In Méjanes, lives by Michèle Ricard’s side, a woman that she likes to tell the story of.
“She was always there, quietly…”
Her bust statue, resting on top of the living room walnut cabinet, seems to have always been there. In my bedroom is her portrait on canvas.
I often look at her and think about all the stories she could share. The ones that my father told me and that I already know. Also, the ones that some of you could tell me after reading this post.
The following story is a tribute to Méjanes’s iconic woman. A great ambassadress to our Provence: Jacqueline Ginoux.
Jacqueline Ginoux comes from an old family of Arles. She was born in Maussane in 1933. Traditions are vital to her, and she takes part in the Queen of Arles’ election at her 21. Over the years from 1954 to 1958, she is Madeleine Boyer’s lady of honor.
This beautiful young woman with a strong and enthusiastic personality quickly attracts attention when she participates in many celebrations and ceremonies, wears the traditional Arles costume, and rides horse astride. A first at the time !
Jacqueline Ginoux quickly becomes the Ricard firm’s hostess and accompanies my father to the firm’s important events. To immortalize this beautiful ambassadress, my father places an order with the painter Antoine Serra. He paints the woman’s portrait from Arles in a large format. Jacqueline wears her magnificent Arles costume and models with the arid landscape of the Crau in the background.
The young woman dreams of becoming a stewardess. During an encounter with the president of the UTA company, Francis Fabre, she submits her application. Mister Fabre asks her if she speaks English, a mandatory requirement to work on flights going to the United-States, which were demanded more and more. She replies that she speaks provençal and that she will do good enough as is. Facing such audacity and confidence, the president of the firm hires her.
I have always heard about her career from her that she had proudly represented our traditions by wearing her smile and sharing her kindness and passion for the Camargue. So much so that she even went the great length of sometimes wearing the Arles costume! The twinning committee Arles-York (in the United-States) often paid tribute to this sign of attachment to the region.
In 1973, she plans to get married to one of the Air France pilot-in-command and return to live in Camargue with him. As she is working on the Boeing 727, connecting Benghazi to Cairo in Egypt, the plane gets caught in a terrible sandstorm and is diverted towards the Sinaï. There, it is intercepted and shut down by the Israeli army. Over a hundred passengers and three flight attendants disappeared. Severely burnt, Jacqueline Ginoux passes away in the hospital on the 22nd of February. Over 1500 people come to the solemn funeral in Arles. A tragic fate for a great lady of Camargue. The bust of this lively, beautiful, well-educated, and passionate woman is prominently positioned in the house, like a protector looking after our culture, at the mas of Méjanes.
