History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 242

traveling with her father, until he died, leaving her, at the age of 24, financially
independent.
At the beginning of WWII Marguerite moved to the U.S. By that time she had
published four books. At her home in Northeast Harbor, on Mount Desert Island off
the coast of Maine, she devoted her time to translating Negro Spirituals in French,
giving conferences and teaching comparative literature at Sarah Lawrence College.
Now she could return to her research for her historical masterwork "Memoirs of
Hadrian". It was published in 1951, an English translation in 1954.
Fascinated with her Flemish roots, which she could trace to 1600, she wrote "Work in
Black" (1968, transl.1976), a novel of the late Renaissance, with Brugge as its main
scene of action. In 1974 she published her "Souvenirs Pieux" and in 1977 her
"Archives du Nord". Besides many awards, both in the U.S. and in France, she was
the first woman to be admitted to the Academie Francaise, in 1981.
Marguerite Yourcenar died in Bar Harbor, Maine on December 17-18, 1987.

Scion of a family that owes its name to a Spaniard who came to Flanders in the late
1600's, Rene DeSeranno was born of immigrant parents on May 30, 1910 in East
Moline, Illinois. In 1912 the family returned to Belgium, making their home in Tiel t.
There, Rene went to school, helping his mother in a small grocery store during WWI,
while his father served in the Belgian army. The family returned to the U.S.A. in 1922
and settled in Detroit, Michigan.
Employed in a construction business, his father started the Beachlawn Building
Company in 1925. Rene attended St. Ambrose school, dreamed of a career in bicycle
racing or boxing, but ended up working for his father, digging basements and taking
care of personnel and bookkeeping.
At Our Lady of Sorrows on May 23, 1939 Rene married Aline Maertens. This marriage
was blessed with two children: Elizabeth A. DeSeranno-Stevens and Donald J.
DeSeranno. It was Aline's late father who had founded the Ajax Bolt and Screw Co. in
Detroit, of which, in 1950, Rene became president. In 1953, he founded The Cold
Heading Co., manufacturers of bolts and screws for the auto industry. He remained
chairman of the board until his sudden death, December 17, 1983, at his home in
Grosse Pointe, MI.
Rene DeSeranno lived for his family and tried to instill in them the values that were his
own. Early in his adult life, he was involved in organizing and promoting projects to
benefit the Belgian community and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. In a humble, unselfish
way, he was able to communicate his wisdom, enthusiasm, courage and
perseverance, supporting others in roles of leadership in the many facets of social,
cultural and parish life.

242