THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EARLY SETTLERS PROJECT

  

                                                                                                       

Joseph Roy dit Chatellereau was born 28 December 1762 to Joseph Roy dit Chatellereau and Marie Louisa Laganiere, in LaParade QP.  He married Archange Toupin dit Dusseau on 19 May, 1794 at Ste Anne church Detroit, Michigan.  She was the daughter of Louis Joseph Dussault and Louisa Marguerite St Martin and was born 16 January 1765.  In the Ste Anne record, both are listed as members of the parish, residents of Riviere aux Raisin.  They were the parents of nine known children; Pascal, Marguerite, Jean Baptiste, Monica, Joseph, Antoine Francois, Veronique, Marie Louise, and Archange.  Joseph died on 13 December 1831. Archange died 14 May 1833 and both were buried at St Antoine cemetery, Monroe, MI.

Pascal Roy dit Chatellereau was born 5 April 1795 at St Antoine, MI.  He married Catherine Reaume on 15 May 1821 at Ste Anne Church, Detroit, MI.  Catherine was born 12 July 1803 at St Antoine to Jean Baptiste Reaume and Marie Suzor.  They were the parents of seven known children; David, Dominick, Catherine, an infant daughter, Julia, Isadore, and Angelina. Pascal was a private in the Michigan Militia Second Regiment during the War of 1812, serving under Colonel John Anderson August 1812. He died in 1839 and Catherine died 12 July 1849.  Both are buried at St Antoine.

Dominick Chatellereau was born 4 January 1823 in Erie, Michigan. He married Modesta Baron on 28 November 1843 at St Joseph sur le Baie, Erie, Michigan.  Modesta was the daughter of Basil Baron and Catherine Rau and was born 31 December 1827.  They were the parents of seven known children: Marie, Moses, Amelia aka Emily, Samuel, Albert, Robert and Victoria.   Dominick served in the 18th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. Modesta died 2 May 1885 and Dominick died 30 January 1900.

Marie aka Mary Chatellereau was born 13 January 1848 and married Alexander Russeau on 29 August 1865 at St Joseph sur la Baie Erie, Michigan.  He was the son of Joseph Russeau and Catherine Monet and was born 18 December 1941. During the Civil War he served in K Company, 18th Regiment. He enlisted at age 21 on 26 August 1862 and mustered out on 26 June 1865 at Nashville, Tennessee. He later received a pension.  He and Marie had eight known children: Jerome, George, Charles, Laura, Flaget, Mabel, Silas, and Rader. Marie died 27 January 1892 and Alexander later married Angelina Cousino.  He died 2 January 1912 in Erie, Michigan.  He is buried at St Joseph, Erie.

Charles Russeau was born 12 April 1871 in Monroe, Michigan.  He married Mary St. Bernard on 17 August 1877 in Erie, Michigan. She was the daughter of Sylvester St. Bernard and Catherine Reau and was born on 6 August 1879 in Erie.  They had nine known children: Edgar, Leonard aka Leo, Amy, Hazel, Alda, Roy, Mamie, Hilda and Radis.  Mary died 8 August 1934 in Monroe, Michigan.  Charles died 19 February 1941 in Erie and is buried at St Joseph Cemetery, Monroe, Michigan.

Leonard aka Leo Charles Russeau was born 30 July 1898 in LaSalle, Michigan and married Leona Viola Bomia 26 July 1920 in Toledo Ohio.  She was the daughter of Henry Bomia and Monica Druilliard and was born 14 June 1905.  They were the parents of ten children: June Leona, Marvin Joseph, Matilda Odelia, Betty Jane, Virginia, Janice, Judy, an infant son, Colvin Leo, and Deanna. Leona died 24 June 1948 and Leo died 24 November 1980. They are both buried at Roselawn Memorial Park, Lasalle, Michigan. 

June Leona Russeau was born 15 November 1929 in Monroe, Michigan and Married Wilbur I Willit on 18 August 1945 at the Monroe County Courthouse, Monroe, Michigan.  Wilbur was born 9 March 1923 in St Petersburg, Florida to Irving Willit and Ruby Post.  He enlisted in the US Army on 24 July 1942 and served until 16 December 1944 in the Pacific Theater.  June and Wilber had five children. David, Carole, Robert, Joseph, and Penny.  The couple divorced and both remarried. Wilber to Donna Hall and June to Mel Schaffer.  He died 4 April 1987 in Monroe Michigan and is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park LaSalle, Michigan.  She died 16 February 1998 in Berryville, Arkansas.

Their son Robert Edward Willit was born 2 October 1950 in Monroe, Michigan.  He married Rana Marie Joblinski, the daughter of Allie Joblinski and Clara Wickenheiser on 7 December 1985 at Monroe Christian Church Monroe, Michigan. Rana was born in Toledo Ohio.  He served in the US Marine Corp.  They had two children, Lena Clara Willit and David Joseph Willit.  Robert died 9 October 1994 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park Lasalle, Michigan near his brother David, his father Wilbur and maternal grandparents Leo and Leona Russeau.

Lena Willit married Jason Zaioczkowski on 2 May 2012 at Heritage Park in Taylor Michigan by Rev. Charles Moore, the son of Betty Jean Russeau Moore and the cousin of Robert Willit. Jason was born in Wyandotte, Michigan to Debra Zaioczkowski.  They have two children, Lila Mae-Clare Zaioczkowski and Gabriel Joseph Zaioczkowski. Jason also has an older child, Alex Freiberg.

 

Joseph Roy dit Chatellereau

     Pascal Roy dit Chatellereau

          Dominick Chatellereau

               Marie Chatellereau

                     Charles Russeau

                            Leonard Russeau

                                   June Russeau

                                         Robert Willit

                                                 Lena Zaioczkowski and David Willit

                                                          Lila Mae-Clare and Gabriel Zaioczkowski

 

 

Researched by Rana Joblinski Willit for the early settlers’ project at the Genealogy Society of Monroe Michigan. This lineage was documented and presented to the Genealogy Society of Monroe County Michigan as part of its project to recognize the descendants of the first settlers of Monroe County.

 

 

p.s.

 

In doing this project I confirmed the often-heard idea that everyone in Monroe County was related. I informed my children that their dad and I were related way back when, to which they gleefully retorted, “Well, that explains a lot!”

 

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