Gerard Chandonnet - Ronnie's Grandfather

Gerard Chandonnet
Gerard Chandonnet, 62, husband of Mrs. Marie (Daigle) Chandonnet, a resident of Hartford Conn. for the past 25 years, died in that city Friday night. He was born in Lowell, a son of the late Henry and the late Maria (Descoteaux) Chandonnet.
Surviving him besides his wife are a son, S-Sgt. Paul Chandonnet U.S.A.F. in Germany; two daughter, Mrs. Ernest (Therese) Boisvert and Mrs. Alfred (Germaine) Lanoue, both of Lowell; four sisters, Hermance and Blanche Chandonnet of North Chelmsford, Mrs. Claire Descoteaux of Lowell and Mrs. Beatrice Caisse of Noth Chelmsford; five brothers, Raymond Chandonnet of North Chelmsford, Rene Chandonnet of Lowell, Louis Chandonnet of Framingham, Fernand Chandonnet of Lowell and M-Sgt. Leonce Chandonnet  of Columbus Ohio; also 18 grandchildren.

CHANDONNET -- Died in Hartford, Conn. Jan 12. Gerard Chandonnet age 62. Friends may call at the Leo J. Ouellette & Son Funeral Home from 2 to 5 and 7 to 10 p.m. today. Funeral Monday morning with a funeral mass to be celebrated at 10 o'clock at St. Louis de France Church. Burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery. Funeral Directors Leo J. Ouellette & Son.

Published: Lowell Sunday Sun, January 14, 1968, p.3.

Mrs. Chandonnet - Ronnie's Grandmother.

Mrs. Chandonnet
... retired mill employee
LOWELL-- Mrs. Marie E. (Daigle) Chandonnet, 64, widow of Gerry L. Chandonnet, of 309 West 6th St., died yesterday at St. Joseph's Hospital. Born in Lowell, she was the daughter of the late Hormidas and the late Amanda (Beaulieu) Daigle and was a communicant of St. Louis de France Church and held membership of the Anne's sodality of that parish. Prior to her retirement she was employed as a burler at the Uxbridge Worcester Mills.
Surviving her are one son, T-Sgt. Paul A. Chandonnet (Ret.) of Lowell; two daughters, Mrs. Ernest (Therese Boisvert of Lowell and Mrs. Alfred (Germaine) Lanoue of Lowell; one brther, Leo H. daigle of Los Angeles, Calif; also 18 grandchildren.

CHANDONNET -- Died June 9, Marie E. (Daigle) Chandonnet, aged 64, of 309 West Sixth St., Friends may call at the Leo J., Ouellette & Son Funeral Home, 327 Hildreth St., from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday evening and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 3 Monday. Funeral Tuesday morning with a funeral mass to be celebrated at 9 o'clock at St. Louis de France Church. Burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery. Funeral Directors Leo J. Ouellete & Son.

Published: Lowell Sun, June 10, 1972, p.7.

Tombstone Tuesday: Section L - Cimetiere St-Joseph, East Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Dr. J. E. Robillard of Southbridge and Lowell

In an attempt to connect another Robillard to my line, I began researching Dr. J..E. Robillard. I had run across his headstone a few years ago and decided it was finally time to figure who he was. Joseph Emile Robillard, D.D.S., had an office in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts for decades. However, before he opened his own practice in Lowell he was employed by the practice of  Dr. T. J. King.

I find this early 20th century advertisement  to be quite humorous.
I wonder if that's Dr. King himself?

A son of Louis Emile and Eliza nee Pinsonneault, Joseph Emile Robillard was probably born on March 19, 1880 in Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Joseph went college in Montreal, as well as in Maryland.. He married Ida Tarte (Joseph, Elisabeth Courville) in 1906 at St. Joseph's church rectory and they had 5 known children.

The following excerpt describing their wedding ceremony was taken from "The Frater of Psi Omega" vol. v, no.1, pub. Nov. 1905. The Supreme Council, Tiffin, Ohio. If you click the image below it will take you to the publication, as it appears on Google Books.

At the time of his death in 1950, Dr. Robillard lived on Harris Ave., located in the Highlands neighborhood in Lowell. Buried together with Ida's parents, Joseph Emile and Ida were interred at Saint-Joseph Cemetery in East. Chelmsford, Massachusetts. 

Joseph Emile Robillard and I are related very distantly. We are 6th cousins 2x removed, with the progenitors being Claude Robillard and Marie Grandin. Below is a quick detailess ahnentafell just to show his direct Robillard line.

  --- 1st Generation ---

1.  Joseph-Emile1 Robillard (1621)

    --- 2nd Generation ---

2.  Louis-Emile2 Robillard (1619) married Eliza Pinsonneault (1620).

     --- 3rd Generation ---

4.  Jean-Baptiste3 Robillard (1617) married Henriette Page (1618).

       --- 4th Generation ---

8.  Raphael4 Robillard (1615) married Marie Louise Vadnais (1616).

        --- 5th Generation ---

16.  Michel5 Robillard (1613) married Marie Josephe Rondeau (1614).

         --- 6th Generation ---

32.  Pierre6 Robillard (1292) married Marie

Angelique Marette dit Lepine dit Richard (1293)  He married Marie-

Jeanne Provost (1398) 

        --- 7th Generation ---

64.  Pierre7 Robillard (822) married Catherine Coutou (836) 

          --- 8th Generation ---

128.  Claude8 Robillard (808) married Marie Binard (812) He married 

Marie Grandin (809)He married Marie-Francoise Guillin (823)

La Gazette de Joliette: Necrologie de Jerome Robillard - Publie 21 Novembre, 1884

The obituary of my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Jerome Robillard, as it appeared published in "La Gazette de Joliette", Joliette, Quebec, on 21 Nov., 1884.

NECROLOGIE.
----
À Lowell, Mass., le 16 du courant
à l'âge de 59 ans, 3 mois et 27 jours,
est décédé Jérôme Robillard Écuyer
Ex-Agent Seigneurial des Seigneuries
de D'Aillebout et Ramsay. Le
défunt a passé sa vie dans l'enseignement
de la jeunesse et apres 27
années, de dévouement dans cette
carrière il fut nommé Agent pour
les Seigneuries de D'Aillebout et
Ramsey.
Atteint peu après d'une maladie
qui l'obligea à donner sa démission
l'automne dernier; animé du zèle
de l'education de ses enfants, il partit
pour Lowell avec sa famille, le 17
janvier dernier, espérant revenir
bientôt dans sa paroisse. "Le Seigneur
en décide autrement," disait-il
dans les dernier jours de sa vie.
" Eh bien que sa sainte volonté soit
faite." Il montra une résignation
admirable en face de la mort,
et il s'endormit paisiblement dans le Seigneur.

Il laisse pour déplorer sa perte une
épouse cherie et inconsolable et 14 enfants dont 8 qui sont mariés et 6 en bas age.

R. I. P.
--Communique




Thank you, Ruth! The above text was extracted and transcribed by Arielle Major over at La compagnie des arbres. I did attempt to extract and transcribe the text myself,  as you can see below. However, there were quite a few words that I didn't know. Those words have been marked with a question mark. All I can say is that it helps to have friends in those northern places! Thanks again, Ruth!

NECROLOGIE
---
A Lowell, Mass., le 16 du courant
a l'age de 59 ans, 3 mois et 27 jours,
est decede Jerome Robillard. ?
Ex-Agent Seigneurial des Seigneuries
de D'Aillebout et Ramsay, Le
defunt a passe sa vie dans l'ensei-gnement
de la jeunesse et apres 27
annes, de devenement dans cette
carriere il fut nomme Agent pour
les Seigneur de D'Aillebout et
Ramsey.
Atteint ? apres d'une maladie
qui l'? a ? sa demission
l'? dernier ? du ?
de l'education de ses enfants, il par
? pour Lowell avec sa famille, le 17
janvier dernier, esperant revenir
? ? dans sa paroisse. ? "Le Seigneur
decide autrement." disait il
dans les dernier jours de sa vie.
" Eh bien que sa sainte? volonte son
faite." Il montra une resignation
admirable en face de la mort, et il ? ? paisiblement dans le Seigneur.
Il laisse pour deplorer sa perte une
epouse cherie elle inconsolable et 14 
enfants ? 8 qui sont maries et 6 en ? age.

R. I. P.
--Communique

Mappy Monday: 12 West Street, Lowell MA

Happy New Year, everyone!

I've had this little ancestor mapping project on the back burner for a while now. On the back burner I say, mainly because most of the buildings and or addresses that I'm looking for within Lowell don't exist any more. Ideally, I wanted to start with my first known Robillard ancestor to come to the city and map where he or she lived and then climb the ladder, but... that isn't working out too well. So, I guess I'll just go at it all willy nilly like... Who cares, anyway?

12 West St. was the address of the home that my Pepere Robillard and his family lived at in 1930. April 10th, 1930, to be exact. West St. is in Centralville, right off of Lakeview and runs all the way up to Colburn. According to the 1930 census, my Pepere, Joe, was 32 years old that year, as was my Memere, Louise (Wright). Pepere, who was naturalized in 1898, rented his home for $18.00 (is that per week?), and worked as a loomfixer in a silkmill. Memere was home with the kids. The kids, all 5 of them, were between the ages of 2 and half and 13 years. Uncle Jim was the oldest, Uncle Bob the youngest, and, I just have to mention this, Aunt Joan, well... She was on her way. As my Memere was abt 8 months pregnant at this time. What about Uncle Richard and my Dad, you ask? They weren't even a thought in 1930.  Pepere & Memere's neighbors were the Gilbride family at, what appears to be, 14 West St. and the Grotton (or is it Grafton) family at 10 West.

If you look at the map below, you'll see that I marked the current address location.  The house is a very modest one, maybe a starter home, or would you call it a cottage? I do believe the house that is there may be the same house that was there in 1930, although I'm not sure. I keep thinking about the flood of 36 and the more I do the more I doubt that this is the same house. What about the development of the VFW Highway? How did that change the landscape? Shit, I don't even know when it was put in, so I don't know. I tried to do a history of the address at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds website to figure that out, but I was unsuccessful.

The house at the current address in the map below looks white, but I can tell you it's now 2 shades of a really ugly blue. Yes, I went and hunted it down, even took a few photographs early one weekday morning. Uhuh, that was me standing in the middle of your street with the camera. Can you say wackado?

I wonder how long my Pepere & Memere lived on West St, and if my Uncle Bob remembers it. I kinda doubt he does though, he was, after all, only 2 years old and I know my Pepere & Memere moved around a lot. I mean a lot, always following the work I was told... I could, I suppose, revisit the directories to find this out. Someday.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to try and go backwards from here (then forward again, think 1940 census). In 1920 my Pepere lived at 299 Moody, I doubt the actual building still exists and that the street has been renumbered many times? Do they do that? Renumber streets? Of course they do... I'll go see what I can find.


View Larger Map

Wednesday's Walk: Where Am I?

Do you know?

Obviously, I'm in a cemetery, but which one and where? The flat stones, which were at one time erect, should be a dead giveaway (no pun intended).

In memory of

JOHN BORK,

Son of John & 

Catharine Bork,

who died 

March 9, 1832,

Aged 2 years 

& 11 months.

The cherub hastened to its native home

All wasting death hath tri-

umph'd oer this child.

B . DAY . LOWELL .

Has David been here?

 ¿ɹǝʍsuɐ ǝɥʇ ʍouʞ oʇ ʇuɐM

L'Etoile Tuesday: Dans le New Hampshire - Deux Lowellois se noient dans riviere Oyster

L'Etoile, once a very popular Franco-American newspaper, was published in Lowell, MA from 1886 up until 1957, it's available for viewing on microfilm at several repositories in the area, including the Pollard Memorial Library in downtown Lowell. And, as you may very well know, back in May I started my own lil blogging meme, entitled L'Etoile Tuesday. The plan was to pick one article of interest each week from L'Etoile and from there I would transcribe, translate, and then publish it here at my blog. So far I've only managed to publish three articles... Anyway, the article below was not just some randomly picked article. After having found the grave of both the men mentioned in it, I went searching for death notices and this is what I found.

Cyprian Chrisman et Theodule Chouinard, son gendre, tous deux de Lowell se sont noyes dimanche, dans la riviere Oyster, pres de la briqueterie de King, a Durham Point, N. H. On a reconnu les cadavres de suite. Ils etaient a bord d'une barge remplie de briques qui s'est mise a couler.
Les deux noyes on saute a l'eau et ont peri dans les flots La femme de Couinard qui etait dans la barge voulut persuader son mari et son pere de ne pas sauter dans la riviere. Elle avait raison, car au dernier moment elle s'est sauvee elle, en sautan dans une petite embarcation.
Chrisman et Couinard allaient travailler aux briqueteries tous les etes. L'hiver ils revenant a Lowrll et travaillaient dans les filatures.
Pendant leur sejour en cette ville, ils demeuraient au No 9 Bay State Court.
Les depouilles mortelles de ces infortunes sont arrivees en ville a 11 h. 30. M. Joseph Albert, entrepreneur de pompes funebres, a de charge des funerailles.Chrisman avait 65 ans. Son gendre, Couinard, n'etait age que de 21 ans. Il s'est marie a Lowell, il v. un an environ.
Les corps sont expose a la residence des defuncts, 9 Bay State Court.
Les funerailles auront lieu demain a l'eglise St. Joseph.

Published on pg. 1 in L'Etoile, Lowell, MA, 20 Aout, 1901

Cyprian Chrisman and Theodule Chouinard, his son in law, both of Lowell drowned Sunday in the Oyster River, near the King brickyard, in Durham Point, N. H. Where the corpses were identified. They were aboard a barge full of bricks when it began to sink. Both men jumped into the water and perished in the waves.
Chouinard's wife, who was on the barge, tried to persuade her husband and her father not to jump into the river. She was right, because at the last moment she saved herself by jumping into a small boat.
Chrisman and Chouinard would work in the brickyards every summer. In winter they returned to Lowell and worked in the mills.
While in this city, they lived at No. 9 Bay State Court.
The remains of these unfortunates arrived in town at 11:30. Joseph Albert, funeral director, is in charge of the funeral.
Chrisman was 65. His son in law, Chouinard, he was only 21. He married in Lowell, about a year ago.
The bodies are laid out at the residence of the deceased, 9 Bay State Court.
The funeral will take place tomorrow morning at St. Joseph church.

Wednesday's Walk: L'automne au Cimetiere St-Joseph

He was a very prominent man

After finding out my paternal 2nd great-grandfather, Jerome Robillard, died in Lowell during 1884 a few weeks back, I ran straight out the door down to the library that same day to search some microfilm in hope of finding a death notice published in any of the local newspapers. Unfortunately, L'Etoile was not yet being published at the time (because you know I would have found one there if it had been), so I seearched the Courier and the Lowell Weekly Sun and this is what I found:

Jerome Robillard, who died in "Little
Canada, " Sunday morning, was to have
been taken to Montreal on the express
train Monday evening; but an unforeseen
incident delayed the departure of the re-
mains until Tuesday morning.  Mr. Robil-
lard died of dropsy, his weight from that
cause reaching an enormous figure of 328
pounds.  The box which contained the
coffin was in consequence of unusual di-
mensions and when it was attempted to
put the box into the baggage car of the ex-
press train, Monday evening, it was found
to be over two inches wider than the door.
The door of the baggage care on Tuesday's
morning's train was wide enough to admit
the box, and it was taken on it northern
journey.  The deceased measured over 30
inches about the shoulders, the box con-
taining his remains being three feet wide,
two feet deep and seven feet long.

Published on pg. 8 in the Saturday Evening Lowell Weekly Sun, Lowell, MA, on 22 Nov., 1884

The Northern Canal: Sitting on the Tiger Frechette Bridge in October

Sentimental Sunday: The Franco American "Little Canada" Memorial - Aiken St., Lowell, Mass

Demolished in the 1960's to make way for Urban Renewal, Little Canada is where my ancestors once lived, loved, worked, worshiped, and played. I wish I could have had a chance to walk it's streets and listen to it's voices before they were erased.

 

"EN SOUVENIER DES CANADIENS DE LANGUE

FRANCAISE ET DE LEURS DESCENDANTS,

LES FRANCO-AMERICAINS, QUI ONT VECU

ICI, NOS COEURS N'OUBLIERONT JAMAIS

LEUR COURAGE, LEURS SACRIFICES, LEUR

FOI, LEUR FIERTE

1875 - 1964

ON THIS SITE GREW THE HEART OF THE

FRANCO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. HARD

WORKING FRENCH CANADIANS CAME TO

FILL THE MILLS OF LOWELL AND BUILD

A TRADITION OF FAITH, GENEROSITY,

AND PRIDE.

LE PEITE CANADA - LITTLE CANADA

AIKEN - CABOT - CHEEVER - COOLIDGE - HALL - MELVIN- MONTCALM - PAWTUCKET - PERKINS - SUFFOLK - TUCKER - WARD

JE ME SOUVIENS - LEST WE FORGET"

"1977

ERECTED BY 

THE FRANCO-AMERICAN PEOPLE

AND

THE OBLATE FATHERS OF

ST. JEAN BAPTISTE PARISH

THIS STONE COMES FROM ONE OF THE

LAST BLOCKS OR LARGE WOODEN

APARTMENT HOUSES TO BE TORN DOWN"

Lewis Wickes Hine: Child Laborer Photographs from Lowell Mass

In 1908 Lewis Hine was contracted by the National Child Labor Committe as an investigative photographer. His job was to document child labor practices within American industry in an effort end the practice. Mr. Hine, who I believe visited Lowell in October of 1911, took several photographs of the children that were employed in the mills within the city, many of which were Franco-American. I browsed through the collection and there are many surnames that are familiar to me, Courtois, Therrien, and Boucher, are just a few.

You can view the NCLC photographic collection online at the Library of Congress PPOC, just type Lowell into the search bar.

On November 1st, at 7:00 pm, historian, author, and genealogist, Joe Manning, will be giving a presentation at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center Theater, as a part of the Moses Greely Parker Lecture Series, entitled “The Lewis Hine Project: Tracking down the Lives of Child Laborers”

“Whatever happened to that child worker?” Motivated by this question, Joe
Manning has identified some of the more than 5,000 child laborers
photographed in the early 1900s by Lewis Hine, and has tracked down and
interviewed their descendants. Manning will show some of Hine’s historic photographs, tell the stories of the children in them, and talk about the exciting process of searching for descendants, most of whom were not aware of the pictures of their parents and grandparents

http://www.parkerlectures.com/?page_id=1

I'm looking forward to attending this presentation.

Here is one of my favorite photographs from the collection.

# Title: Alexander Durand, 35 Tucker Street, next boy in middle of picture appears 12 years old. Is in mill room No. 2. Joseph Courtois, 33 Tucker St., at the right Alex. appears about 13 years old. Works in the spinning room. Majorie Bonclair, at left of Alex. see 2592. Location: Lowell, Massachusetts.
# Creator(s): Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940, photographer
# Date Created/Published: 1911 October.
# Medium: 1 photographic print.
# Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-nclc-02378 (color digital file from b&w original print) LC-USZ62-97581 (b&w film copy negative)
# Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
# Call Number: LOT 7479, v. 4, no. 2593 [P&P]
# Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ncl2004002422/PP/#

Correction: Jerome Robillard decede en Lowell, Etats-Unis. Yes, he died in Lowell!

How do I say this? Ok, I got it... Simply speaking,  I ef'd up. Yup, I did, and big time too.  And, just how did I ef up, you ask? Well, last night when I was messing around at Find A Grave, (have I ever mentioned that I love Find A Grave) adding a few new memorials and what not, I was checking the info that I was entering at FAG against information that's available in the Massachusetts Deaths (1841 - 1915) database at FamilySearch, and when I had finished at FAG, I decided that I would, just for shits & giggles, mind you, revisit my Robillards in that database at FamilySearch. Maybe there was something new there that I hadn't seen before, or something that I had  previously overlooked. So, I typed my surname in the search field and began looking....  And, at first glance, I didn't believe my eyes, I was like wtf is this? But then, I remembered... I didn't even have to look at the image to know what it was that I had found, I already knew.

What I found was an 1884 register entry from the city of Lowell, Massachusetts for the death of my great-great-grandfather, Jerome Robillard. Yes, the same Jerome Robillard (Louis, Marie Genevieve Riberdy) who was the husband of Sophie Moussin dit Lajoie. The same Jerome Robillard who was the husband of my great-great grandmother, Sophie Riberdy, and father of  Sophie (1848), Marie Henriette (1850 - 1919), Jerome Alfred (1852 - 1853), Marie Philomene (1854), Joseph Jerome (1856), Joseph Charles Omer (1857 - 1857), Louis Octavien (1858 - 1933) Marie Melanie Lea (1860), Marie Louise Parmelia Cordelia Amanda (1861), Louis Joseph Anselme (1863 - 1863), Marie Louise Melanie (1864 -1864), Emelie (1864 -1864), Joseph Arsene (1865 - 1866), Louis Gaspard Alfred (1866 -1914), Louis Arsene (1867), Joseph Arthur (1867 - 1937), Marie Louise Leontine (1868 - 1911), Marie Amanda (1870 -1897), Pierre Jerome Gaspard (1871), Joseph Gustave Alcide (1872 - 1873), Joseph Octave Zenon (1874 - 1875), Joseph Napoleon (1876 -1876), and Louis Joseph Zenon (1877 - 1918).

The same Jerome Robillard that I have in my database, and plastered all over the web, as dying in Ste-Melanie. Joliette County, Quebec on 16 Nov., 1884.

Well, HE DIDN'T,  according to this register entry, JEROME ROBILLARD DIED IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS on 16 Nov., 1884. I guess I could claim ignorance on my part, because I had never, before this day, laid my eyes on this register entry from Lowell, but I won't. Because, somehow I knew...

When I read Jerome's burial record back in 08, I knew something wasn't right, and I asked for translation help, but.... Well, there's no one to blame but myself. Live and learn, I guess. The big whoop dee doo in all of this is the misinformation I so graciously propagated, it's all over the frikken place. Needless to say, I have a mess to clean up. Thank goodness it is only a small one (well, smallish), but it's still a mess. So, before I go off traipsing all over the web trying to fix the error of my ways, let's examine this newly found register entry a little, shall we?.

If you look at the familysearch index information  for this register entry it has the event place as being in Canada, and I can only say that this has got to be wrong. Because, if you look at the actual registry entry (below) and the column that reads "RESIDENCE AND PLACE OF DEATH, and BURIAL (if elsewhere)", you will see two little apostrophes followed by the word Canada,  well this " " is a ditto mark, and means that he was buried in Canada. Just look at the first entry in this column,  and you'll see. Also, in this register entry his parents are documented as being Louis and Mary, this is partially correct. His father was Louis, yes. But, his mother was Marie Genevieve Riberdy.  Could she have been referred to as Mary or Marie by who ever the informant was, it's possible, but I believe she went by the name of Genevieve. And lastly, you will see that it documents Jerome's parents as being born in France. This too, is wrong. Jerome's father, Louis Robillard, was born in St-Sulpice, L'Assomption, Quebec,
[PRDH, bapteme no.674684; Louis Robillard]
and his mother, Genevieve, in St-Cuthbert, Berthier, Quebec
[Gabriel  Drouin, Institut Généalogique Drouin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Le Fonds Drouin 1621-1967, Quebec Vital Records: database online, ancestry.com, http://ancestry.ca/default.aspx, The Generations Network, Inc., Provo, Utah; 1805, St-Cuthbert Co-Berthier, PQ, p.6, B. M. Genevie Riberdy, Register Photocopy of the Greffe of Joliette. ancestry image6/40].

Now, this Lowell register entry has me curious,  who was the informant?. I would also like to know exactly where in Lowell Jerome died.  It states he died from fatty degeneration, so was he in the hospital when he died?. Had he come to Lowell to be treated for an illness? I don't know. But I certainly want to find out.


I guess I'm glad I found this Lowell register entry. It has taught me to be more careful when reading the parish registers from Quebec (one must pay attention to grammar, when it's used), and to research questionable information more thoroughly. I can't say if the Lowell register entry was online back in 08 when I did my initial research, but I should have at least explored the possibility that he could have died here in Lowell. Because, it was, after all, right there in his burial record. I just couldn't see it.

[Gabriel  Drouin, Institut Généalogique Drouin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Le Fonds Drouin 1621-1967, Quebec Vital Records: database online, ancestry.com, http://ancestry.ca/default.aspx, The Generations Network, Inc., Provo, Utah; 1884, Ste. Melanie D'Aillebout, Co-Joliette, P.Q., pg. 15, S.29 Jerome Robillard, Register Photocopy of the Greffe of Joliette. ancestry image 15/18.]

My extraction & transcription

S.29ieme
Jerome Robillard
Le dix-neuviemes jour de Novembre, mil huit cent quatre vingt
quatre, nous pretre cure sosusigne, avons inhume dans la cave
de l'Eglise de cette paroisse le corps de Sieur Jerome Robillard,
legitime epoux de Sophie Riberdy, de Lowell, E. U., decede le
seiziem jour de ce mois age de cinquante neuf ans trois mois
et vingt sept jours. Ont ete temoins Gaspard Robillard fils
du defunt et Hermenglide Bourgeault instituteur, de cette
paroisse, et tous deux soussigne. Lecture faite

/s/ H. Bourgeault Inst
/s/ G. Robillard
/s/ F Jeannotte Ptre cure.

& my translation:

S.29ieme
Jerome Robillard
On the nineteenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and eighty
four, I the undersigned parish priest, did bury in the cellar
of the church of this parish the body of Mr. Jerome Robillard, 
lawful husband of Sophie Riberdy, of Lowell, U. S., who died  
on the sixteenth day of this month at the age of fifty nine years three months
and twenty seven days. Witnessed by Gaspard Robillard son 
of the deceased, and Hermenglide Bourgeault schoolmaster of this 
parish, both undersigned. Reading made.

/ s / H. Bourgeault Inst
/ s / G. Robillard
/ s / F. Jeannotte ptre cure.

L'Etoile Tuesday: Publicite a Les Canadiens-Francais de Lowell Mass

L'Etoile, once a very popular Franco-American newspaper, was published in Lowell, MA from 1886 up until 1957,  it's available for viewing on microfilm at several repositories in the area, including the Pollard Memorial Library in downtown Lowell.

The advertisement for the publication L'Etoile below was published in 1896, on page 88 of Les Canadiens-Francais de Lowell Mass. This book, which I believe celebrates the Franco-American community's presence, and influence within the city of  Lowell at the time, was written and published by Avila Bourbonnière. It is to be noted that in 1898, Avila was an assistant city assessor for ward 5. And, in 1899 he made run for the position of Chairman of the Board of Assessors. However, I believe he lost, because in 1900 he returns to Quebec.

A man of many hats, while Avila was here in Lowell, he was a notary public, as well as the secretary for L'Union Franco-Americaine, and the secretary for the Candadian Cooperative Bank, which was located on Middle St.  He was also a general agent at the Columbia Aid Association of Boston, which was located on Central St. A publisher, and secretary of the Société de Publications, Francaises des Etats-Unis; and the Club Democratique Cando-Americain. The list of everything that he was involved in within this city is quite capacious. I am glad that I decided to research him.  It is to be noted, (yes, I write a lot of notes) that Avila's oldest son, Joseph A. (baptized as Joseph-Pierre-Avila in 1871 ) was quite active within Lowell's Franco-American community as well, and I have tried not to confuse the two men. As far as I can see, the younger Avila, as I call him, was almost always referred to as Joseph A.

Baptized at the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Montreal as Michel-Etienne-Avila Gaudry on 27 Dec., 1847, Avila was the son of Michel Gaudry dit Bourbonnière and Catherine Vinet dit Souligny. Marrying Catherine-Concorde-Cornelie Mignault (Pierre-Emile, Justine-Adelaide Leclerc) on 18 May, 1870 at the the parish of St-David-d'Yamaska, thier marriage was largely attended. Naturalized in Lowell, at the Police Court, on 28 October, 1887, Avila and his wife, Cornelie, as far as I can tell thus far, had 9 children, four of whom were born in Lowell. His last known occupation is that of an assurance inspecteur in 1911. However, in his burial record he referred to as being a publiciste. Avila lived to be 75 years old, and died on 30 Dec., 1922. He was buried on 2 January, 1923 in parish cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Montreal, and like his marriage, his funeral was equally attended.

*Please feel free to contact me for source information.*

L'Etoile Tuesday: Les Avis de Deces de Mon Arriere-Grand-Pere, Joseph-Arthur Robillard

L'Etoile, once a very popular Franco-American newspaper, was published in Lowell, MA from 1886 up until 1957,  it's available for viewing on microfilm at several repositories in the area, including the Pollard Memorial Library in downtown Lowell.

Publie samedi, 30 janvier, 1937 dans L'Etoile, Lowell, Massachusetts, Etats Unis.

DECES
---------
ROBILLARD --Nous sommes au regret d'announcer le deces ce matin de l'um de nos vieux concitoyens, M. Joseph-Arthur Robillard, a sa demeure au no 90 rue Aiken appartiement 9, apres un longue maladie suportee avec une patience exemplaire, a l'age de 69 ans, 3 mois et 19 jour. M Robillard, qui demeurait en cette ville depuis 50 ans, etait tres bien connuet estime  de tous. Il laisse dans le deuil son epouse, Mme Philomene Robillard, nee Foucher; deux filles, Mme. Leo Patenaude et Mme Francois Fournier de cette ville; trois fils, MM Rosario et Heria Robillard de Central Falls R.I. et M. Antonio Robillard de Lowell; et un frere, M. Jerome Robillard de Cohoes, N. Y. Il etait membre de la Ste-Famille de la paroisse St-Joseph et des Forestiers Catholique, Cour Ste-Antoine, no 566. Les funerailles auront lien mardi matin a 8 heures de la demeure mortuaire au no 90 rue Aiken appartement 39. A 9 heures a l'eglise St-Jean-Baptiste son service solemnel sera celebre avec diacre, sous-diacre et choeur de chant. Parents et amis sont pres d'y assister. l'inhummation aura lieu dans le lot de la famille au cimetiere St-Joseph. MM Amdee Archambault et Fils on la direction des funerailles.

My translation:

DEATHS
---------
ROBILLARD - We regret  to announce, this morning, the death of one of our older citizens, Mr. Joseph-Arthur Robillard, at his residence no. 90 Aiken Street apartment 9, after a long illness, endured with exemplary patience, at the age of 69 years, 3 months and 19 days. Mr. Robillard, who lived in this town for 50 years, was well known, and held in high esteem by all. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Philomene Robillard, nee Foucher; two daughters, Mrs. Leo Patenaude and Mrs. Francois Fournier of this city; three sons, Mr. Rosario Robillard, and Heria Robillard of Central Falls R. I., and Mr. Antonio Robillard of Lowell; and a brother, Mr. Jerome Robillard of Cohoes, N. Y. He was a member of Ste-Famille of St-Joseph Parish and the Catholic Foresters, Court of St. Antoine, No. 566. The funeral will be Tuesday morning at 8 o'clock in the funeral home at no. 90 Aiken Street apartment 39. At 9 o'clock at St-Jean-Baptiste, a service will be celebrated with solemn deacon, subdeacon, and choir singing. Family and friends are requested to attend. Interment will take place in the family lot at Cimetiere St-Joseph. Funeral under the direction of Mr. Amdee Archambault and Son.

Amanuensis Monday: Petition for Naturalization- Joseph Arthur Robillard

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme, originating at John Newmark's Transylvania Dutch, the theme encourages the transcription of family letters, journals, and other historical artifacts.

Last winter, Diane Leedburg Laferriere, a fellow member of the GLGC, and I took at trip to the NARA at Waltham, and this was one of the documents I rec'd.  Joseph Arthur, as if you didn't already know, was my paternal great grandfather : )
 
[Police Court, Lowell, Mass - Minor Series, Vol. 1892 - 1897;  Pet.  No. 1, pg. 645]


Commonwealth of Massachusetts

MIDDLESEX, SS.
To the Honorable the Justice of the Police Court of Lowell, holden at Lowell, in
the District of Lowell, in said County of Middlesex on the            Thirteenth       
day of September A. D. 1895.

RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS                   Joseph Arthur Robillard         
of Lowell,               in said County, an alien, that he was born at       Ste Melanie
                           P.Q                         , in           Canada              , within
the dominions of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
                                                                                                                      
on the       twelfth       day of               Oct                , A.D. 1867, and is now
     twentyseven         years of age, that he emigrated from      Canada        and
arrived at         Lowell           , in the United States of America, on or about the
fifteenth day of              Jauy [sic]                , A. D. 1884, being then a minor under
the age of eighteen years, to wit, of the age of        seventeen      years, that he
has ever since resided withing the United States, being more than five years now last past,
that he now resides at No.              36 Aiken Ave                                Street, in
Lowell,                                 , in the District of Lowell, in said County of Middlesex,
and that his occupation is that of a                  weaver            ; that he desires and
it has been for three years last past, his bona-fide intention to become a citizen of
the said United States, and to renounce all allegiance, and fidelity to every foreign
prince, potentate, state and sovereignty whatsoever, and particullary to Victoria, Queen                                             as aforesaid, and that he has duly filed in said Police Court  of Lowell his application for Naturalization.  Wherefore he prays to be admitted by this Honorable Court to become a citizen of the said United States, according to the laws in such cases made and provided.

                                                                      /s/   Joseph Arthur Robillard  

MIDDLESEX, SS. SEP 20 1895, 189     .  Signed and sworn to,

                                                                     /s/ Edward W Trull
                                                                                           Asst clerk.


[Police Court, Lowell, Mass - Minor Series, Vol. 1892 - 1897;  Pet. No. 1, pg. 645A]

WE,                Camille Roussin           residing at No.             3 Salem         
Street, in             Lowell                    , and            Joseph Roy             , residing
at  No.      4 Willie Ave           street, in                        Lowell                 , both in said County, and both citizens of the United States of America, on oath, severally depose and say, that we have known         Joseph Arthur Robillard             , the foregoing petitioner, for more than five years last past, during all which time he has resided within the United States of America, and at least on year thereof in said Commonwealth, that he has during that time behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same; that he arrived in the United States while a minor aforesaid, and resided in said United States five years before he arrived at the age of twenty-one years,  and that we verily believe it has been, for three years past, his bona-fide intention to become a citizen of this United States.

                                                                       /s/ Camille Roussin
                                                                       /s/ Joseph Roy

MIDDLESEX, SS. SEP 20 1895 189     . Signed an sworn to:

                                                                       /s/ Edward W Trull
                                                                                             Asst clerk

I,  Joseph Arthur Robillard do solemnly swear that I do absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, state and sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,                                           whose subject I have heretofore been, that I have never been any of the orders of nobility, nor borne any hereditary title, and that I will suppoert the Constitution of the United States of America.
So help me God.
                                                                      /s/ Joseph Arthur Robillard

MIDDLESEX, SS. SEP 20 1895 189   
                     Sworn and admitted a citizen
                                                                     /s/ Edward W Trull
                                                                                           Asst Clerk

Greater Lowell Genealogy Club Meeting

Greater Lowell Genealogy Club Meeting

     Time: Saturday, September 24 · 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: Pollard Memorial Library
              401 Merrimack St.
              Lowell, MA

Are you curious on how to get started researching your family history? If so, we can help. New members are always welcome!

Please come join us for our first meeting of the season! Scheduled to be with us is Kim Zunino of the Lowell Historic Board. Kim, who is active in preserving and restoring Lowell's historical burial grounds, as well as other preservation projects, will be presenting the group with a project of our own. Under her direction, we will be transcribing and indexing a very large city collection, so please join us to hear the details and participate! Also on the agenda will be officer elections, which take place in October (we need a couple of dedicated, brave souls), as well as potential speakers and field trips!

As always, our meetings are open to the public, so bring a friend! If you decide you'd like to join, GLGC membership is $10.00 for the year. Find us on facebook!

Happy Summer!!!

Here's what' has been keeping my busy as of late. I hope you are enjoying your summer! Don't worry, I'll be back to my genealogy research and blogging in no time : )

Wordless Wednesday: Doors Open Lowell 2011 - St-Jean-Baptiste Church