côte Ferre. Frank, who in his final words about Marie-Térèse called her the lady he did find in this life and the lady he will find in the infinite life to come.
While Frank’s conventional love with Marie-Térèse flourished in Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, his integration into the community was also widely significant and cherished, and it extended far beyond the imaginary threshold that we never tried to conceive. Very quickly, Frank made himself known to his confrère at the Petit-Trou-de-Nippes commissariat station, located next to the Sainte-Nativité Catholic church, in the commune of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, and Marie-Térèse was known to hold in esteem Frank’s well mannered with the people of the community in Nippes.
Marie-Térèse, survived by Frank ten years earlier in Brooklyn, New York, during a medical visit to the United States in 2007 at Kings County Hospital in Clarkson Avenue. Frank was known to be a supportive, charming and respected individual among his family and friends whom he kept close until his death on the night of February 21, 2017 on the south coast of Haiti, at the Cité Lumière in Jacmel. Frank Jean-Louis was truly loved by the community he had in Jérémie, Petit-Trou-de-Nippes and ultimately Cité Lumière found after retiring from his service as a sergeant in Petit-Trou-de-Nippes.
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