By Nancy Nolette (VFA #1702)
Development of this Coat Of Arms was authorized by the Violette Family Association at the August 2008 Reunion in Windsor Locks CT. Nancy Nolette, VFA #1702, and Paul Bunnell, VFA #292, were appointed to create the Coat of Arms. They worked with Mary Ellen Szper of Flying Frog Designs, graphic designer, to develop the final product. Adopted by the Violette Family Association at the August 2014 Reunion in Van Buren ME and it is copyright © Violette Family Association 2008-present.
The color scheme was selected based on the natural colors and symbolism of the objects depicted. Here is how the colors are formed.
The outline shading is in dark silver and banner/ribbon is in a lighter silver colored. Darker colors such as black, brown, dark blue, and dark green would not complement the overall design.
The shield background is a medium blue as it complements the color of the four objects. All four objects are on a blue field or can be seen in nature against a blue background. The French, Acadian, and US flag all have a medium blue color.
Violet flower. . .this flower’s color varies in shades from light and dark purple to a pinkish and sometimes with white on it. In the wild the color is a bluish purple. Keeping the purple/violet color keeps the theme VIOLETTE in mind, for name and color. In addition, the New Brunswick coat of arms has violets on it. Violets grow wild in the Maritime Provinces and New England.
The VIOLETTE name is in the violet flower and color and matches both.
Our motto, “We are One,” is in a contrasting color, black so it does not blend in with the VIOLETTE name but can be easily identified. That motto was adopted by the Violette Family Association around 1978.
The fleur de lis used by the French monarchy was colored gold. After the revolution, the French kept the fleur de lis but changed the color to white. The province of Quebec, Canada, uses the white fleur de lis on its flag. The coat of arms of the province of New Brunswick has gold fleur de lis on it. The fleur de lis — a lily is a white colored flower.
The gold star represents the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the Acadians. The gold star is on the Acadian Flag. The New England Acadian flag has a gold star on it and the US flag has stars representing each state in the union.
The red maple leaf represents Canada. Even though it was only adopted by the Canadian government in 1965, everyone recognizes the Maple Leaf as the symbol of Canada.
The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. Many of our ancestors/descendants live in the USA. The bald eagle is found in Canada, mainland USA, and Mexico.
These four symbols show the route our ancestors took to the present-day distribution of their descendants: France, to Acadia, then to Canada and the USA.
The water wheel is a dark brown showing its wooden color. The water is blue from Violette Brook where François first settled in what is now Van Buren, Maine, and where he built and ran a grist mill.
The shafts of wheat are golden showing that they have been harvested and are ready for grinding in the mill operated by François Violette.
The violet background color symbolizes a field of violet flowers. This represents the growing number of Violet descendants from our founding family.
A copy of the Violette Family Coat of Arms and this accompanying description is available from the Violette Family Association for a US$10 (CAN$15) donation to cover printing, shipping, and handling. Send check or money order with shipping instructions to Violette Family Association, 2050 W Dunlap Ave, Lot D54, Phoenix AZ 85021. Or, use the Donate button at VioletteRegistry.com to make the payment securely using PayPal. Each Coat of Arms is printed in color on heavy glossy photo stock and enclosed in a clear plastic sleeve that also includes this description.