Their mother, Bernadette Rivait was the National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother in 1964. Five of her sons enlisted; only two came back.
Mrs. Bernadette Rivait of Windsor, Ontario, was the 1964 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1964, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.
On August 19, 1942, sons, Private Leon Maxime Rivait and Private Alphonse Cecil Rivait were killed in action during the battle of Dieppe while serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment.
On November 23, 1944, another of her sons, Private Lawrence Rivait was also killed in action while serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment.
Two other sons of Mrs. Rivait, Raymond and Edward, also served in the Second World War. Raymond was taken prisoner for three years. When Edward enlisted shortly after Lawrence was killed, Mrs. and Mr. Rivait drew up a petition to get him out of the service and while they succeeded in having him discharged, he rejoined a month later.
At the time of the National Remembrance ceremony in 1964, she expressed that she held the memory of her sons dear and found some consolation in her five married sons, five married daughters, 58 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Mrs. Rivait enjoyed playing bingo while her husband was an avid gardener. Two of their grandchildren also joined the military; Raymond in the air force and Albert in the navy.
The article reads:
Mrs. Homer Rivait has four sons in the active army in Englad, and at noon today she had heard that three boys who were members of the Essex Scottish were reported missing. The fourth boy is a member of the Canadian Engineers. Alphonse, 19. Raymond, 22 and Leon, 24, are the three that are missing. Lawrence, 21 is also overseas. All had been educated in Windsor schools.
Alphonse, who was 19 years old last February, went across in April and while in Windsor had been employed as a Canadian Pacific messenger. He was single and had lived at home.
Raymond, who was 22 in June and married in England, reached England on July 15, 1940 and has a daughter born in England on August 9,. Just two weeks ago Raymond had worked at odd jobs prior to enlistment.
Leon, the oldest boy, who had just turned 24, was married in May, 1939, to Mina Beatty, and resided at 2682 Richmond. He had been employed in the Chrysler shops.
These telegrams that brought the news of the three missing sons to the Rivait family home at 254 Belle Isle avenue gave vivid proof that the bravest mothers and fathers in the world can be found right here in Windsor, and as Mrs. Rivait told about the four boys who have been so close as a family, she displayed the courage of a true soldier’s mother.
The younger members of the family listened, and neighbours who had gathered all spoke highly of the four boys and their devotion to their home. Reading left to right in the picture are Leon, Raymond and Alphonse.
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Alphonse, who was 19 years old last February, went across in April and while in Windsor had been employed as a Canadian Pacific messenger. He was single and had lived at home.
These telegrams that brought the news of the three missing sons to the Rivait family home at 254 Belle Isle avenue gave vivid proof that the bravest mothers and fathers in the world can be found right here in Windsor, and as Mrs. Rivait told about the four boys who have been so close as a family, she displayed the courage of a true soldier’s mother.
