January 11, 2019: Favorite Photos

January 11, 2019 Week 2 Favorite Photo

There were many challenges in my family’s past.  I am kind of skipping and jumping here, so I will jump to Grandma’s parents. Edward Rivard immigrated to the US and settled in Newport MI.  He was the youngest of 17 children born to Jean Baptiste Rivard and Adelaide Loranger.  Edward was born 20 November 1851 in St Alban, Quebec.  Jean Baptiste and Adelaide were married in Quebec in 1831. Shortly before Edward married Rose LaDuke, his mother gave him 40 acres at the corner of Telegraph and Newport Roads, in Ash Township. The land records show he paid her $1.00 for this transaction.   He was to live there the rest of his life.  He married Rose LaDuke, the daughter of Louis Leduc and Eliza Tessier, on 8 January 1879 in Newport MI.   They raised a family of at least nine children: Agnes 1879, Ada 1882, Felix 1884, Joseph 1885, Rosa Cecelia 1886, Eli 1890, Louis 1888, Eliza 1893, and Mae 1895.  As mentioned before, Joseph was just a toddler when he died of an epidemic, and Eli died of appendicitis in 1914.  The remaining children lived long and productive lives.  Agnes and Addie married brothers, Louis, Rose, and Eliza (Lena) married into non-French families, breaking a long line of French marrying French.  Edward died on 25 February 1937, and Rose lived for a time with her daughter Lena.  She died on 23 October 1949.  Lena was supportive, compassionate, and generous. She not only opened her home to her mother, she also took in several of her sister Mae’s children.  Lawrence LaFountain, her husband left her a widow, and she died young also.  The children did not all end up in the same home, but Grandma Lena raised several, her sister Rose took in one, and a family friend took in one.  After Lena’s husband died, she also took in her father-in-law Nikolaus Wickenheiser. 

When Fermi and Fermi II were being built in the 60’s and 70’s, Grandma also boarded some of the men that worked there during the week, far from their own homes.  Son-in-law Irving Reaume worked there and found reliable, good men to live at her home.  They paid for room and board, but more than that, Grandma said she felt safer with her “boys” there.   But it did cut down on the time her grandkids were able to spend the night.  She didn’t usually allow us to stay there when the men were in residence.  Grandma did love a crowd around her!  She loved to play cards, sing, and daily spent time in prayer, saying the Rosary religiously.  She was such a good woman.

In the 1990’s, the family decided to do a family cookbook.  Sprinkled throughout the book were memories and stories.  The book was dedicated to Lena, and cousin Ron Wickenheiser drew a sketch of her home as the cover.  It was a project born of love and respect, and once the family had copies, it was sold in the local bookstore as well.  I don’t know how many copies were printed, that is something my Aunt Rose would have known, but in the family alone it was hundreds. I bought three myself and put two away until my children were grown enough to appreciate them.  I always mourned the fact that the kids never got to know either their grandmother or great grandmother.

 I wrote a brief biography of my GGF Louis LeDuc (to morph into LaDuke) for the family reunion booklet in 2018.

I got the portrait copy from my cousin Janet.  The top half of his head was missing…. She couldn’t find the other piece.

“L’histoire de Louis LeDuc

The history of Louis Benjamin Leduc began in Normandy, France, where his ancestor Jean LeDuc was born c. 1600.   He married Cecile Le Chaperon c. 1622 in Bretagne, France.  Their son Jean was born in 1624 in LaPerche, France.  Jean immigrated to the colony of New France and married Marie Marthe Soulignie, in Montreal, Canada. She was born in Saintonge, France in 1632.  Their son, Jean, was born in Montreal in 1653.  He married Marguerite Desrochers in 1683. Their son Rene was born in 1711, in Montreal.  Rene traveled down the St. Lawrence to the Detroit settlement in Michigan territory, where he married Veronique St Denis in 1762.  Their son Louis Amable Leduc was born in 1759.  He married Cecile Labadie at St Anne Church in Detroit territory, and son Louis Benjamin was baptized there on 17 November 1809. The family travelled down the river to the Frenchtown settlement, where Louis Benjamin married Euphrosine Tessier dit Santure in 1849.

She was the descendant of Artis Tessier and Jeanne Meine, who were born in Anjou France. Their son Urbain was one of the original 70 Frenchmen who established a post in New France in 1641. He was a soldier, pit sawyer, carpenter, and Indian fighter.  He married Marie Archambault, daughter of Jacques Archambault and Francoise Toureau.  She was just a 12-year-old girl at the time of their marriage.  Urbain and Marie had 17 children, 13 of whom reached adulthood.  Their son Ignace was born in 1677 in Montreal.  He married Marie Marguerite L’hussier in 1703, and of their 12 children, son Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne was born in 1708.  He married Marie Genevieve Parenteau born 1715 in Yamanska.  Their son Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne was born in 1747 in Montreal, but he apparently had the same wanderlust as his intrepid ancestor Urbain.  By the late 1700’s he was a resident of St Antoine de Riviere aux Raisins, Frenchtown settlement, Michigan territory.  He married Barbara McDonald in St Anne Church, Detroit, on 31 October 1790.  Barbara is an anomaly in our ancestry.  She came from Assumption Sandwich (Ontario) but very little is known about her, including birthdate or parents name. She is the first non-French name we have documented.  We like to think she was Scots or Irish (McDonald!)  and that, in theory only, is where all the red headed descendants came from.

Pierre owned a ribbon farm along the Riviere aux Raisins as early as 1788.  He and Barbara had several children, and Pierre and a few of the children were buried at St Antoine cemetery.  Their son Dominique Tessier dit Santure was born in 1794, and married Teresa Chauvin and they had seven children, among them Euphrosine Tessier dit Santure born in 1826.

Louis LeDuc had married Clara Robert, and had one son, also named Louis.  Clara died young, and Louis married Euphrosine Tessier dit Santure on 28 October 1849, and by then their names had changed to Louis LaDuke and Eliza Santure.  Residing and

farming in Berlin township, Michigan, they raised eleven children.  Louis was active in community and religious affairs.

The residents of the settlement had been striving to establish a church, building several log structures with the labor and donations of families who wished to have a church in their settlement.  In 1853 another church was erected with the promise of a resident pastor. Four acres of land was donated a short distance from Dixie Highway on Trombley Road.  Shortly after this the old White Cemetery that had served the area was abandoned, and a parcel of land was donated by Louis LaDuke. (see the plat map) LeDuc Cemetery served the parish of St Charles Church until 1898 when a larger parcel was designated as the New St Charles Cemetery and LeDuc Cemetery became known as the Old St Charles Cemetery.  In 1882 the cornerstone was laid for the present St Charles Borromeo Church; a building Louis would have been proud to be a part of starting.

Louis was a well-respected farmer and pillar of the young St Charles parish. He embraced the Catholic Religion that was his heritage. By all accounts he was a pious yet fun loving family man. The family was raised with the customs and language of the French Canadians that were their ancestors.

The daughter of Louis and Eliza, Rose Anna LaDuke, born 24 March 1858, married Canadian immigrant Edward Rivard, born 20 November 1851 in St Alban Quebec, Canada.  They married at St Charles Church 8 January 1879.  They were the parents of nine children, including Eliza Paulina born 10 January 1893 in

Newport. Young Lena, as she was known, spoke French in the home, but English in the greater community.  She was the first generation to have formal schooling. She married August John Wickenheiser on 20 April 1915, also at St Charles Church.  She was the next French Canadian after Pierre to marry a non-French person. Our grandparents, Lena and Gus, raised a large family of their own, continuing to practice the religion of their parents at St Patrick Church, Carleton, MI.

In the 1970’s this granddaughter of Louis LaDuke; Lena Wickenheiser, replaced the headstones of Louis and Eliza and erected a large granite cross inscribed with the LaDuke name for the family plot in the Old St Charles Cemetery.  He would be proud that his granddaughter gave this tribute to his Eliza and himself, and prouder still that his descendants still gather biannually to celebrate the legacy of family, friendship, and love that he was an instrumental part of.

My sister and I had been researching the Tessier Line for the 200^th anniversary of the founding of Frenchtown now Monroe, MI.  The research was to provide documentation that we descended from an original settler. Beautiful Bi-centennial certificates were issued for those who sent in the information.  We decided to send for 6 certificates, one for each of our siblings and ourselves.  This was done in 2017, but the information was gatherer in time for the 2016 Reunion.  We went to Canada in 2017 and found some interesting places, including the site of the first Tessier in Canada’s original land grant.  The site is now a bank, but it was awesome to stand on that spot.  But more about that trip later…. Suffice it to say, I am proud to be descended from an original settler of Frenchtown.

“Tessier Lineage

Urbain Tessier dit Lavigne, born 24 February 1624 in Chateau, Anjou France, was the son of Artus Tessier and Jeanne Meine.  He was one of the original 70 Frenchmen who established a post in New France (Quebec) in 1641.  He was a soldier, pit sawyer, carpenter, farmer, and Indian fighter.  He married Marie Archambault on 28 September 1648.

Marie was baptized on 24 February 1636 at Dumpierre-sur-Mer, in Aunis France, daughter of Jacques Archambault and Francoise Toureau.  Marie was 12 years and 7 months at the time of her marriage.  Urbain and Marie had 17 children, 13 of whom reached adulthood. 

Urbain Tessier received a land grand in Montreal 10 January 1648 by M. de Maisonneuve.  He was also one of the first 5 colonists to have a child baptized in Montreal. Urbain was taken prisoner by the Iroquois on 24 March 1661, along with thirteen others. He was liberated on 31 August 1661, minus one or more fingers lost to torture. Urbain died at Montreal and was buried 21 March 1698 at Notre-Dame de Montreal, Quebec.  Marie died on 6 August 1719 at Pointe-Aux Trembles, near Montreal.

Ignace Tessier dit Lavigne, son of Urbain and Marie was born in Montreal, and baptized there on 11 March 1677.  He married Marie Marguerite Lussier, the daughter of Jacques L’hussier and Catherine Clerice, in Repentigny Quebec on 23 May 1703. Marguerite was baptized at Boucherville on 05 September 1683.  Ignace and Marguerite had two known children, Margaret and Pierre. Ignace died in 1747 and Marguerite died in 1748. She was buried at Repentigny on 07 May 1748.

Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne was born 29 June 1708 in Repentigny, to Ignace and Marguerite, and was baptized that day at Regentigny parish by Father Gaschien. He married Marie Charlotte Forcier (1707-1744).  After Charlotte’s death he married Marie Genevieve Parenteau who was born 26 September 1715.  Genevieve was the daughter of Pierre Parenteau and Marguerite St Laurent. They were married 30 June 1745 at Yamanska parish Quebec by Father FXN Brassard. Their marriage produced 8 children (in addition to the 4 children from his first marriage).

Pierre died and was buried on 6 February 1759, at Yamanska parish, officiated by Father Jean Baptiste Delabrosse.  Genevieve died 10 December 1760, and was buried at Yamanska parish on 11 December 1760, officiated by Father Parent.

Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne was born on 11 December 1747, to Pierre and Genevieve, at St Michel, Montreal.  He was a resident of St. Antoine (Monroe) at the time of his marriage to Barbara Madeleine McDonald on 31 October 1790 at Ste. Anne Church in Detroit.  Barbara was from Assumption Sandwich (Ontario), but very little is known about her early life, including date of birth and parents’ names. Pierre and Barbara lived at St Antoine where Pierre was listed as a land owner along the River Raisin as early as 1788.  Pierre and Barbara had several children; he died in 1801 and was buried at St Antoine.  A proclamation signed by President James Madison in 1812 describes a parcel of land to be had and held by his widow and heirs. 

Dominique Tessier dit Santure, son of Pierre and Barbara, was listed as property owner of the land next to his father’s claim. He was born 15 April 1794 at Riviere aux Raisins. He married Teresa Chauvin, who was baptized at Ste. Anne, Detroit, and they had 7 children, including 2 infants buried at St Antoine, and a daughter Euphrosine Tessier dit Santure born in 1826. Dominique died in 1869 in Newport MI. Teresa died in 1849.

Euphrosine Tessier dit Santure became known as Eliza Santure.  She married Louis Benjamin LaDuke on 28 October 1849. Louis was the son of Louis LaDuke and Cecilia Labadie, and was born 17 November 1809 in Detroit, MI.  They had 8 children and lived in Berlin Township, MI.  The property for the old St Charles cemetery (Dixie Hwy. west of Swan Creek Rd.) was donated by Louis and Eliza. Louis died in 1887 and Eliza died in 1893. Both are buried at the old St. Charles cemetery which they endowed.

The daughter of Eliza and Louis, Rose Anne LaDuke was born 24 March 1858 in Oldport MI.  She married Edward Rivard, born 20 November 1851.  Edward was born in St Alban Quebec, the son of Jean-Baptiste Rivard and Adelaide Loranger.

Edward and Rose Anne had 9 children. Daughter Eliza Paulina (Lena) born 10 January 1893, married August John (Gus) Wickenheiser, born 25 December 1893, on 20 April 1915 at St Charles church, Newport, MI.   Edward died 25 February 1937 and Rose Anne died 24 October 1949.  Both are buried at the “new” St. Charles cemetery in Newport, MI (Dixie Hwy. east of Swan Creek Rd).

Lena and Gus had 10 children. Gus died 23 July 1942; Lena died 9 June 1972. Both are buried at St Patrick cemetery #2 (Exeter Rd. just north of S. Stony Creek Rd.)

Urbain Tessier (1624-1698)

    Ignace Tessier dit Lavigne (1677-1747)

                Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne (1708-1759)

                                Pierre Tessier dit Lavigne (1747-1801)

                                                Dominique Tessier dit Santure (1794-1869)

                                                                Euphrosine Tessier (Eliza Santure) (1826-1893)

                                                                                Rose Anna LaDuke (1858-1949)

                                                                                                Eliza Paulina (Lena) Rivard (1893-1972)

                                                                                                                Clara Mary Wickenheiser (1917-1975)

                                                                                                                                Linda Frances Joblinski (1952-)

                                                                                                                                Rana Marie Joblinski {1955 -)

Researched by Linda Joblinski Tilley and Rana Joblinski Willit, with inspiration from our aunts Rosemary Wickenheiser Zochowski (1928-2012) and Ellen Patch Wickenheiser. This lineage was documented and presented to the Genealogical Society of Monroe County as part of its project to recognize the descendants of original land owners of Monroe County.”

                                                                                                               

The challenge this week is a favorite photo, I love this one of my grandparents and their children.  Grandma wrote on it “the first 5”, there were 5 more to come. The girl in white is my mother Clara.  We are fortunate to have photos of her childhood.  They are sorely lacking in my Dad’s family.  Nothing till he was a teenager….  Except a first communion or confirmation photo.

Both my parents were raised during the Depression, and it is a wonder that photographing their family was a priority.  My mom took bread spread with lard, sometimes sprinkled with sugar to school in her lunch pail.   Both were raised on farms, so they did have enough to eat.  Mom wore flour sack dresses, they all pitched in and worked around the home and the farm, and they weathered the hard times better than many.

A reminder for those not used to older pictures.  Exposure time for photographs was much longer than it is now, so that is why they usually look so solemn.  It is easier to hold a straight face than a smile.  Plus, it was a serious thing, getting yourself or your family photographed.  Smiles didn’t enter the picture, so to speak, until advances in technology allowed for quicker exposure times. 

                                                                                                                                                                               

This is my grandparent’s wedding photo, April 1915.  Isn’t she beautiful?  They were attended by her sister Rose and his friend.  They look very happy and in love, don’t they?   I will show this photo later, with another story about my grandparents on both sides…

This is Grandpa Gus and his “fast pony.”  Grandma said he liked fast horses and had the fastest horse in Carleton.   Note the bib overalls.  Grandpa is seen in many photographs wearing such attire.  Grandma always wore a dress.  I don’t think she ever put a pair of trousers on.