A Candle for June - Bayeux Cathedral - France
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 09 September 2009 02:03
- Written by Stanton O. Berg
June and my friends, Gordon and Joan Bruce, from Bexley, Kent, England were on a holiday in France, September 2009. Their note of 8 September 2009 tells the story of the below picture taken at the Bayeux Cathedral, Bayeux, France.
"We have just come back from a holiday in France. We went to Normandy to see the beaches where the D Day landings took place. On our visit to Omaha Beach there were lots of Americans walking about and hearing their accents reminded me so much of you and June. We went to Bayeux Cathedral and I felt close to June and thought it would be nice to light a candle for her. Gordon took the attached photo which you might like to see.
Regards, Joan."
(Photo below is Joan Bruce after lighting a Candle for June - Bayeux Cathedral - France.)
Note: Bayeux Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux) is a Norman-Romanesque cathedral, located in the town of Bayeux. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bayeux. It was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry and is a national monument of France.
The site is an ancient one and was once occupied by Roman sanctuaries. The present cathedral was consecrated on 14 July 1077 in the presence of William, Duke of Normandy and King of England.
Bayeux is located seven kilometers from the coast of La Manche (English Channel) and 30 km north-west of Caen.
The area around Bayeux is called the Bessin, which was a province of France until the French Revolution. The name of the city and the region come from the Celtic tribe inhabiting the Bajocasses region.
During the Second World War, Bayeux was the first city in France to be liberated during the Battle of Normandy, and on 16 June 1944 General Charles de Gaulle made his first major speech in Bayeux in which he made clear that France sided with the Allies.
The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched during the Battle of Normandy, the German forces being fully involved in defending Caen from the Allies.
The Bayeux War Cemetery with its memorial includes the largest British cemetery dating from the Second World War in France. There are 4648 graves, including 3935 British and 466 Germans. Most of those buried there were killed in the invasion of Normandy.
( Notes from Wikipedia - free - encyclopedia)
June's obituary as printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune following her death in October 2008 can be found on the top blue navigation strip under the label "In Memoriam" and on the drop down menu as item:
"June K. (Rolstad) Berg - In Memoriam".