Grandma Zoe

I was fortunate to have my grandma around for a long time and she was an amazing and accomplished woman.

Here is a story done by the City of South St. Paul who was honoring 90 women of SSP to commemorate the first woman to vote in the nation that took place in South St. Paul.

Zoe Giguere Francis – South St. Paul City Treasurer for 17 Years and Educator.

Zoe Iris Giguere was born in 1901, one of 10 children, and grew up on a farm in Spaulding, Michigan. When her father died in 1918, she and her mother moved to South St. Paul where a number of her siblings had relocated. Zoe attended South St. Paul High School for her junior and senior years and graduated in 1921. Zoe wanted to be a teacher so she attended State Normal School in St. Paul and began her brief career teaching in a one-room school house in Milroy, MN after graduation.

Ms. Giguere gave up teaching and married Herbert “Bert” Francis, a firefighter in South St Paul, on her birthday, November 26, 1924. They started a family and had four children: Jeanne, Herb, Muriel and Kay. The young family lived on 12th Avenue North in South St. Paul and Zoe loved to cook, bake, sew and be a homemaker. During this time, Zoe was involved in the community with her children, volunteering with the PTA, Cub Scouts, and at her family parish, St. Augustine’s. She also helped with the war effort between 1942 and 1945 by working at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in New Brighton making munitions.

Tragedy hit the family when husband Bert suddenly died of a heart attack in 1952 leaving Zoe to raise her children as a single parent. She secured a job at the city assessor’s office and started her career as a civil servant with South St. Paul. In 1953, after six months of working for the city, she was motivated by her co-workers to run for the office of city treasurer. Zoe told friends she was “scared stiff” but mustered up the courage to run for office. Her family members and friends went campaigning door to door and she won the office eight consecutive times, serving as South St. Paul city treasurer for 17 years. She was also treasurer of the South St. Paul School Board, overseeing the financial needs of the city’s schools.

Zoe loved working with people and enjoyed all phases of her job as city treasurer. Solving a problem with figures was a challenge that she enjoyed. She was also known to help out around city hall in other departments when needed and enjoyed playing an active role in the city’s government. She became good friends with her co-workers and often remarked how lucky she was to be working with such a fine group of people. Zoe was so proud of living and working in South St. Paul.

Zoe believed that women have an equal chance in the business world and was a charter member of the South St. Paul Chapter of Business and Professional Women. She was the club president in 1953 and after years of faithful service in civic and charitable endeavors was awarded “Woman of the Year 1963.” The club was instrumental in fighting for the equal rights amendment, launching a letter writing campaign to encourage legislators to vote in favor of the bill. The ladies also hosted meetings to educate the public and marched at the state capitol. In her opinion, there is no reason for anyone to object to an amendment which provides equal rights to men and women.

Zoe was always ready to give a helping hand as evidenced by her help with fund raisers for the Red Cross, American Cancer Society, and American Heart Association. She participated in drives to support Divine Redeemer hospital and church work at St. Augustine’s Church and St. Theresa Guild where she was a long time member. She also liked supporting local businesses and did all of her clothing and jewelry shopping at Mary Adams and Gertrude’s which were two of the fashion stores in town.

In 1970, after serving the citizens of South St. Paul for 17 years, this matriarch of the Francis Family retired to spend time with her four children and their spouses plus loving 18 grandchildren including South St. Paul’s current mayor, Jimmy Francis. She traveled yearly to San Jose, California to stay with her daughter Muriel Schlichting and family. She also had the opportunity to travel internationally to Canada, Ireland and England.

When back in South St. Paul, Zoe continued with her volunteer work into her 90’s when she told her daughter she was walking up to the Senior Center to serve coffee to the “old people.” In 2001 she was awarded the City Council’s very first “Centurion Award” and at 100 years old, Zoe was the last living member of South St. Paul’s class of 1921.

In November of 2006, Zoe passed away just shy of her 105th birthday. Her family grew to include many spouses for her grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren who lovingly remember her as “GG.”