Well today I would like to talk about different things, well a few anyway. I recently discovered another distant relative, and through a friend I am receiving some old photos of other distant cousins, but that person has thrown out some photos he did not recognize. That is sad .
I say to all of you NEVER , NEVER throw out old photos,even if you do not know them, someone out there just might. If you have old photos and do not want them, send them to me, all I need to know is where this photo came from ,in whose possession was it in.
As you know many of our relatives moved from place to place in search of work, some went to the USA, others went out west and their pictures went with them.
When I did a Leger family a few years ago, I tracked some of the relatives to Saskatoon , and they sent me photos ,old photos at that, and can you imagine how excited the Legers were when they got them? I received an old photo from Australia a while back it was of a cousin of my ggrandmother. So again I stress this because it is important .
On another note , as you know I have a genealogy group called acadianrootsclub , it is by invite only , I changed it that way and now it cannot be undone, so in order to have members join I created another group called petiteacadienne and when someone goes there who want to join my main group I send them an invite, but I need to know who they are looking for , or a bit about themselves if possible. Anyway getting back to my story, yesterday I reached the 500 mark for members in my acadianrootsclub group . I am happy about that, I do not know if all 500 members are still there, but their names are.
And I would like to add this, if you are readers of P'tit Francois on my website at www.acadian-roots.com , I am going to stop the stories until after the summer,unless I have time to do some.
With all the reunions and CMA2009 plans, I am finding it a little hard to keep up with everything, I hope this doesn't dissappoint any of you, but I will resume the articles later on ok?
I need to translate yesterday's that I added and then I will stop until further notice.
Thank you for the visit, do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Congres Mondial ,CMA2009
As you know the CMA2009 is getting nearer. Now the excitement is growing. We opened our new tent a few days ago, since we bought it second hand and there were no instructions with it. But we succeeded at setting it up. Now we have to start a list of what to take with us for tenting and for ourselves. If you are in Caraquet ,we will be at the Colibri Campground. On August 15 (Acadian Day) at 11 am whoever wants to come meet us , we will be meeting at the Carrefour de Mer near the Wharf, we will be wearing yellow. So wear yellow so we will know you want to meet us ok?
Now the good part for Acadian Day, the celebrations are going to be held in Caraquet and from 830 pm on, they are going to have lots of music and singing. Some of the guests are going to be some of my favorites, Edith Butler and Zacharie Richard, I can't wait to see their performances, and the singers of the Acadian CMA Theme Song will also be there to sing. So Acadian Day at the CMA is something you don't want to miss.
We have registered for the Leger reunion already, and we are planning on going to the Cormier and Boudreau dances in the evenings. We will also attend something the Breau reunion is having, not sure what yet. Don't forget your sunscreen, your umbrellas, your hats, your cameras and bring plenty of batteries. Oh and if you have chairs bring those too.
Hope to see you at the CMA2009.
Have a great day
Aline
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
People Search
Have you ever wondered where certain persons went ,or how you could find them?
Well I have had the opportunity to locate a nephew ,and I have narrowed down to ladies one of whom is my half sister. But not knowing which one it is , is knawing at me . There is a part of me wanting to know her, and share with her. I have not given up. So that is what everyone of you should do, never give up.
Now I am trying to track down some children who's parents have separated. These children will never be able to trace their family lines unless we connect because their father changed his name and the children are all under his new surname. These children all have the same father but different mothers.
They could be in Ontario or out in Western Canada.
The first children were born to a Cathy Spencer: I believe it is Spencer,
their names would be Bradford and Robert Law, they are twins born 1977, Natasha and Sabrina Lynn Law.
Next Mother is Bev last name unknow, children are Amanda born 1982, Nathan -Christopher and Jessica Law.
So if anyone knows these children or come across them somewhere please let me know. As I said their surname Law stops there and I feel it is important for them to be able to know who they are.
If any of you readers are looking for someone and if you would like me to post it in my blog contact me ,you can do by adding a comment on the bottom of this blog and we will go from there ok?
Since I haven't mentioned this in a while, if any of you are interested in joining my acadianrootsclub genealogy group,you can do so by contacting me or going in through my petiteacadienne group on the right sidebar here. We are a fine group who are more than willing to do their best to help you and if you just want to join to help others that is fine too.
And be sure to check out my website http://www.acadian-roots.com/ , I haven't added much new stuff on it lately but as soon as I am not busy I will try and add more.
Depending on some of my members , maybe in the fall we will have something new and interesting for some of you.
Thanks for the visit do stop by again
Have a great day
Aline
Well I have had the opportunity to locate a nephew ,and I have narrowed down to ladies one of whom is my half sister. But not knowing which one it is , is knawing at me . There is a part of me wanting to know her, and share with her. I have not given up. So that is what everyone of you should do, never give up.
Now I am trying to track down some children who's parents have separated. These children will never be able to trace their family lines unless we connect because their father changed his name and the children are all under his new surname. These children all have the same father but different mothers.
They could be in Ontario or out in Western Canada.
The first children were born to a Cathy Spencer: I believe it is Spencer,
their names would be Bradford and Robert Law, they are twins born 1977, Natasha and Sabrina Lynn Law.
Next Mother is Bev last name unknow, children are Amanda born 1982, Nathan -Christopher and Jessica Law.
So if anyone knows these children or come across them somewhere please let me know. As I said their surname Law stops there and I feel it is important for them to be able to know who they are.
If any of you readers are looking for someone and if you would like me to post it in my blog contact me ,you can do by adding a comment on the bottom of this blog and we will go from there ok?
Since I haven't mentioned this in a while, if any of you are interested in joining my acadianrootsclub genealogy group,you can do so by contacting me or going in through my petiteacadienne group on the right sidebar here. We are a fine group who are more than willing to do their best to help you and if you just want to join to help others that is fine too.
And be sure to check out my website http://www.acadian-roots.com/ , I haven't added much new stuff on it lately but as soon as I am not busy I will try and add more.
Depending on some of my members , maybe in the fall we will have something new and interesting for some of you.
Thanks for the visit do stop by again
Have a great day
Aline
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Postcards are important
Why are postcards important? Well did you ever wonder for instance about the handwriting on the postcards? Have you ever looked at a postcard and notice the date?
Well this week I received a photo of two Postcards from Richiboucto Village sent to Gardner Massachusstts. there was no date on the postcards but it was written by a first cousin of my grandfather which now gives me another line to trace and inquire about.
And did you know at one time our ancestors had photos taken and it was on a postcard? Well I was looking in my old photos last week for some new found cousins and I found this gentleman who was the brother of my great grandfather and I turned the photo around and it was a postcard but the best of it, was that on the back was some writing. And guess what? It was written by my grandfather, who was probably writing to his mother or brother and on that postcard it said that his uncle was a very nice man and that he had offered to let my grandfather stay there until he got a job. What a nice thing to have as a souvenir. My grandfather's handwriting. I have never met my grandfather, he died way before I was born.
So before you throw away old postcards, see if you can find out anything about the photos and the people who wrote on the back. You never know what you will find.
Genealogy is finding the history of our ancestors as well as their names ,dates of births, marriages and death. Their lives were more than that, they had families, they had problems, they worked hard, some had jobs, some were talented, some were not, some were muscians , others good at something else, but it is a great feeling to put as much as we can about them along with our genealogy. I found out my grandfather died of Lupus , I have a nephew who has lupus, does it follow down the lines? My grandmother had crippling or rhematoid Arthritis, so has Mom. If you do not know about your grandparents but if you know things about your parents, mark those down in your family tree , so that it will help future generations to find the information and it will save them a lot of time, such as we are doing now trying to find out about our grandparents. I found out my grandmother used to follow my grandfather into Lumber camps at one time or another and she used to cut the lumbermen's hair for 25cents a cut and she used to cook for them too. Again things to pass down to my grandchildren and great grandchildren if I am lucky enough to have some.
On another note, I have added a few more names in my Chartersville Road (Our lady of Calvary) Cemetery page at www.acadian-roots.com I have lots more to add.
Our Bergeron-Damboise reunion is getting nearer and things are falling into place, it should be a very nice and fun time.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Have a great day
Aline
Well this week I received a photo of two Postcards from Richiboucto Village sent to Gardner Massachusstts. there was no date on the postcards but it was written by a first cousin of my grandfather which now gives me another line to trace and inquire about.
And did you know at one time our ancestors had photos taken and it was on a postcard? Well I was looking in my old photos last week for some new found cousins and I found this gentleman who was the brother of my great grandfather and I turned the photo around and it was a postcard but the best of it, was that on the back was some writing. And guess what? It was written by my grandfather, who was probably writing to his mother or brother and on that postcard it said that his uncle was a very nice man and that he had offered to let my grandfather stay there until he got a job. What a nice thing to have as a souvenir. My grandfather's handwriting. I have never met my grandfather, he died way before I was born.
So before you throw away old postcards, see if you can find out anything about the photos and the people who wrote on the back. You never know what you will find.
Genealogy is finding the history of our ancestors as well as their names ,dates of births, marriages and death. Their lives were more than that, they had families, they had problems, they worked hard, some had jobs, some were talented, some were not, some were muscians , others good at something else, but it is a great feeling to put as much as we can about them along with our genealogy. I found out my grandfather died of Lupus , I have a nephew who has lupus, does it follow down the lines? My grandmother had crippling or rhematoid Arthritis, so has Mom. If you do not know about your grandparents but if you know things about your parents, mark those down in your family tree , so that it will help future generations to find the information and it will save them a lot of time, such as we are doing now trying to find out about our grandparents. I found out my grandmother used to follow my grandfather into Lumber camps at one time or another and she used to cut the lumbermen's hair for 25cents a cut and she used to cook for them too. Again things to pass down to my grandchildren and great grandchildren if I am lucky enough to have some.
On another note, I have added a few more names in my Chartersville Road (Our lady of Calvary) Cemetery page at www.acadian-roots.com I have lots more to add.
Our Bergeron-Damboise reunion is getting nearer and things are falling into place, it should be a very nice and fun time.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Have a great day
Aline
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Good Old Days
Looking through my books, I came across the following tidbits in Brin d'Histoire from the Societe Historique de Grande Digue, which I shall translate to english. The title of the article is "Growing up in Grandigue by Camille Theriault.
David and Zelma Theriault arrived in Grande Digue in 1917 with one daughter Marguerite.David had left his work on the advice of his doctor. A property at the corner of the road to Caissie Cape caught his eye. Besides the house was a a barn, a garage and a grocery store. Here was clean fresh air that David needed to take care of his lungs.
This young couple went to work. In the summer of 1918 David Theriault began selling his products around the cape with a horse and wagon ,twice a day, while Zelma took care of her house and other work. To make work easier the house was connected to the store through the kitchen. This was done by Baptiste Despres and a few neighbors.
In October of the same year a son was born (Camille ) and nearly every two years from then on were born eight more children.
Camille Theriault who was 76 when he told these stories lived in Ontario at the time. He said he spent 14 years growing up in Grande Digue. Here is more of his stories.
In the spring of 1924 a company (probably Whiterose) set up gas tanks in front of the store and it was operated by David and Zelma.
It is safe to say that on the side of the store was the place that gathered the most snow drifts in all of Grande Digue, sometimes up to 14 feet high. David and Zelma had to answer to the folks as if it were their fault.
Probably many folks of Grande Digue won't remember Michel a Romain Caissie. I can see him coming home and listening to his stories. He was a shoemaker, he could fix nearly any tools even cut hair. He was an interesting man who always travelled by bicycle with a bag attached to the back seat. He travelled all over the villages and was known as far as Saint Antoine.
About my mother:
I am amazed how mother would be so calm doing a crisis and I give her credit she well deserves. With six children near her, her baby Aurele fell and hit his forehead on his bottle and the blood started running. The children were ready to panick but Mother said " Don't get nervous, it's nothing". With that attitude she gave everyone something to do. "you will pump the water in the basin while I hold a cold torniquet, the blood will stop you will see". Then she decided to get help from her capable neighbor " Marguerite ,get dressed warm and go over to Baptiste Despres, tell him exactly where the cut is. He will stop the blood in a hurry you will see". And the blood stopped with the help of the neighbor.
It is true, mothers are unbelievable sometimes. I remember when I was around ten years old and my cousin and I were on Dad's truck (where we were not suppose to be) and it had rained and the front of the truck was slippery and we would slide off the truck, at that time (long ago grin) the license plates had no frame around them and they were sharp, and I slid down and didn't I slip on the edge of the license plate and split the front of my leg near my ankle. The wound was open so wide you could see the cord inside the wound that moves the leg. But believe it or not it was not bleeding, so I hopped over to the house, Mom was scrubbing her floors, she saw me, she didn't panic one bit, made me stand on a chair and she took a clean white cloth and wrapped it around the wound and Dad and her took me to the doctors office. He had to put in eight clamps and a bunch of stitches and she stayed by my side.
I also remember an episode with my son, he was getting all upset and I was very stern and guided him through his dilemma. I remember thinking " I gotta be strong for him" and I think I was.
Well I do hope you enjoyed today's blog and will stop by again soon.
Have a great day.
Aline
David and Zelma Theriault arrived in Grande Digue in 1917 with one daughter Marguerite.David had left his work on the advice of his doctor. A property at the corner of the road to Caissie Cape caught his eye. Besides the house was a a barn, a garage and a grocery store. Here was clean fresh air that David needed to take care of his lungs.
This young couple went to work. In the summer of 1918 David Theriault began selling his products around the cape with a horse and wagon ,twice a day, while Zelma took care of her house and other work. To make work easier the house was connected to the store through the kitchen. This was done by Baptiste Despres and a few neighbors.
In October of the same year a son was born (Camille ) and nearly every two years from then on were born eight more children.
Camille Theriault who was 76 when he told these stories lived in Ontario at the time. He said he spent 14 years growing up in Grande Digue. Here is more of his stories.
In the spring of 1924 a company (probably Whiterose) set up gas tanks in front of the store and it was operated by David and Zelma.
It is safe to say that on the side of the store was the place that gathered the most snow drifts in all of Grande Digue, sometimes up to 14 feet high. David and Zelma had to answer to the folks as if it were their fault.
Probably many folks of Grande Digue won't remember Michel a Romain Caissie. I can see him coming home and listening to his stories. He was a shoemaker, he could fix nearly any tools even cut hair. He was an interesting man who always travelled by bicycle with a bag attached to the back seat. He travelled all over the villages and was known as far as Saint Antoine.
About my mother:
I am amazed how mother would be so calm doing a crisis and I give her credit she well deserves. With six children near her, her baby Aurele fell and hit his forehead on his bottle and the blood started running. The children were ready to panick but Mother said " Don't get nervous, it's nothing". With that attitude she gave everyone something to do. "you will pump the water in the basin while I hold a cold torniquet, the blood will stop you will see". Then she decided to get help from her capable neighbor " Marguerite ,get dressed warm and go over to Baptiste Despres, tell him exactly where the cut is. He will stop the blood in a hurry you will see". And the blood stopped with the help of the neighbor.
It is true, mothers are unbelievable sometimes. I remember when I was around ten years old and my cousin and I were on Dad's truck (where we were not suppose to be) and it had rained and the front of the truck was slippery and we would slide off the truck, at that time (long ago grin) the license plates had no frame around them and they were sharp, and I slid down and didn't I slip on the edge of the license plate and split the front of my leg near my ankle. The wound was open so wide you could see the cord inside the wound that moves the leg. But believe it or not it was not bleeding, so I hopped over to the house, Mom was scrubbing her floors, she saw me, she didn't panic one bit, made me stand on a chair and she took a clean white cloth and wrapped it around the wound and Dad and her took me to the doctors office. He had to put in eight clamps and a bunch of stitches and she stayed by my side.
I also remember an episode with my son, he was getting all upset and I was very stern and guided him through his dilemma. I remember thinking " I gotta be strong for him" and I think I was.
Well I do hope you enjoyed today's blog and will stop by again soon.
Have a great day.
Aline
Sunday, June 14, 2009
ARSENAULT Meeting
A public meeting will be held on June 28 on the University of Moncton in the Taillon Building local 136 to continue with the formation of the Arsenault/Arseneau,Arceneaux, Arsoneau association. It will be held at 2 pm . There will also be a wine and cheese lunch.
Everyone one who are interested are invited.
As you also know the CMA is fast approaching, if you do not have accomodations yet, hurry before they are all taken. We have sent in our registration for the Leger families, still undecided which others we are attending.
If you are planning on being in Caraquet Aug.15, and would like to come introduce yourselves we will be at the Carrefour de Mer, on the grounds wearing yellow around 11 AM before the Acadian Day celebrations hope to see you there.
Our Bergeron-Damboise reunion is really coming along good. Things are falling into place, we are all getting excited as it nears. The Bergeron-Damboise Association has a website at http://www.bergeron-damboise.com .
I have added a few more names on my Chartersville Road Cemetery in Dieppe in case you want to check it out at http://www.acadian-roots.com/ I have lots more to add.
Just came back from PEI, had a nice time, the weather was great. Now it is coffee time.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day
Aline
Everyone one who are interested are invited.
As you also know the CMA is fast approaching, if you do not have accomodations yet, hurry before they are all taken. We have sent in our registration for the Leger families, still undecided which others we are attending.
If you are planning on being in Caraquet Aug.15, and would like to come introduce yourselves we will be at the Carrefour de Mer, on the grounds wearing yellow around 11 AM before the Acadian Day celebrations hope to see you there.
Our Bergeron-Damboise reunion is really coming along good. Things are falling into place, we are all getting excited as it nears. The Bergeron-Damboise Association has a website at http://www.bergeron-damboise.com .
I have added a few more names on my Chartersville Road Cemetery in Dieppe in case you want to check it out at http://www.acadian-roots.com/ I have lots more to add.
Just came back from PEI, had a nice time, the weather was great. Now it is coffee time.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day
Aline
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
What would our Ancestors think?
Have you ever wondered about the difference in the world around us today ,and what our ancestors would think if they too could see?
First of all, we have electricity, they had lanterns and lamps. I bet they would really appreciate turning on a switch instead of lighting a lamp or even a candle.
We have cars, they had horse and wagons,we have skidoos, they had horse and sleighs. How they would marvel at all the new inventions.
Our ancestors washed in the rivers and streams, and hung their clothes on trees and branches, we have automatic washers and dryers. Can you imagine our great great great grandmothers opening their eyes today and after all the hard work that they did, see a washer and dryer?
The men used axes and saws, to cut down their trees, it must have taken them a long time to cut one tree, today we have power saws, one zip and the tree is down.
Building a house back then took time, and a lot of hard work with their limited tools. Today in no time a house is all built because of all the new tools we have.
Back they had to plow their fields with a horse and them walking behind, it took them a long long time to get their soil ready for planting. Now today we have tractors and tillers, in no time we have our garden all sowed.
We can take a nice hot shower whenever we want to, our ancestors had no showers ,I bet you lots of time they bathe in the brooks, brrrr sure must have been cold sometimes.
These are things to think about and realize how lucky we are. And yes if our Ancestors could be here today they would marvel at all the new inventions.
Thanks for the visit, do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
First of all, we have electricity, they had lanterns and lamps. I bet they would really appreciate turning on a switch instead of lighting a lamp or even a candle.
We have cars, they had horse and wagons,we have skidoos, they had horse and sleighs. How they would marvel at all the new inventions.
Our ancestors washed in the rivers and streams, and hung their clothes on trees and branches, we have automatic washers and dryers. Can you imagine our great great great grandmothers opening their eyes today and after all the hard work that they did, see a washer and dryer?
The men used axes and saws, to cut down their trees, it must have taken them a long time to cut one tree, today we have power saws, one zip and the tree is down.
Building a house back then took time, and a lot of hard work with their limited tools. Today in no time a house is all built because of all the new tools we have.
Back they had to plow their fields with a horse and them walking behind, it took them a long long time to get their soil ready for planting. Now today we have tractors and tillers, in no time we have our garden all sowed.
We can take a nice hot shower whenever we want to, our ancestors had no showers ,I bet you lots of time they bathe in the brooks, brrrr sure must have been cold sometimes.
These are things to think about and realize how lucky we are. And yes if our Ancestors could be here today they would marvel at all the new inventions.
Thanks for the visit, do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Family Reunions what are they?
What are family reunions? Well family reunion are a gathering of family members together . There are various reasons for reunions. Some are to celebrate a special milestone, for example Grandma and Grampa were married sixty years ago, and it is a good time to have all their descendants under one roof to celebrate. Mother is 100 years old, what a nice time to have a family reunion, think about all her descendants that she will see.
The CMA is holding an Acadian World Gathering in Northern New Brunswick Canada in August. That reunion will be a very big event, with all different family surnames holding their reunions at different times and places but all coinciding with the CMA. This is a must if you can make it .The different reunions will host different schedules of events. Some will have dances, others just music, or discussing genealogy ,and having a great time, meeting new friends.
So if you are in the neighborhood, stop by the CMA and join in on all the fun.
The Bergeron-Damboise Association is holding a reunion in Fredericton New Brunswick July 18 and 19th. I am the spokeman for them in New Brunswick.
We are going to try and make this reunion a great one with lots of good memories for the guests to take back home. But also along with our reunion we are going to do a good deed. All the food we have left from our lunch will be donated to the Fredericton Soup Kitchen, as a treat perhaps for the hungry.
So if there are any of you reading this blog and you want to donate any food for the soup kitchen, drop off your donation to the Sainte Anne Community Hall on Priestman Rd in Fredericton on July 19th after 930am and say it is for the Soup Kitchen.
We have received some donations for our reunion from some very nice folks, which I shall add on my website after our reunion is over. They will also be added on the Bergeron-Damboise website at http://www.bergeron-damboise.org/
Myself ,personally, I am very excited about our reunion in Fredericton since I will be meeting many distant cousins from places such as Louisiana, Chicago,Vermont,Minnesota,New Hampshire,Massachussetts,Maine,Ontario,and Quebec and possibly more.
It should be a fun time. And I am also looking forward to the CMA, since we are going there for two weeks, we will be tenting, (I still haven't tried to set up my tent yet, I had better do so before we go grin) It is a new tent.
So we will be attending different reunions, the Legers, maybe Cormier and Boudreau, and taking in all the festivities. Also some of my online friends will be meeting us at the Carrefour de Mer on Acadian Day august 15. I am looking forward to that meeting. So this year, reunions are very important to me.
I only hope that the weather will remain very nice during our reunions.
Oh and before I forget, on July 19 at 11 am at the Sainte Anne de Pays Bas church on Priestman Rd in Fredericton there is going to be a mass said for the Bergeron-Damboise group but also it will be for descendants of the pioneers of Sainte Anne de Pays Bas, surnames such as Godin,Bellefontaine,Bellefeuille,Beausejour,Roy,Saindon,Landry,Dugas,Pare
so if you have ancestors that were in Sainte Anne de Pays Bas, come join us for the mass.
Thanks for the visit do stop by again
Have a nice day
Aline
The CMA is holding an Acadian World Gathering in Northern New Brunswick Canada in August. That reunion will be a very big event, with all different family surnames holding their reunions at different times and places but all coinciding with the CMA. This is a must if you can make it .The different reunions will host different schedules of events. Some will have dances, others just music, or discussing genealogy ,and having a great time, meeting new friends.
So if you are in the neighborhood, stop by the CMA and join in on all the fun.
The Bergeron-Damboise Association is holding a reunion in Fredericton New Brunswick July 18 and 19th. I am the spokeman for them in New Brunswick.
We are going to try and make this reunion a great one with lots of good memories for the guests to take back home. But also along with our reunion we are going to do a good deed. All the food we have left from our lunch will be donated to the Fredericton Soup Kitchen, as a treat perhaps for the hungry.
So if there are any of you reading this blog and you want to donate any food for the soup kitchen, drop off your donation to the Sainte Anne Community Hall on Priestman Rd in Fredericton on July 19th after 930am and say it is for the Soup Kitchen.
We have received some donations for our reunion from some very nice folks, which I shall add on my website after our reunion is over. They will also be added on the Bergeron-Damboise website at http://www.bergeron-damboise.org/
Myself ,personally, I am very excited about our reunion in Fredericton since I will be meeting many distant cousins from places such as Louisiana, Chicago,Vermont,Minnesota,New Hampshire,Massachussetts,Maine,Ontario,and Quebec and possibly more.
It should be a fun time. And I am also looking forward to the CMA, since we are going there for two weeks, we will be tenting, (I still haven't tried to set up my tent yet, I had better do so before we go grin) It is a new tent.
So we will be attending different reunions, the Legers, maybe Cormier and Boudreau, and taking in all the festivities. Also some of my online friends will be meeting us at the Carrefour de Mer on Acadian Day august 15. I am looking forward to that meeting. So this year, reunions are very important to me.
I only hope that the weather will remain very nice during our reunions.
Oh and before I forget, on July 19 at 11 am at the Sainte Anne de Pays Bas church on Priestman Rd in Fredericton there is going to be a mass said for the Bergeron-Damboise group but also it will be for descendants of the pioneers of Sainte Anne de Pays Bas, surnames such as Godin,Bellefontaine,Bellefeuille,Beausejour,Roy,Saindon,Landry,Dugas,Pare
so if you have ancestors that were in Sainte Anne de Pays Bas, come join us for the mass.
Thanks for the visit do stop by again
Have a nice day
Aline
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Grandfather and the squirrel
As you must know, I go visit my Mom and a lot of times she shares stories about her youth with me. I can sit and listen for hours. The other day, I went over to visit and we were sitting at the table. Mom was knitting a pair of booties for a new great grandaughter that will soon come into this world. And we were talking about when she was young. She told me her father used to hang his pork high in his shed to keep it from the animals and also so it wouldn't go bad. This paticular time, he hung a side of Ham and there was this little squirrel who kept climbing to the Ham to try and get some. One day my grandfather threw a blanket over the squirrel that was the only way he could catch him and put him in a cage he had made. Inside the cage Grandfather made a little wheel so the squirrel could run. Mom said when that squirrel began to run, he ran so fast that all you could see was a white belly. Anyway Mom said ,she and her siblings loved that little squirrel. One day grandfather said to them, "we have had him long enough, now he belongs in the wild, we have to let him go". Mom said they were devastated over losing their pet squirrel. So grandfather opened the door to the cage, and out ran the squirrel. They thought that would be the last time they seen the squirrel. But it wasn't so, because that squirrel stayed around the house. My grandfather had built a ledge outside of the window, so grandmother could put her cooking there to cool. Mom said that everytime Grandmother would put her fresh cooked doughnuts on that ledge the little squirrel would jump on the ledge , grab the whole doughnut and run for the trees. I said to Mom, I guess Grandfather loved animals huh? She said yes he did, he even once caught an otter, kept him for a while then set him free.
Then I was still asking Mom questions. This time I said "Mom what did Grandfather call Grandmother? Mom replied he called her Mom and she called him Dad. Mom continued, she said at night time, it wasnt play time for us kids, we used to all sit around the table and do our homework,she continued and Dad really believed in education. I enjoyed our chat very much.
My grandfather had a white and black dog, and he used to train the dog, I have a photo of him with the dog sitting pretty on a wooden box. I met a new cousin about two years ago, and we started getting to know each other and exchanging photos. She sent me a photo and said do you know this couple? Well I looked at the photo, it was a couple with a white and black dog. When I saw it, I recognized the dog first of all and I sent her the photo of grandfather with the dog, it was the same dog and the couple on the photo were our great grandparents. What a nice surprise that was. Now is the time to share our photos, while we can identify the people. I am still on the lookup for photos of my relatives, the more I get the happier I am.
Thanks for stopping by , I do hope you enjoyed todays blog.
Have a great day
Aline
Then I was still asking Mom questions. This time I said "Mom what did Grandfather call Grandmother? Mom replied he called her Mom and she called him Dad. Mom continued, she said at night time, it wasnt play time for us kids, we used to all sit around the table and do our homework,she continued and Dad really believed in education. I enjoyed our chat very much.
My grandfather had a white and black dog, and he used to train the dog, I have a photo of him with the dog sitting pretty on a wooden box. I met a new cousin about two years ago, and we started getting to know each other and exchanging photos. She sent me a photo and said do you know this couple? Well I looked at the photo, it was a couple with a white and black dog. When I saw it, I recognized the dog first of all and I sent her the photo of grandfather with the dog, it was the same dog and the couple on the photo were our great grandparents. What a nice surprise that was. Now is the time to share our photos, while we can identify the people. I am still on the lookup for photos of my relatives, the more I get the happier I am.
Thanks for stopping by , I do hope you enjoyed todays blog.
Have a great day
Aline
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Fiddlehead greens
Have you ever tasted Fiddleheads? Do you know what they are? I can imagine many of our ancestors thought they were pretty good.They are very young ferns that haven't opened up yet.
They are usually picked around the first of may and can be found along the riverbeds or brooks and forest floors. They should be picked in the early morning and when they are very young.
They are a good source of Vitamins A and C .So yesterday while doing my grocery shopping I spotted a bin of these fiddleheads and I bought some. Today I washed them , cut off the ends and steamed them. Added some butter and a pinch of salt. Mmmm were they ever delicious. I should have bought more. grin.
On another note have you heard about one of the oldest living senior? She lives in New Hampshire and she is 114 years old, can you imagine being 114? Well what caught my eye was that this lady from New Hampshire is an Acadian from Bloomfield PEI her maiden name is Marie Josephine Arsenault.
She is the the first oldest person recorded on PEI. She married Walter Ray in 1922 according to her family. She was born 1n 1895 in Bloomfield PEI the daughter of Sabin Arsenault and Lydie Blanchard. She was orphaned at age 15 and worked to support her siblings. I was sent a couple of emails regarding this nice story and I have added a little bit of it on my website with permission from George Arsenault of PEI. I hope you have enjoyed todays blog and will drop by again. Thank you.
Have a great day.
Aline
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Acadians and Cajuns
What do the Acadians and Cajuns have in common? Well they have lots in common. First of all, they both descend from Acadian ancestors. They both are a strong people. They are both survivors. The Cajuns brought with them lots of Acadian customs. For example, I am reading a book by Carl A Brasseau. Here is an exhert from it.
Familial ties permeated all facets of Acadian life: as in vieille Acadian, family members worked together, played together and worshipped together. Many homes were the same, the men worked in the fields cut timber and built levees (aboiteau)."Note: The acadians built these levees and when they were in Louisiana they built them there too."
The women took care of the barnyard,milked the cows, spinning and weaving cotton, or wool, sewing and cooking. Family and friends gathered in homes of neighbors having a hard time and helped them either with their homes or with their harvest."Note: They did that in Acadie and the custom continued in Louisiana." The cajuns had house parties, these parties included dancing which was an important diversion from the hard frontier life. So the cajuns had house dances, and had a great time. Now the Acadians also did the same, I remember going to a house in the country before I was married , and they used to be bootleggers, and my late husband took me one time, I was amazed, there was this man playing the fiddle and his wife was stepdancing, then they had a square dance. Talk about I enjoyed this. And the day before yesterday we took Mom out for a drive and she was telling me , she remembers going to Old Mister Mill's house and they had what they called a Pound Party, what the guests were suppose to do, was to bring a pound of food, of their choice to the party , in return, they would move all the furniture out of the way and have a square dance. That sounded like lots of fun.
I think this is a great custom that we Acadians and Cajuns have, the custom of a good time, the custom of happy times and the custom of getting together with our friends and neighbors on such a happy note.
When I was newly married my husband used to get some of his friends to come and play music at our house. They played the guitar, the fiddle ,the accordion, and harmonica, what fun we had.
I have always loved the piano , had I been good at reading music, I would loved to have learned to play. My dad played the Jew's harp, the harmonica and accordion.
So where ever you are, keep on enjoying life, because life is so short, we can be here today and gone tomorrow. So Let the good times roll, Vive le bon temps.
Thanks for the visit, do stop by again
Have a great day
Aline
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
LA ROCHELLE FRANCE
Last week while at a yard sale I asked this lady if she had any genealogy books or acadian related books. She replied "no I don't believe I have, but I have a book on Poitou France. So I glanced at the book and wow, there were lots of photos and the one on the right caught my eye. La Rochelle France,why did that catch my eye? Well my Cormier ancestors Robert Cormier, his wife Marie Peraud and their young son Thomas left La Rochelle in 1644 for a new life in a new land to be named Acadie. In the early 1600s La Rochelle was the last stronghold of Huguenots in France and there was a famous siege led by Cardinald Richelieu in 1627. It was at that time that Richelieu drew up the charter for One Hundred Associates. The cost of the siege was the loss of some 23000 casualties. In 1637 the largest influx of settlers came to Acadie many of them from the Poitou, Aunnis and Saintonge areas. Around three hundred Catholic peasants from the estate of Charles D'Aulnay at La Chaussee near Loudon set said for their new home in soon to be Acadie.La Rochelle was an important port back then as it is still one now. So many of our ancestors boarded their vessels at La Rochelle and crossed the ocean to reach their destinations. I wonder if this is where Barthelemy Bergeron dit Damboise and Jacques Leger dit La Rosette boarded to come to North America? They were both soldiers one belonging to Troupe de la Marine and the other a drummer . In the book I got at the yard sale, it says that in1568 La Rochelle became a Huguenot city . Then lots of tragedy with the siege of Richelieu that lasted 416 days. The port would become very active and important paticularly with North America (where our ancestors were heading for) Today La Rochelle remains one of first French Ports in Europe and also a cultural capital and tourist area with lots of festivals and museums. I wonder where Robert Cormier and his family had travelled from to reach La Rochelle? Will we ever know? There have been many historians and priests that have searched for the illusive Robert Cormier but who knows what will happen in the future with the new found tool called the Internet. With all the records from France coming online, one day someone may be looking for another ancestor and poof our Robert just might be there.
Thanks for the visit ,do stop by again
Have a great day
Aline
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Genealogy and Yard Sales
What would genealogy have to do with yard sales? Genealogy is about our ancestors, about their lives,about their history. Yard sales are sales where everyone gets rid of their stuff they don't want correct? What is the connection? Sometimes there is NO connection at all, but once in a very very long while there is that connection, because many folks are not into genealogy, they do not know what it is all about and the importance of genealogy .So they clean out their homes and put things in the sale, things that belonged to their parents or grandparents, old photo albums, important books, or diaries. Oh yes sometimes these precious things are thrown out. A photo of someone long ago named Marie Cormier, and they don't have a clue she was their great great grandmother, that is no good so onto the table it goes.So if I am lucky enough to be at the right yard sale at the right time and I have a chance to grab those items you can be sure that I will. In all my yard saling that I have gone to and going to, I am always on the lookup for things such as books, diaries ,photos,just in case some of those things relate to my own genealogy. So please wish me luck because it is now 640am and I am all dressed and ready to go. The sales start at eight am, so the early bird sometimes get the worm, I don't want the worm I want the good stuff. grin.
So thank you for the visit and do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
So thank you for the visit and do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Acadian World Gathering CMA2009
Yes I am ready and waiting to go to the Congres Mondial, maybe my hat should be a bit bigger? Maybe I will lose the tie, grin. This summer is going to be a great summer with all the reunions happening in Northern New Brunswick Canada, and in Fredericton New Brunswick for us. If you are interested, there are still tenting sites at Colibri, I phoned yesterday and there are tent sites available. We will be staying there. And they are saying that on Acadian Day August 15 in Caraquet this year is going to be the biggest amount of people they have ever seen. So get there early. We are meeting some online friends before the celebrations then its off to Acadian Day . But before our CMA reunions we have our reunion in Fredericton for descendants of Barthelemy Bergeron dit Damboise and Genevieve Serreau dit St Aubin. Did you know that Barthelemy was held prisoner in Boston and he was the first prisoner to be released by the English? And did you know he sailed with Baptiste? There sure must have been excitement in his life at times. I am hoping to take lots of photos of all our reunions so be prepared to see them.
On another note: for all you twitterers out there, I have taken the plunge and created a twibe, so I am calling on all Acadians and Cajuns to come join me , the more the merrier, you can do a search for my twibe at twibes.com and I am under hobbies, and my twibes name is acadianancestors. This is new to me, so I am a bit unsure but will learn fast. My twibe is not only for genealogy but that is a plus ,it is for any Acadian or Cajun wanting to join in with others. So come one come all.
I am still working on my website at www.acadian-roots.com , the last I did was the memory pages for my Dad and late husband, there will be more added to the memory garden.
So until next time, thanks for the visit, hope I did not scare you away with my photo grin.
have a great day
Aline
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
ACADIAN BOOKS
As most of you know, I have listed Acadian Books on my website at www.acadian-roots.com , Some are on Acadian History, some are fiction and some are about genealogy. I have been asked to add this book among my French books, but I know some of you who do not speak French would still be interested in the book. Here is what the author has sent me.
LES REFUGIES ACADIENS en France tells the story of Acadian refugees in France, from the deportation from Acadia and Prince Edward Island in 1755 and 1758, through to their captivity in Great Britain between 1756 and 1763, to the attempts to settle them in Saint-Malo, Belle-Ile-en-Mer and Poitou in France, to their departure from France to Louisiana in 1785 (the story also continues with the Revolution). Thanks to extensive archival research in over 40 different archives in France, Spain, Canada and the Vatican, it gives some entirely new insights into the daily lives of the refugees, including details of those involved in tobacco smuggling around the Saint-Malo region in Brittany, France. Thanks to new research in the Archives of Seville, it also gives new insights about why many of the Acadians left France in 1785.
The book comes with a website where the transcription of more than 1,500 original documents can be accessed, and any reference in the book to a manuscript can be checked against the document, online. It is also possible to search the documents online for a particular family name, which will automatically retrieve all documents where this name appears.
The online database can be accessed freely from: http://www.septentrion.qc.ca/acadiens (Canada) or http://jfmouhot.free.fr/ (France).
An interview of the author from Radio Canada can be listened to at: http://tinyurl.com/dmlh7b (in French).
The book can be bought from the publisher, Septentrion ( http://www.septentrion.qc.ca/catalogue/livre.asp?id=2510 ) or from Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/opjmka)
Note I have also added this same information on my acadian-roots Book Corner if my French Books and English Books even tho it is only in French.
Enjoy;
Thank you for the visit .
Have a great day
Aline
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cemeteries
Cemeteries can hold a lot of information. Tombstones can tell you little secrets about your relatives. Such as a deer on the tombstone, probably means that the person loved hunting.
A fish on a tombstone ,maybe he or she loved fishing. I have seen tombstones with big trucks on them, one even had a bread truck, and yes he worked for a bakery driving trucks.
Some parts of the cemetery will hold a large tombstone and all little ones around it, those were the children. Many tombstones have the couple and their date of marriage. That is very important if you are doing your family tree or genealogy. In genealogy, you cannot search parish records after a certain date, so a cemetery is a good place to check out, you sometimes do find the dates you are looking for, the birth, the death, the age, the date of marriage. I have also seen tombstones of a person saying that this person was born elsewhere. Some were born in Ireland and died in Canada, others born in Newfoundland, and died in New Brunswick.
As I walk through the cemetery and I see all the names on the stones, I wonder about these people that are buried there. They lived their lives and died but that is not all there was to those persons, in between the living and dying they had a life, they loved, they hurt and they had happiness and they had sorrow. So if you go into a cemetery, look at the wealth of information there is there, sometimes they have epitaths, if you read them, some are very interesting.
Sometimes you stumble upon some stones that will tell you about tragedies, and that is sad.
Anyway today I went to the cemetery, but this time not to browse the cemetery names, no today I went to my Dad's gravesite to let him know I have not forgotten him, he passed away five years ago today. So Dad rest in peace.
Thanks for the lovely visit, do stop by again, and when you go into a cemetery remember this blog.
Have a great day
Aline
A fish on a tombstone ,maybe he or she loved fishing. I have seen tombstones with big trucks on them, one even had a bread truck, and yes he worked for a bakery driving trucks.
Some parts of the cemetery will hold a large tombstone and all little ones around it, those were the children. Many tombstones have the couple and their date of marriage. That is very important if you are doing your family tree or genealogy. In genealogy, you cannot search parish records after a certain date, so a cemetery is a good place to check out, you sometimes do find the dates you are looking for, the birth, the death, the age, the date of marriage. I have also seen tombstones of a person saying that this person was born elsewhere. Some were born in Ireland and died in Canada, others born in Newfoundland, and died in New Brunswick.
As I walk through the cemetery and I see all the names on the stones, I wonder about these people that are buried there. They lived their lives and died but that is not all there was to those persons, in between the living and dying they had a life, they loved, they hurt and they had happiness and they had sorrow. So if you go into a cemetery, look at the wealth of information there is there, sometimes they have epitaths, if you read them, some are very interesting.
Sometimes you stumble upon some stones that will tell you about tragedies, and that is sad.
Anyway today I went to the cemetery, but this time not to browse the cemetery names, no today I went to my Dad's gravesite to let him know I have not forgotten him, he passed away five years ago today. So Dad rest in peace.
Thanks for the lovely visit, do stop by again, and when you go into a cemetery remember this blog.
Have a great day
Aline
Monday, May 18, 2009
MARTIN HOUSE and CMA2009
As you all must know, the CMA2009 is getting nearer. And there will be many of you coming down to New Brunswick Canada for the first time. If you do come down be sure to mark down the Acadian Village as a place to visit. I have been there and it is as if we are back into the times of our ancestors. I really recommend the visit. The Acadian Village is in Tracadie and Tracadie is near Caraquet. Anyway I was at a yard sale a few weeks ago and I picked up a book that had information about the village. The house above once belonged to a Martin family.Jean-Baltazar dit Barnabe Martin was born Jan 4 1736 in Port Royal son of Jean Baptiste and Marie Brun.This family had settled in Port Royal since 1671 when Jean Baltazar married first to Rosalie Thibodeau. Around this time he left Port Royal. We find them among the prisoners in Halifax in 1763. Then he went up the St Lawrence River and married in Ile d'Orleans in 1767. It was with his third wife Marie Anne Levasseur that he eventually would settle at Sainte Anne de Fredericton in 1768. Three children were born with his first wife and four with his last wife. His sons all immigrated to Madawaska. Their home above was built between 1770-1780. The house was built like a log cabin,it was heated with a stone fireplace. Two adults and five children lived in that house at the time. As you can see the house is old and you can see all these houses at the Acadian Village , the workers are all dressed in Acadian costumes. I am hoping to go there again this summer during the CMA2009. As you walk through these houses, there is usually someone telling the story about the house or about the owner or about their way of life back then.
If any of you are in Caraquet on August 15th (Acadian Day) and you are around the carrefour in Caraquet around 11 am, stop by and say hello to me, I will be wearing Yellow.
Thanks for the visit, do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cherished Memories
To me cherished memories means remembering stories from our childhood,remembering stories shared with us by our love ones, parents, grandparents,brother and sisters or even aunts and uncles.
I wanted to make a webpage to remember my dad who passed away five years ago and my husband who passed away ten years ago.
I decided to make something like a flower garden, or a garden of memories. I wanted them to be remembered.
So I have created some pages if you go to www.acadian-roots.com and if you scroll down, you will see Cherished Memories on the sidebar. I will be adding more pages as I go. I may be adding pages of some of my friends love ones also, with poems and music. I may add more on each page ,but since this is only the beginning I do hope you all like the pages.
I wanted to share this with all of you since my Dad passed away on May 19th five years ago.
Have a great day
Aline
I wanted to make a webpage to remember my dad who passed away five years ago and my husband who passed away ten years ago.
I decided to make something like a flower garden, or a garden of memories. I wanted them to be remembered.
So I have created some pages if you go to www.acadian-roots.com and if you scroll down, you will see Cherished Memories on the sidebar. I will be adding more pages as I go. I may be adding pages of some of my friends love ones also, with poems and music. I may add more on each page ,but since this is only the beginning I do hope you all like the pages.
I wanted to share this with all of you since my Dad passed away on May 19th five years ago.
Have a great day
Aline
Friday, May 15, 2009
What are Seniors?
Have you ever walked in a park and seen an old man, sitting on a park bench reading the paper? Have you ever passed a elderly lady in Walmart walking with a cane? Have you ever sat back and wondered about these elderly people?
Seniors are people just like you and I, the only difference is they have lived longer than we have.
If you go to nursing homes and look around, there are some elderly men and women who are lonely, many have lost all their friends they used to laugh and share stories with.
When I worked at a nursing home I seen them. There was this old lady who came from Ukraine , her name was Mrs Osanski or something like that, And she had no family, no friends, and no visitors. And when I used to go to her room, I felt so sorry for her , so I began talking a little and making her laugh or smile, and one day she sang me a song in Ukraine, and every time I would go into her room from that day on I would say sing me that song again? Well her eyes would light up and she would begin to sing. It was a good feeling leaving that room.
The elderly or seniors had a life, just like we have, they worked hard, brought up their families, some had large families ,others had small families. They hurt, they cried and they loved just like you and I. If you have grandparents, or even great grandparents, take time to visit and sit and talk or listen to them, ask them things, just so they feel that they are still important.
If ever you go visit some relatives at a nursing home or senior citizen home and you see an elderly gentleman or lady just sitting all alone, give them your biggest smile and say hello, how are you? You will sometimes see a nice smile or hello from them, and when you leave you will think "I made someone smile". It is a good feeling really.
The lady in the photo is my great great grandmother Marie Blanche Breau , she was married to Louis Legere in 1851. They had a big family, and she died in Notre Dame in 1922 at the time she was the oldest parishioner ,she was 94. Imagine if she were alive, the stories she could tell?
So do not think of Seniors as just Old , think of them as someone who played a very important role is this world of ours. Be kind to them, they sure deserve it.
For more stories on seniors, I have three pages on Seniors on my website at www.acadian-roots.com I have seniors over of 95 to 100, and 100, and over 100, very remarkable folks.
Thanks for the visit , do stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Walk In The Park
One doesn't know what one will stumble upon while walking through a park. Today we decided to go for a walk in an park that I had never gone to. The weather was beautiful, so we got in the car and headed for the park. The park is one with walking trails, and a place you can also walk your dogs. We parked the car and began walking up the path. It was so peaceful. We met some joggers on our walk. Then there was this little bridge, we began walking on the bridge and I looked down and I saw the falls on the photo, so I took out my camera and snapped this photo.
We continued our walk, along the path, with trees all around us. We could hear the birds chirping in the trees. As we walked I wondered if a little rabbit or small animal would cross our path, but being so late in the day it wasn't meant to be.
Imagine our ancestors, walking in the woods, they must have come across some very beautiful scenery, waterfalls, streams, rivers, flowers, and lots of wildlife. They also have to had come across lots of little black flies because in just the few minutes that we walked today, I got bit on the ear, something entered my ear, something was buzzing around my head, and little flies were even going under George's hat onto his bald head. grin. This taught us a lesson, next time we go, we need our insect repellent. smile.
Thanks for the visit, hope you will stop by again.
Have a great day
Aline
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