Ancestor quest leads woman to Quebec Le Forum article tells of odyssey in search of immigrant ancestor Claude Bouchard

loading...

You may know the name of Amy Bouchard Morin as someone who is involved in preserving the Franco-American heritage.

Morin, whose family is from Lille in the St. John Valley, has given presentations on the Acadian needlework skills of her grandmother and mother. She also was involved in “Nos Histoires de l’Isle: History and Memories of French Island, Old Town, Maine.”

Now Morin has written an interesting article for the November issue of Le Forum, the newspaper of the Franco-American Center of the University of Maine.

“Tracking Down Ancestor Turns Into Adventure” tells of taking her cousin, Christine Bouchard Duplissa, to Quebec to search for the roots of Claude Bouchard, who arrived from France in 1650.

The women and Morin’s husband, Arthur, wound up in Cap Tourmente, north of St. Anne de Beaupre, and were told that Bouchard’s home was located where the National Wildlife Refuge is now.

They also visited Petit Riviere-St. Francois, where they found a sign that said “Rue Claude Bouchard,” or “Claude Bouchard Road.” They also met Simeon Bouchard, who is descended from Claude’s oldest son, Francois. Morin’s ancestor is younger brother Antoine.

A vault was built over the spot where Claude Bouchard is buried in the cemetery. A museum nearby has a huge mural of Bouchard landing at Petite Riviere. In front of the museum is a monument to Claude Bouchard.

Morin also took a picture of a memorial Simeon Bouchard erected to the memory of his parents: “En Hommage a Ovide et Marie Bouchard et a tous ceux qui comme eux sont de la 8th generation les descendants de Claude Bouchard, ancestre.”

In English, it says, “In homage to Ovide and Marie Bouchard and all those who, like them, are in the 8th generation of descendants from Claude Bouchard, ancestor.”

There is more to this fascinating story, and how asking directions sometimes leads visitors right to the person they need to find.

Another article, this one by Jim Belanger of Hollis, N.H., focuses on the Gagnon Family.

Speaking of Belangers, Claude Belanger, who teaches in the history department at Montreal’s Marianopolis College, did an interesting piece, “French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840-1930.”

Lisa Desjardins Michaud, managing editor for Le Forum, wrote about the “Quebec Immersion” weekend sponsored by the Franco-American Center Sept. 28-30.

Roger Roy had another installment in his analysis of the assimilation of the French-Canadian language into American language and culture.

Robert Chenard’s “The French Connection” column gives some genealogy of the Bolduc family.

There are many more features, as well, in this 36-page issue. Some articles are in French, but those I’ve mentioned are in English.

A one-year subscription to Le Forum is $15 in the United States, $20 elsewhere. For libraries and organizations, the cost is $35. Send subscriptions to Le Forum, Franco-American Center, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5719.

How’s that for a suggestion for a Christmas gift for your Franco-American relatives?

You also may have noticed genealogy magazines available in bookstores. The November-December issue of Family Chronicle has two references to Maine.

One is an article called “Mighty Little Mice,” by Dr. Edwin M. Knights, on Bar Harbor’s Jackson Laboratory and the use of mice in genetics.

The piece includes mention of Dr. Thomas Roderick and his work in mitochondrial DNA – the DNA in the mother’s mother’s mother’s line, etc. Roderick, of course, is a former president of the Maine Genealogical Society.

The other item is a letter from Dutch Meyer of Missoula, Mont., about his search for information on his great-grandfather, Alvah Snow.

Meyer decided to check the Web sites of some Maine libraries, and found one site for the Milo Public Library, www.milo.lib.me.us.

He left a message saying that he liked the site, and mentioned his research. You can guess the rest. The librarian is a cousin, and she knew that Alvah’s father was Philip Snow, a scout with the Arnold Expedition.

Small world isn’t it?

On another topic, the Abbot Historical Society calendar is now available. The 18-month calendar includes pictures of subjects such as the Abbot Hotel, the Buxton Medicine Wagon, Buxton’s Store, and the log drive.

The cost is $8, plus $2.50 postage, sent to the society in care of Wayne Bennett, P.O. Box 173, Guilford, ME 04443.

3161. NADEAU-LAMONTAGNE. Seeking info on Augustin Nadeau, b. 1861, Lac Megantic, Quebec, and wife Cealestine Lamontagne. Augustin’s father was b. New Brunswick. Also looking for info on the couple’s children: Jane Generia Marie Nadeau, b. 1888, Lac Megantic, md. Henri Oliver Maillet, May 23, 1907, Maine. She d. 1978, Lac Megantic. Ida Odallia Nadeau, b. about 1896, d. Oct. 29, 1979, md. Ray Redstone, lived in Maine. Charles Nadeau, b. 1901, d. 1925, Jackman. Diana James, 118 County Road, Huntington, Mass. 01050; or e-mail Dahill.Seeker@prodigy.net.

Send queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.