Martha Duell loved her native France and her hometown of Fayetteville.
They were dear to her heart.
“Though I knew Martha, I certainly did not know her nearly as well as many others did,” said Kris Johnson, 59, president of the Fayetteville-Saint-Avold Friendship Alliance. “But after having the privilege of organizing her personal papers, photos and scrapbooks with Bruce Daws [in 2022], it was clear to me that she meant to make her mark in the world by doing positive things that still impact our community in wonderful ways.”
Duell left her fingerprints throughout this city from the Woman’s Club of Fayetteville to the Lafayette Society to Cape Fear Botanical Garden to her passion as founder of the Fayetteville-Saint-Avold Sister City program.
“She is the reason we have this amazing program, an international sister,” Johnson said.
Now, Saint-Avold is honoring Martha Duell in its downtown streets with “Rue de Martha Duell,” which, Johnson says, is scheduled for completion in 2025.
“The road will connect ‘Rue des Americains’ and ‘Rue de General Hirschauer,’” Johnson said. “Madame Raymonde Schweitzer will keep me informed as to the progress and when they expect to dedicate this street to Mrs. Duell.”
Schweitzer is deputy mayor of Saint-Avold and joined with Saint-Avold Mayor René Steiner and Saint- Avold historian Pascal Flaus in September when this city dedicated Saint Avold Avenue at Walter and Hillsboro streets near N.C. Veterans Park as part of the 30th anniversary of the sister city designation of Saint-Avold and Fayetteville.
“It’s huge for us,” Schweitzer said. “We are so proud Fayetteville will rename a street and give it the name of Saint Avold.”
Steiner shared in the moment.
“It is very symbolic and very important for us in recognition of our relationship with Fayetteville,” Steiner told Mayor Mitch Colvin. “It means a lot to me. I’m very grateful to you and the [city] council for making this relationship possible in commemoration of our sister city relationship and very, very proud of the bond between Saint-Avold and the city of Fayetteville.”
Recipient of her country’s highest honor
Born in Bruebach, France, Martha Duell moved to Fayetteville in 1948 with her husband, U.S. Army Col. Clifford C. Duell. She immersed herself in this community, including founding the Lafayette Society in honor and memory of the Marquis de Lafayette, the Revolutionary War general from France, for whom this city is named. She commissioned and paid for the Lafayette sculpture at Cross Creek Park downtown.
Mrs. Duell was on hand in 1994 when the roadway in front of Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold was renamed “Avenue de Fayetteville.” The cemetery is home to more than 10,000 World War II American soldiers buried there, including 22 from North Carolina. Among them is Pvt. William Shaw from Fayetteville. The soldier was killed in 1944.
Duell received the French Legion of Honour in 2015, the country’s highest honor.
Martha Jund Duell was 90 when died at her Fayetteville home on July 24, 2015.
Epilogue
Kris Johnson is beside herself with excitement about “Rue de Martha Duell” becoming a part of the Saint-Avold downtown.
“To see that Saint-Avold is honoring the woman behind it all is truly special,” she said. “I think that Mrs. Duell would be pleased to be memorialized in this way in her native country. If it were not for her efforts, we would not have this relationship with Saint-Avold. She left her mark in Fayetteville, and now in Saint-Avold, too.”
Cheers to the good folks of Saint Avold.
“Merci beaucoup,” Martha Duell would wish for you to know.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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