52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #4 Emilie Tourville (née) Rousselle (1803-1863) ~ Find A Grave or Miracles do Happen

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I have been looking for the death date and place of Emilie Rousselle, wife of Charles Tourville, for as long as I’ve been doing genealogy, so for more than 20 years believe it or not.

Emilie Rousselle was born in Florissant, Missouri in 1803, where she also married Charles Tourville (whose death I haven’t found yet) on February 11, 1822.

For a long time, the 1850 US census was the most recent proof of them being still alive in St. Louis but a couple of years ago I found a Supreme Court case for a daughter of Charles and he testified in 1855 stating that he was married and it was clear from what he said that his wife was still alive. I couldn’t and still cannot find them (or her) in the 1860 US Census.

While on the Website Find A Grave, working on Tourvilles in Missouri, I found an entry for Emilie Rousselle Tourville buried in the Old Saint Ferdinand Cemetery which is defunct since 1900. Florissant’s St. Ferdinand Catholic Church records are in the Drouin Collection but I think they are not all indexed on Ancestry as the burials for later years do not show up. I realize now I should have gone through all the pages index or not.

But no matter what, the most wonderful thing was not to find her burial death and place but a SOURCE for it:

“September the 13th Buried Emilie Rousselle 54 yrs wife of Charles Tourville.” ~ J. F. Van Assche, SJ

A couple of years ago, a member of Find A Grave, Sheila Kesterston, was looking for her ancestors in Florissant, Missouri and she found where the burial records were located. The entries for the cemetery come from this source as stated by Sheila:

“Registre des Sepultures faites dans le Cimetière De la paroisse de St Ferdinand, Diocèse de Louisiane, commencé le premier de janvier L’année mil huit cent vingt deux 1822” which translates to “Record of the Burials made in the Cemetery Of the parish of St Ferdinand, Diocese of Louisiana, beginning the first of January In the year one thousand eight hundred twenty two 1822.” Found at:

St. Louis County Library – Headquarters
Tier 5 (top floor)
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598

Old St. Ferdinand Burial Records
Roll 167, Item 5

It has 95 pages and runs from 1822 to July 1876.”

A warm “Thank You!” to Sheila who has decided to input all the names on that roll. I cannot thank her enough!

You may first consult the Find A Grave page for the Old Saint Ferdinand Cemetery should you want to check for your own ancestors and then browse the pages of the database on Ancestry.com if you want the copy of the image.

There seems to be two other Tourville members in that cemetery (one is named Tourvelle). I still have to figure out who they are as they are young children. As for Charles Tourville, well back to work. I will find him too. From my desk or by travelling to Missouri. 😉

52ancestors-2015

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition #3 Malvina Tourville (née Hogue) (1859-1880)

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Last November, while in Salt Lake City, I found an article in the Daily Arkansas Gazette dated May 9, 1880 which referred to an article published in Montreal on April 30. A woman died from fright when she saw passing on the street two workers severely burned and injured at work. These men were brothers named Couvrette. The name of the woman is “Mrs. Tourville”, no other information provided.

The only person in my database who died in 1880 and was living in Montreal at the time was Malvina Hogue, wife of Moïse Tourville but I was pretty sure she wasn’t the one since she died on April 19. I then decided to go on the BANQ Website to check a French-Canadian newspaper, La Minerve. The one dated April 30 didn’t mention anything. May 1st edition maybe? Yes! It’s Malvina Hogue allright. The French newspaper gives much more details. Her husband’s name is mentioned. It says that she died the previous Thursday, that she was married for more than a year and that she had a heart condition. Oh! and the April 19 date was a transcription mistake that I did, I checked the original burial church record. It was April 29! The correction has been made on the Website.

Here are the two articles:

Daily Arkansas Gazette

Daily Arkansas Gazette, May 9, 1880, page 1

La Minerve 01051880 malvina hogue tourville

Source: Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec, La Minerve, May 1, 1880, page 1

Update: here is the translation of the French article

Death from Fright. – Thursday afternoon, at McDougall’s foundry, two moulders named Couvrette were seriously burned. One of them was working by a boiler full of molten iron and fell into it. He was severely burned on his hands and face. His brother working nearby rushed to help but was also badly burned when taking his brother out of the boiler. The two men were put in a carriage and were immediately taken at their home in St-Henri. Mrs. Moïse Tourville was standing at her door holding a child in her arms and saw them pass. The young woman was so shaken by this terrible scene that she said to a neighbor “Take my child, I am dying.” She was immediately taken inside her house where she died a few minutes later. Mrs. Tourville who was 20 years old was married for more than a year and was also known to have a heart condition. As for the two men who had unintentionally caused this sad accident, they are doing fine given the circumstances.

Malvina Hogue was born June 16, 1859 in Montreal (Hochelaga). She was the daughter of Pierre Hogue and Josephte Boyer. Malvina married Moïse Tourville on October 22, 1878 in St-Henri. She had a daughter named Évélina on August 31,1879 in St-Henri. She’s the child mentioned in the article.

That article is really a coincidence as I am searching family members of Moïse Tourville and his second wife, Azilda Labelle, whom he married in Chicago in 1884. This man had an exciting life. He will be featured in an article very soon.

52ancestors-2015

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition #2 – Some Kings: Marie Louise King (1852-1934), Oliver King (1829-1899), Joseph King (1831-1904)

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The “King” theme proposed by Amy Johnson Crow for the 52 Ancestors/52 Weeks challenge made me think of Marie Louise King. Funny thing, I received a picture of her from one family member the same week.

Marie Louise King (1852-1934)

Marie Louise Tourville (née King)  (1852-1934)

Marie Louise was born on March 10, 1852 in North Ferrisburgh, Addison County, Vermont. She was the daughter of Oliver King (Olivier Roi) and Eleonore Dufresne. She was baptized at St. Mary’s Church in Burlington Vermont, on June 5 of that same year.

Marie Louise was probably the oldest child. While we didn’t find any marriage record for her parents, her father was living with a Joseph King, perhaps his brother, in Ferrisburgh, Vermont in 1850, so Oliver and Eleonore probably got married in late 1850 or in 1851.

Until her marriage to Henry Tourville on June 25, 1870 in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Burlington, Vermont, Marie Louise lived in Ferrisburgh according to the 1860 and 1870 US Census. The couple quickly moved to Sparta, Wisconsin since their oldest son, Charles Henry Tourville, was born there on October 22, 1872. They had at least 5 other children. Henry Tourville and Marie Louise are both buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, in Sparta. Henry died on October 20, 1924 and Marie Louise, on May 4, 1934.

That was about the information I had at the time I received the photo of Marie Louise. I found out afterwards that her father Oliver was buried in East Charlotte, Vermont and that Find A Grave bio notes mentioned he was born on December 19, 1829. The death record for Ferrisburgh states his age as 68 years and 1 month in January 1899. So his birth month would be December but the year would be 1831, not 1829. There is another Olivier Roi born in December 1831. How can we be sure our Oliver is the one born in 1829?

I decided to try to find out what happened to his brother Joseph who was living with him in Ferrisburgh in 1850. I found a marriage record for a Joseph King in Vergennes, Vermont in 1856 to Charlotte Balduke (Bolduc). The couple had a male child born on May 15, 1857 in Vergennes. No trace of them afterwards. But I did find a Joseph King born 1831 in Canada who lived in Sparta, Wisconsin in 1860, the same town where his niece Marie Louise emigrated in the early 1870s, with wife Charlotte born 1838 in Vermont and son Augustus born 1857 in Vermont. They match the couple of Vermont.

The Joseph King of Wisconsin died there in 1904. Only his mother’s first name is given on his death record — Mary. But the given birthdate is January 1, 1832. Close enough, the birth date of Joseph Roi, brother of the Olivier Roi born in 1829 in Maskinongé, is the same but in 1831. In addition, according to Joseph’s 1876 marriage record, his parents are listed as Oliver and Louise King (the parents of Olivier born in 1829 and of Joseph born in 1831 were Olivier Roi and Louise Leblanc). Great, there you go! I ordered Joseph’s obit but haven’t received it yet — the summary mentions he had 3 wives. With the help of the census and the Wisconsin vital records, I did figure out that Joseph King was, as we know, first married to Charlotte Balduke and that they had at least one other child, a daughter named Charlotte, born in 1862 in Wisconsin (according to her marriage record). By 1870, Joseph was married to Addie who died in 1875. In 1876, Joseph got married to Mary A. Brown.

I will conduct further research on Joseph King. But now that we can establish that Oliver and Joseph are brothers, let’s see their family history.

Their parents, Olivier Roi and Louise Leblanc, were married in 1825 in Maskinongé, in Québec. They had 4 children: Marie-Louise (1827), Olivier (1829), Joseph (1831) and Clarisse (1833) who was born after her father passed away. Clarisse never left Canada.

Various records show that Oliver and Joseph probably emigrated to the United States around 1848. Both were blacksmiths.

On reception of the obits I ordered for Joseph King and Marie Louise King Tourville, I will update this post.

Moreover, many documents seem to be available regarding Joseph’s life while he was in Wisconsin. I will follow up on that as well.

52ancestors-2015

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition – #1 Jeanne Garnier (1683 – ?)

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Don’t we find wonderful things in the Archives? Take for instance Jeanne Garnier, who was a captive along with several family members after an Iroquois attack in November 1689 in Lachenaie. How can you even hope to know what happened to her? But before getting to this, let’s step back and tell about how it began.

In his master paper, Le Premier demi-siècle de Lachenaie (1670-1724) — The First 50 years of Lachenaie, Mario Nadon explains why we cannot find some death acts of the Hubous’ in the Catholic records.

Mathieu Hubou and Suzanne Betfer have had 9 children. In November 1689, Suzanne is the widow of Mathieu for already 11 years and at least five of her children are still living. Her two single sons are still living with her: Mathieu, 36 years old and Charles, 24 years old. Her two daughters are married: Geneviève to Julien Garnier and Anne to René Sauvageau. Jean Hubou is married for a year now to Marguerite Goulet. All are residents of Lachenaie.

For some years, the war between the French and the Indians has been going on. In August 1689, Lachenaie is attacked by the Iroquois. The residents are scared and find refuge in the fort of the seignory. In the fall, things seemed to calm down and they return home. However, during the night of November 13, 1689, they are attacked by some 150 Iroquois. Almost the third of the population had vanished, 33 people were killed or went missing.

The Hubous’ were not spared. Suzanne Betfer and Charles Hubou are supposedly dead. An inventory after death of Notary Basset dated December 12, 1689 confirms that Geneviève Hubou and Julien Garnier were killed or vanished during the night of November 13. Another document from Notary Basset dated June 1, 1691 mentions that René Sauvageau was killed by the Iroquois. Possibly five of his six children were also killed. That document also describes the transaction entered between Joseph Barbeau and Jean-Baptiste Hubou who is administrating the succession of Mathieu Hubou and Suzanne Betfer, of Julien Garnier and of René Sauvageau. This transaction is made to maintain the peace between the two parties as Joseph Barbeau was responsible for the death of Julien and René by the Iroquois.

After these events, Anne Hubou left Lachenaie with her daughter Anne Sauvageau for Montreal where she married Moïse Hilarest in 1691. She died in 1728, at 69 years old. However, her brothers stayed in the area. Mathieu Hubou was married to Catherine Goulet in 1694 and died in 1723 in St-François-de l’île Jésus. Jean Hubou died between 1696 and 1699. He was probably killed during a military campaign. He was the first guard of the marquis de Denonville. His widow was married to Michel Feuillon in 1699.

So Geneviève, aged 7 at the time of the events, would have been the sole survivor of the Garnier family. Her paternal uncle, Mathieu Hubou Deslongchamps is her tutor, attested by a tutorship act dated January 1698. She would have been the only heir.

On June 12, 1702, at age 20, Geneviève married Jean Rochon (or Rocheron) in St-François-de-Sales de l’île Jésus. Present at the ceremony are Jean Beauchamp, Pierre Beauchamp, Mathieu Hubou, her uncle and tutor, Catherine Goulet, her aunt, wife of Mathieu.

But a document dated June 27, 1706 and available on the Website of BANQ mentions that Julien Garnier was dead but her daughter Jeanne was a captive of the Iroquois and would be still alive, has married an Indian and was living with the Oneida nation.

We can almost imagine the panic of Jean Rocheron who asks the intendant Raudot to be able to have access to the inheritance of his wife. He says that the land of Julien Garnier was abandoned and in a very bad shape. He had to work a lot on that land and had put a lot of money for it. He mentions that it was always assumed that Jeanne was dead and he doesn’t think she will come back to Lachenaie as she lives the life of the Indians. Intendant Raudot made his decision: Jean Rocheron may take the possessions of Julien Garnier but if ever Jeanne comes back, half of the inheritance should be given to her. All the possessions of Julien Garnier are in Lachenaie.

Another document passed before Notary Senet July 15, 1711 states that Jeanne Garnier was living with the Iroquois. This document relates to a transaction passed between Jean Rocheron and Mathieu Hubou.

Geneviève and Jean had 13 children. Geneviève died in 1758 at age 76. Without ever seeing her sister.

Here are the Hubou family members who went missing after the night of November 13, 1689:

  • Suzanne Betfer, abt 55
  • Charles Hubou, 24
  • Julien Garnier, 40
  • Geneviève Hubou, 33
  • Pierre Garnier, 10
  • Jeanne Garnier, 6
  • Charles Garnier, 5
  • Michel Garnier, 4
  • Marguerite Garnier, 1
  • René Sauvageau, abt 67
  • Marguerite Sauvageau, 8
  • Marie-Thérèse Sauvageau, 7
  • Flavie Sauvageau, 5
  • Bernard Sauvageau,  2
  • Marie Sauvageau, 1

Reference:

Mario Nadon, Le Premier demi-siècle de Lachenaie (1670-1724)

Claude Martel, Lachenaie : du fort à la ville

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

“One Small Step for Man…”: Where Were You On July 20, 1969?

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If I were asked what was the most significant event of my childhood, it would be this one for sure. The day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

Newspapers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Newspapers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Before their marriage, during the 1950’s, my parents and my grandmother had spent their vacation at the Pension Langlois in Nominingue (Québec) on Lake Sainte-Marie. My parents loved to go on day trips by car and they didn’t have one for four long years. It is not surprising that when my father took possession of his brand new ’68 Impala that Spring, we ended up in Nominingue. Were we there because my parents were looking for a cabin to rent for the next summer vacation or did we just end up there and that gave them the idea of looking for one?

No matter what, with three young children, the Pension Langlois was out of the question. While riding around the lake, we saw some “Cabin for rent” posts and we ended up at the farm of Ovila Paiement who had three cabins for rent: the small white cabin, the large white cabin and the pink cabin. If I remember well, we even slept in the small white cabin that Saturday night which leads me to think that this day trip to Nomningue was not planned.

One year later, we returned to the small white cabin in Nominingue for the summer vacation and, of course, we were there on July 20, 1969. A few years back I said to my mother: “How lucky we were that Dad loved so much watching baseball games of the Montreal Expos on TV! If not, we would have never seen the men walking on the moon.” My mother replied: “You’ve got it wrong. That summer we rented a TV because Dad thought it would be such a shame to miss that historical moment, even if it was expensive for us at the time. Afterwards, he kind of enjoyed having the TV to watch baseball games.”

Well, that’s my father all right. He was so curious about everything. Anyway, I am so glad that he rented that TV in July 1969. Because I remember vividly the moment when we saw Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the moon and us, children, running out outside afterwards excited, looking at the moon and saying: “They are up there?! How cool is that?”

“If you believe they put a man on the moon…”.

Where were you on July 20, 1969? 😉

We will call her Hélène

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We will call her Hélène!

You so often told me that, after your birth, your father had pronounced these words with pride while entering the room. You loved your given name so much, and rightly so. Synonymous with gentleness and kindness, it suited you so well. The last child of a family of seven children, your parents must have welcomed your birth with joy and apprehension as both your brothers Maurice and Armand had died a few months before your were born.

You were undoubtedly loved and cherished and lived a happy childhood. You adored your parents. You lost your father when you were only 17 years’ old. But before your wedding, you enjoyed a privileged relationship with your mother.

Not even two weeks ago, we were looking through your photo albums together. We did it so often! How proud were you of all the trips you made when you were younger. When I told you that I would go visit Chicago at the end of August, you told me once again all about the World’s Fair of 1934 to which you had traveled by car with your family. You were only seven years’ old at the time, but you still remembered it so well.

You affectionately called me your traveling companion. We had so much fun together! Not to mention our shopping sprees! How can I ever forget our laughing fits in the fitting rooms of the US Outlets? During nearly 10 years or so, we went to the Sparhawk in Ogunquit, Maine. I remember seeing you sitting on the balcony, facing the sea, either reading a good detective novel or doing your famous crossword puzzles. Each year, thinking that it would be the last time, you were shedding a small tear. I made you laugh when I said “Come on, stop crying, I have already made our reservations for next year!”

In 2010, I came up with the idea of celebrating my 50th birthday in New York City. We had not been there in 16 years. You had always been afraid to travel by plane, you had not taken a flight since 20 years. When I told you about it, you told me you wanted to go there by train. I told you it would take too long. And by plane, we just take off and land, it would not even last an hour. Alzheimer’s disease has its benefits, the day of the flight, you had forgotten all your fears. When the plane started moving along the runway, you laughed as if you were in an amusement park ride, while, as usual, I was terrified when the plane took off. YOU held my hand.

We had made no plan for this four-day stay in New York City. In fact, our only goal was to go to Bloomingdale’s, which is the first thing we did upon our arrival. After that, we were so exhausted that we just fell asleep. “Mom, wake up, you must eat, it’s already 8:00 p.m.! You answered: Where are we? You will not believe me! Come see! Looking through the window, there was this breathtaking view of Avenue of the Americas with its countless yellow cabs and us, shedding tears of joy, as we were so happy to be there.

Of all the gifts you made to your traveling companion, that week-end was the most beautiful of all. The only thing that you refused to do was taking a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park. You were so afraid to be cold. You were always so cold, mom. When we got back, you regretted it and told me that next time, we would take that ride. Never mind, mom, I just read recently that carriage rides in Central Park were controversial. This was the perfect trip.

You undertook your last trip two days ago, mom. Godspeed! I already know that you no longer feel pain, that you no longer feel cold. Go meet up with René again. He is waiting for you with his lopsided smile. He was never very romantic, but I know that just to please you, he will sing you that Aznavour song you loved so much:

“The sky is weaving a wool blanket
Summer is preparing for its Winter retreat
But be not afraid of the cold, Hélène
I will keep you warm, I will keep you warm
Let’s go dream on the shore of the Seine
If there is still some green space out there
And if it’s quity chilly out of the sun, Hélène
I will keep you warm, I will keep you warm.”

This tribute was written 3 days ago. My dearest friend Danielle Assaad has kindly accepted to translate it to English for me. I wanted it to be perfect. Danielle, thank you so much. This text exactly says what I have written in French. You are the best!

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #14: Matilda Tourville (née LaQuire) (1847-aft 1886)

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I cannot post anything on Nettie Tourville, one of Charles and Sophia Arpajou’s children, before I tell you the story of my quest for Matilda Laquire (1847-?).

Never give up.

Used to a goldmine of genealogical information from the Quebec Catholic Records, I was at a lost with Matilda, the wife of Louis Tourville.

All the information I had was the following:

  • In 1866, she had a daughter baptized at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Chateaugay, NY. Her maiden name was recorded as Sequin.
  • She appeared in the 1880 US Census as the wife of Louis Tourville in Grand Haven, MI, born about 1847 in Vermont and her parents, in Pennsylvania.

Never give up, I am telling you.

I don’t know why but I always thought that the fact that her parents were supposedly born in Pennsylvania might be a mistake. I mean her name, Sequin, looked a lot like Seguin or Séguin, which are very common surnames here in Quebec. But as Louis fought in the Civil War I thought that maybe he met her closer to Washington, DC, in Virginia, or even in Pennsylvania.

What to do?

I first checked the original document from St. Patrick’s to see if there was a mistake in the transcription. Nope. I then looked for all Sequin or Seguin families in Vermont, hoping to find her in 1850 or 1860: nothing.

Louis and Matilda’s daughter Lizzie died at age 1 in Grand Haven in 1869. No more clue. Next, I tried to find their daughters Jennie and Clarissa after 1880. Ah! that 1880-1900 gap! I did find a marriage for Clarissa Tourville and Edward Palmer in 1886 in Grand Haven but nothing more than that, except it confirmed that Matilda was still living in 1886 as she was one of the witnesses at the marriage. I did find an Edward Palmer in 1900 but he was married to another woman. Was he the same one? He was indeed as I found a second marriage for him in 1892 and that his obituary confirmed that he was the same Edward Palmer who married Clarissa. The Palmers’ came from Allegan County and I found the records for the cemetery family lot and no Clarissa.

By the way, the Clarissa Tourville Palmer case is still cold.

My first break came from my first trip to Salt Lake City. By looking at all the vital records for Ottawa County, I found the birth of Clarissa in 1869 (no maiden name for the mother) and I found a marriage for a Jennie Lovill married to a Marine Kamphout in 1883. That L from Lovill looked like a T so I decided to follow that track. I found the couple in the 1900 US Census and I found births in the vital records of Ottawa County (online) that matched the names on the census.

I had no proof that this person was indeed the daughter of Louis and Matilda but I had no other clue to pursue.

So I followed Jennie or Mary Jane as she was later called n the census until 1930 where she lived with her daughter in Wyandotte, near Detroit. Marinus Kamhout died in 1906 so in 1910 I found the daughters with their remarried mother in Michigan. In 1920, Mary Jane was back to the Kamhout surname. Who knows what happened with that marriage?

My second big break came from the Louttit Library in Grand Haven. A wonderful woman sent me some newspaper clips (they were not online at the time) as well as a cemetery lot listing for the family. I then had a date for the death of Mary Jane! But… nothing in the Grand Haven newspapers even if she was buried there in 1953.

I even ordered a microfilm through BANQ for a Detroit newspapers (one of her son died there) and I couldn’t find anything still.

Have I ever told you that I have never found ANYBODY in those funeral home repertoires? On another trip to Salt Lake City, I was going through the Michigan books on the US Book Floor and I saw a funeral home repertoire for Wyandotte. I opened it and I almost screamed (I think I did)!

There she was: Mary Jane Kamhout. And that funeral home index refered to a record of funeral in another book which was also on the shelves and it even looked like a DEATH certificate.

Hummm! Father: Louis Detourville. Mother: Matilda LaQuire. Where is that surname coming from? I was so excited I ran to a computer to search for Laquires. First thing I noticed, some Laquires are corrected to Lecuyer and that is also a common surname in Quebec. I also saw Saquire corrected to Laquire. Humm! Saquire and I had Sequin all along. So I went on the Lecuyer trail. Cold trail too.

Then I decided to go through the Vermont vital records for Laquires. I found out that some were living in Ferrisburgh very near the families I knew from the Tourvilles’ circle of family and friends. Interesting.

I looked through the Vermont Vital Records and found a Matilda Laquire married to a Lewis Covill (my second scream of the day). Remember that sometimes the Tourvilles were also called Courville in various catholic church records.

Matilda was the daughter of Mitchell Laquire and Mary German. I found two other marriages for children of Mitchell and Mary German. I could not find the family in censuses. They obviously came to the States after 1850 and the 1851 Canadian Census record for their parish were lost. I did find Matilda, living alone in 1860 in Vermont.

As the Laquire trail went cold also, I decided to go through the Germans. Hummm! Was it German for Lallemand, a French surname here? Nope. It was for Germain or St-Germain. So with a lot of research I did find the St-Germain in Quebec and in St. Mary’s Catholic Repertoire of Burlington. And there it was: Lequin. The name in Quebec was Lequin or Lequien.

After that, it was so easy.

Michel Lequin married Marie-Louise St-Germain on November 3, 1840, in Marieville, Québec. Mathilde was born May 13, 1847 in Mont-St-Grégoire. Michel died in Farnham in 1855, the record states he was living in the United States. Mary German may have remarried in Vermont but no trace of her after that.

As I mentioned before, the last trace of Matilda Laquire Tourville was in 1886 as she was the witness at Clarissa’s marriage. I will never give up. I am pretty sure that one of these days I will find her even if I have no trace of her death in Michigan, Minnesota or even Vermont. And of course, I looked for siblings’ obituaries. No such luck.

But my biggest break was this: while I was looking at the Vermont vital records index on microfilms in Montreal, I saw a child named German, father was Joseph German and the mother was Nettie TOURVILLE. Who was that Nettie?!

I suddenly remembered that years ago someone gave me the name of the children of Charles and Sophia Arpajou from the Clarence Tourville Book and that Sophia (married to Joseph Giguère as I proofed later) was mentioned as being married to a Joseph St-Germain. I never found the couple and as later I found the name of Joseph Giguère, I thought it was a simple mistake. Yeah, MY mistake.

Who was that Nettie? The answer in post #15 coming soon!

 

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #13: Louis Tourville (1844-1912)

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Charles Tourville and Sophie Arpajou had eight children who made it to adulthood, four sons and four daughters. Let’s continue with one of their sons, Louis Tourville, a Civil War veteran.

Louis was born on September 30, 1844 and baptized 6 days later, on October 6, in St-Hughes, Québec. His father Charles was absent at the baptismal ceremony which led me to believe that he was perhaps working in Addison County while Sophia was waiting for Louis’ birth at their house in St-Hughes.

As I explained in previous posts, it seems that around 1850 Charles, then a widower, went on to live with his sister Catherine, brother-in-law and nephews in Chateaugay, NY to get some help from Catherine to raise the younger children. By the end of 1851 or beginning of 1852, we can assume that both the families of Louis’ siblings, Charles Jr and Sophia, moved to Chateaugay after living a few years in Addison County, VT. His brother Joseph and sister Julia seemed to have spent all their lives in Clinton or Franklin Counties after their mother’s death. A decade later, around 1862-63, two other siblings, Peter Stephen and Philomena, also moved from Vergennes, VT to Franklin County, NY with their spouse and children. Nettie will be the only one who will stay permanently in Vermont with her family.

What about Louis? In 1860, he was living in Vergennes within the household of a lawyer. According to the census, at age 15, he attended school during the year which is a little bit surprising to me. Was he working there as a servant as well? Because another boy in the same household was a servant and had also attended school that same year at age 17. Maybe there are some research to do about that lawyer, George W. Grandey. We know for sure that Louis was educated because he knew how to sign his name.

One year later, on September 6, 1861, Louis enrolled in the Civil War. He was mustered in on September 20, fighting with Company F, in the 2nd Regiment of Vermont. Some hints about his appearance: he was 5′ 6″, had black hair and dark eyes. You can read the organization and service of Louis regiment here.

Some important dates concerning Louis’ Civil War Service:

  • He survived the Battle of Gettysburg, PA, which occured July 2-4, 1863.
  • He was mustered out on December, 20,1863 but re-enlisted the following day at Brandy Station, VA.
  • He was wounded from a musket gun shot in the right thigh at the battle of the Wilderness, VA, on May 5, 1864, which lasted 3 days. The ball entered on the inside about 6 or 7 inches above the knee joint and exited nearly opposite its entry. He was admitted at Campbell General Hospital, in Washington, D.C. on May 11, 1864.
  • On May 16, 1864, Louis was furloughed. He returned to duty on August 1, 1864.
  • He was struck in the left thigh by a piece of an exploded shell at the Third Battle of Winchester, VA, on September 19, 1864.
  • He was hospitalized in Montpelier, VT General Hospital and during the following months he is listed as present at the Fort Wood Station, on Bedloe’s Island, in the New York Harbor. By November 1864, he was back with his regiment.
  • He was promoted Corporal on January 1, 1865.
  • He was mustered out with the rest of the regiment on July 15, 1865, in Washington, D.C. although some papers in his Pension file also mentioned July 20 as his discharge date.
Louis' Hospital Card in Washington, DC

Louis’ Hospital Card in Washington, DC

Shortly after his service, on September 20, 1865, Louis married Matilda LaQuire (or Lequin in Québec) in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, before a Methodist minister. Matilda was no stranger to Louis as she was the cousin of Joseph St-Germain, his brother-in-law. The couple quickly moved to Chateaugay, NY as Matilda gave birth there to daughter Mary Jane on December 6, 1865 and baptized on January 1, 1866 at the local St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

You people out there did notice the dates and did the math. I suppose that Louis did her a favor. I have no proof that he was back in Vermont nine months or even seven months before the birth of Mary Jane. I also noticed that Mary Jane stated her birth year as 1866. She was probably told that she was born in 1866. You can change a birth date but not the timeline of the Civil War.

At the end of the summer of 1868, the couple welcomed another daughter, Lizzie. A few months later, the family moved to Grand Haven, MI. On August 19, 1869, Lizzie died at age 1, from teething. On December 23, 1869, a third daughter was born, Clarissa.

I know from various Grantor/Grantee Indexes that a land was purchased from Louis in 1866, 1868 as well as in 1872 in Chateaugay, NY but I haven’t seen the documents. Only very recently have I found the birth of another child, George, who was born on March 17, 1872 in Ferrisburgh, VT. He was baptized 4 days later at the Charlotte Catholic Church. I think there is a possibility that his brother Peter Stephen was living on the land as it was sold to Peter by Louis in 1884. The family probably returned to Grand Haven shortly after George’s birth.

I tried everything to find Louis and Matilda in the 1870 US Census in Michigan without any luck. Same thing for Louis sister’s Philomena and her husband Dwight Daniels who also lived in Grand Haven at the same time.They were left out.

According to the 1880 US Census, Louis was living in Grand Haven, working in a livery stable, with his wife Matilda and their two daughters, Mary and Clarissa. So his son George either died in Vermont or in Michigan. On January 1, 1883, Louis’ name appeared in the 1883 Michigan Civil War Pension Roll as a resident of Grand Haven. Also the Grand Haven G.A.R. Post #75 1883 List states that he was a sailor. His daughter Mary Jane was married in 1883 to Marinus Kamhout and his daughter Clarissa was married in 1886 to Edward Palmer, both in Grand Haven. Clarissa’s father-in-law, Philander Palmer, a physician, was also a Civil War Veteran and was a member of G.A.R. Post #75 with Louis.

Clarissa is high on my “Missing People” list. Edward Palmer married his second wife in 1892 but I have no idea what happened to Clarissa. In fact, Clarissa’s marriage is the last trace I found of Matilda as well as she was the witness for the bride.

By 1886, Louis moved to Minneapolis, MN. He occupied all kind of jobs there: hackman, laborer, hostler, groom, teamster. For a time, he was working at E.C. Butts & Sons. E.C. Butts was a native a Vermont and had also a business in Grand Haven. I often wondered if Louis left Grand Haven because his wife died. Or had he left with her and she died in Minneapolis? Or has he simply left his family? A questionnaire sent to the veterans in 1898 concerning the family members of the veterans only states: “Wife dead”  written by Louis’ hand. No mention of his daughters.

By 1896 Louis was back in Grand Haven as he was working as a porter at an hotel there. In 1907, he declared that he then lived in Chateaugay, NY. His name is not in the 1905 NY State Census so we can assume he came back to Chateaugay around 1907. We found him there in 1910, living with his nephew Albert.

In order to receive his pension, Louis had to go through a biannual medical exam from what I gathered.The first one was in Malone, NY in 1867. The doctor declared him one half incapacitated and the disability was permanent. Louis complained of rheumatic pains in the leg which became aggravated after much fatigue. The next exams were in Grand Haven, MI, in both 1873 and 1875. In 1877, the exam was made in Grand Rapids, MI. The later exams were in Minneapolis in 1890, 1891 and 1892. His pension was first at the monthly rate of $4, then went down to $2. He did challenge the amount but he had to wait until 1907 to get a monthly rate of $12 due to his age (over 62). His medical reports also showed his weight gain. From 145 lbs at age 29 to 165 lbs at age 45.

Louis died on March 27, 1912 in Chateaugay. At the time, he was living with his nephew Albert Tourville. He was buried in St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, in Chateaugay, NY. All these long trips accross the country and he died where he grew up as child.

 

Louis Tourville Obituary - March 29, 1912 - Chateaugay Record and Franklin Democrat

Louis Tourville Obituary – March 29, 1912 – Chateaugay Record and Franklin Democrat

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #12: Philomène Leblanc (1847-1915)

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PhilomeneI discovered recently that I have an Acadian line. I am very excited about this because I have never done any serious research about that line.

My paternal great-grandmother, Philomène Leblanc, married Joseph Tourville on April 30, 1883, at Ste-Brigide Church in Montréal. Joseph had lost his first wife, Georgiana Dufault, six months earlier. With seven young children still living, he was probably looking for a new wife to help him raise the children.

Philomène was born on July 8, 1847 and baptized the next day in St-Jacques-de-l’Achigan in Québec. Her parents were Pierre Leblanc and Émilie Gaudet, all of Acadian ancestry. Her father was a farmer first in St-Jacques and then in St-Liguori-de-Montcalm. They left St-Liguori for Montréal shortly after Émilie’s death in July 1873. After her father’s death in 1879, Philomène was living with her sister and brother-in-law. According to the Lovell Directory and 1881 Canadian Census, she was a dressmaker. When she married Joseph, she was almost 36 years old. She had 6 children with Joseph, all died in infancy except the first-born, my grandfather Ovila.

Philomène died on May 5, 1915, at age 67 in Montréal and is buried in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery.

Philomène Leblanc (1847-1915), my paternal great-grandmother, was an Acadian.

Philomène Leblanc (1847-1915), my paternal great-grandmother, was an Acadian.

Since I have been looking for her four ancestral lines, I learned so much. I am very much interested as of what happened to my 4th great-grandparents who were deported to Massachusetts and Connecticut in 1755. On my next trip to Salt Lake City, I hope to get some work done on that fascinating line!

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

52 Ancestors / 52 Weeks is an idea proposed by Amy Johnson Crow. Link on the image for more details about it.

June is a Time for Vacation and the Challenge A to Z

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challengeazThere is a challenge for geneabloggers that is held during the month of April and that consists of publishing one post per day using all the letters of the alphabet during the course of the month.

French Genealogist Sophie Boudarel of the blog La Gazette des Ancêtres did propose such a challenge to French-speaking bloggers last year. For 2014, the Challenge AZ will be held in June and I chose to participate.

Sophie suggested that we have a theme for the whole month. I wasn’t sure I was going to participate as I didn’t have any idea. Finally, it strucked me. I will publish a family photo with a theme related to that picture starting Saturday May 31 and ending Monday June 30. Sophie is kind to us, we have Sundays off! With all those photos that I always wanted to scan, this will be a great excuse to finally get to it.

As my blog is bilingual I have decided to go ahead anyway even if the Challenge was in April for the English-speaking community in 2014. My posts will be first done in French so I may not always respect the alphabetical order but we’ll see what my score will be!

The French community has a Facebook page for this challenge: Bloguez votre généalogie de A à Z.

Hope you will enjoy the posts!

The Challenge A to Z is proposed to the French-community of bloggers by Sophie Boudarel of La Gazette des ancêtres.

The Challenge A to Z is proposed to the French-speaking community of bloggers by Sophie Boudarel of La Gazette des ancêtres.