Myrtha Louis

Mrs. Elmirtha Brinette Jespere, better known as Myrtha Louis, was born on April 16, 1950 on the island of La Tortue, off the northern coast of Haiti. Her parents were the late Gersilien Jespere and Resilia Louis. She was the second eldest child among 8 siblings of her mother. To her siblings, family and friends, she was known simply as "Mita"; to her children she was "manmie"; to her grandchildren "gramma"; and to her nieces and nephews "auntie." As a young woman, her mother would train her hands in midwifery skills where she would be relied upon to aid women of her community in childbirth. She would leave those days behind as she made her way to the United States in 1979. Here, she would be employed as a service worker in an orange grove. She was diligent in her duties, exhibiting strength of will and determination as she raised her children. In January 2003, Mita married Paulmeus, where in just a few years she became a widow. She would later retire from Martin Memorial Healthcare System where she worked as an environmental aide.