Bonifas-Kremer

The cemetery concession dates back to the burial of Jean-Jacques Bonifas (1861-1923), who owned and operated a lime kiln in Merl. His wife, Catherine Kremer (1878-1949), is buried alongside him. Their daughter, Julie (1898-1990), married Ernest Jean-Paul Ross (1891-1971), who was from Bettembourg. Ernest Ross was a pharmacist in Differdange-Niederkorn. Ernest undoubtedly had the monument built in 1923, in memory of his father-in-law. The shape and style of the monument to the Ross and Bonifas families served as a source of inspiration for the monument to the pharmacist Félix Saur (1856-1928), which is located in the same row. Marie-Thérèse Catherine Ross (1921-1975) was the daughter of Ernest Ross and Julie Bonifas. Her husband was Charles-Henri Massard (1915-1982). Charles-Henri Massard graduated as a mechanical engineer from the Swiss engineering school in Zurich. He began his career at the Holding d'échanges commerciaux in Luxembourg. In 1939, he joined the family business, the Fonderie Massard in Kayl, where he worked as an engineer. Two years later, he was appointed as one of the company's signing officers. In July 1969, he took over the running of the factory from his father, Henri Massard-Delvaux. Under his stewardship, the existing facilities were modernised and production was streamlined to meet market demand. In addition to manufacturing equipment for narrow-gauge railway lines, the company focused on the design and manufacture of concrete mixers, hoists and winches for the construction industry. Foundry operations were expanded to include artistic and decorative castings. This explains the choice of materials used to build the Art Deco-style funerary monument, which boasts nothing short of exceptional workmanship. Charles Massard was passionate about his work and the interest that his profession aroused. He published several scientific articles and hosted several conferences on metallurgy through the Luxembourg Association of Engineers, the Association of Engineers and Industrialists, the Association of Engineers, Industrialists and Architects and the Association of Graduate Engineers, all of which were organisations where he served on the board of directors.