Alexis Menard- Louise Pageau family history

Mark Rabideau / Active Research, Deyo, Education, Public Speaking / Deo, Deyo, Dion, michel, Payette, tanguay / 2 Comments

Notes:

1. This history will become the basis for my September 2011 tutorial at the Parker Genealogical Society. (Another example French Canada search for Francois Lafaye & Marguerite Foret/Forest is also underway at ManyRoads and may be used during the tutorial.)
   
2. Hyperlinks on this page will most often open source documents.
3. Comments, suggestions & questions are most welcomed.

For those of you who follow ManyRoads, you will recall that I have been looking for years for my great-grandmother’s family (Exina Menard- Deyo).  I am sharing my work and data as it evolves (I hope much like a tutorial or case study.) for three reasons:

• to help me keep things in one place (a running log?)
• share the process of research with anyone interested in seeing my work as it stumbles, jerks and ultimately unfolds
• to use in my September tutorial

Be aware, this page is being actively worked and its content will change!

This material grew in large part from a forum posting originally created by Bev Farrington (thank you Bev for the leads!).  So far as I can tell, based upon Bev’s, as well as my own, research, our Alexandre Menard is NOT related to another Alexis Menard from Clinton County NY- he was the son of Francois Menard & Madeleine Matte.

Now on to what I believe we can say about Exina Deyo’s parents, Alexis/Alexandre Menard/Minar/Miner (also known as: Alexis Menard dit Bellerose) and Louise/Marie-Louise/LaLouisa Pageau/Pajeau/Painchaud/Page/Pigeon/Payette/Pajo/Pacheau.

In the 1851 Canadian Census, Alexis shows up as living with his parents (Alexis Menard- a farmer & Margueritte Barriere- housewife) as well as with his siblings (Pierre, Edouard, Abram- all three sons were classed as Laborers).  Most peculiarly, the Alexis Menard family is listed on the exact same page of the 1851 Canada Census as the family of Joseph & Julie Dion/ Deyo/Deo (this is the family into which Exina later marries- George/ Georges Deo/ Deyo!).

Then if that weren’t odd enough, a very generous Menard Family Member (Jackie Menard Hillier) sent me additional information on Alexis; and there he was married to Aurelie Dion (10 Feb 1852). Be aware, this is the very same Dion family into which my g-grandmother Exina marries again (to a nephew of Aurelie) much later in time. To add further confusion to the mix, I have no children for this marriage, nor do I find a death for Aurelie (yet). My assumption, based upon the data I have, is that Aurelie and Alexis had no children. And, Aurelie disappears after this marriage; it is likely she dies.

Further research (perhaps I should say, fortuitous searching)also has lead me to the discovery of a Michel Page family in Huntingdon County Quebec. Is this the family of Louise Page?  It looks like it might be. Certainly the name and location is correct.  But most certainly we need more information.

Alexis’ & Louise’s marriage is likely to have taken place between 1852-1855 before 1856 (the assumed birth date of Marie-Louise Menard for whom I have yet to find a birth document) but after 1852, the marriage of Alexis to Aurelie this is based upon the fact that in 1851 Alexis was living with his parents in St. Bernard Lacolle, Quebec, Canada; and, the couple’s first known child was born in 1856. I expect that the actual marriage year is closest to 1855 (or 1856 minus 9 months).

Of an expected 13 children, we have, thus far, identified:

1. Daughter- Marie Louise, born in 1856 Lacolle Quebec, Canada (no birth record yet…), she was married 18 Sep 1876 at St Edmund’s of Ellenburg to Marcel Bowen/ Boimie
2. Son- Alexandre Thomas, born 26 May 1857, bapt 17 Oct 1857, St John the Baptist of Keeseville – the 1861 Canada Census notes his birth as being in L.C or Bas Canada (no birth record yet…)
3. Daughter- Marceline (Marie Marceline Menard), born about 1859, Lacolle Quebec, Canada. She appears to have died before 1863 when her sister Marie Celina was born.  Based upon naming conventions, it is possible that they shared the same name.
4. Daughter- Marie Celina – baptized 1863, Lacolle Quebec, Canada
5. Daughter- Aurelie (Aurilla), born 26 May 1865, Lacolle (St-Bernard), Quebec,Canada (Note: her birth record provided most links/ clues to Alexis’s roots in LaColle, Quebec.)
6. Son- Jeremie, born 8 Dec 1867, baptized 19 Jan 1868, St Patrick’s of Chateauguay (Franklin County)
7. Daughter- Adelia/Rose de Lima, born 24, baptized 25 Mar 1870, St Edmund’s of Ellenburgh
8. Daughter- Agnes, born 7, baptized 29 Sep 1872, St Edmund’s of Ellenburgh
9. Daughter-Marie Lucilda, born 29 Sept, baptized 11 Oct 1874, St Philomene’s of Churubusco
10. Daughter- Honora/Eleanor, born and baptized 30 Sep 1877, Ste Anne de Centreville of Mooers Forks
11. Son- Francois, born July/Aug 1879; died Sept. 1880
12. Daughter- Axina/Exina Marie Birth 11 Feb 1882  — Bapt. 4 March 1882 St Edmund’s of Ellenburgh; church baptismal record notes: Parents Alexandre Minar – LaLouisa Pajo; sponsors were noted as being Jeremiah Minar & Delima Minar; her First Communion was in 1893 and her Confirmation in 1896..

The family is known to have resided in the following locations (this chronology is based largely upon children’s assumed or documented birth locations as well as Census data)….

• 1851, 1852, 1857, 1859, 1861, 1865 – LaColle, Quebec, Canada
• 1867, 1868 – Chateauguay (Franklin County)
• 1870, 1872 – Ellenburgh (Clinton County)
• 1874 – Churubusco (Clinton County)
• 1876 – Ellenburgh (Clinton County)
• 1877 – Mooers Forks (Clinton County)
• 1879, 1882, 1883, 1893, 1896 – Ellenburgh (Clinton County)

The following paragraph is being replaced by more certain and accurate facts. The Civil War Alex Menard is not ours. Removal of this information is based upon data obtained from the Civil War Alex’s grave stone highlighting his wife as being Mary Barcomb, not our Louise Pageau.

The family has not been found in 1860 US Census which leads me to believe they may have resided in Canada during the time that enumeration was taken (the Census year of 1860) and perhaps for the duration of the US Civil War- the years 1861- 1865. One fact supporting this contention is that in 1865, the year Aurelie was born in LaColle Canada, the family was noted as being members of the LaColle parish in Quebec. Additionally, I have found a record for one “Alex Manor of Mooers, NY” who was a private in the 118th Regiment, New York Infantry Company I (Adirondack Regiment) of the Union Armies during the years of 1862-1865. (For a timeline of the 118th access this link).  Circumstantial evidence appears to point to this as our Alex Menard although thus far it is impossible to prove this ‘absolutely’. Interestingly, the 118th and Alex Manor were present at the cesation of hostilities following their participation in the Battle of Appomattox.

During the 1861 Canada Census, the family of Alexis Menard and Louise Pageau is living in Lacolle next to Alexis parents. Based upon this data, they appear, as of 1861 ‘not yet’ to have emigrated to the United States. This conflicts with the assumed residences listed in Bev’s original posting on the family. Birth records of the family’s pre- 1861 children will provide a more accurate indication of their home location during the first years of their marriage. Until I find something different, I will continue with my assumed chronology, above, using the mix of Census data and birth records I have at this time.

By the time of the 1870 US Census, we find the Alex MAINOR family living in Ellenburgh Center (Clinton County) NY. This would seem to indicate that they emigrated to the US sometime during the years between 1861 and 1869.  In 1870 the family members include:

1. Alex, 42, Canada
2. Mary, 31, NY
3. Louisa, 14, NY
4. Alexander, 13, NY
5. Aurilla, 5, Canada
6. Jeremiah, 2, NY
7. Adelia, 2/12, NY

With the 1880 US Census, the “renamed” MINERs are located in Clinton (Clinton County) NY.  By this time the family has grown to include:

1. Alexander, 48, Canada
2. Mary, 42, NY
3. Thomas, 23, NY
4. Aurilla, 15, Canada
5. Jeremiah, 12, NY
6. Delia, 10, NY
7. Agnes, 7, NY
8. Mary, 5, NY
9. Honora, 2, NY
10. Francis, 10/12, NY

Then sadly in August of 1883, we find that Louisa Page/ Miner has died. The words on Louisa Page/ Miner’s grave (located in St. Edmund’s Cemetery, Ellenburg Center, Clinton County, New York) read:

MINER
Louisa PAGE / Wife of / Alex MINER, / Died Aug. 21, 1883. / AE. 45 Yrs. /
May her soul rest in peace Amen /
She was mother of 13 children /
Francis / Their Son died / Sept. 1880. / Age 22. Mos. /

Based upon a Lacolle death record I have found, I believe our Alexis Menard died in 1907 in Lacolle, Quebec, the husband of Celina Messier of Mooers Forks, NY.

TODO:

• gather remaining images of children’s births/ deaths/ etc.
• check vital records for Louisa & Alexis clues
• search for grave of Alexandre
• search for Menard- Pageau marriage documents
• add document images
• study, review and use the following data for further research:

• Alexis Menard (Clement-Tracy-Bartholomay) on Rootsweb
• Alexis Menard on NosOrigines (Genealogy Canada)
• Cyprien Tanguay’s text- Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Canadiennes

• order and review following records:

• Catholic Church. St. Jean le Baptiste (Keeseville, New York)-Baptisms, marriages, burials 1853-1863 FHL US/CAN Film 1450720
• St. Patrick’s Church of Chateaugay, N.Y., 1863-1915 FHL US/CAN Film 1450729
• “Town of Mooers” book which was  compiled in 2004 with the civil records of Mooers (1804 – 2004) from the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society

Tricks? I have used to uncover my data..

For more detailed pointers/tips see additional posts on searching for materials about Quebec ancestors:

• French Canadian Genealogy Searches- Quebec Research Tip #1
• French Canadian Source Materials- Quebec Research Tip #2
• Québec Historical Documents & Newspapers- Quebec Research Tip #3

 

• Heavy use of Ancestry.com records, especially the Drouin records
• Heavy use of Mocavo.com queries
• Made extensive use of the Northern New York Tombstone Project
• I have read every page of each Census (US and Canada looking for clues beyond those found for an original searched ‘person’.
• I have conducted extensive research on siblings to find clues about parents.
• I have conducted numerous validation and exploratory searches on Canada Genealogy for information.
• I have searched every online cemetery record/ database I could find for Clinton County NY; the northern NY transcription project being most heavily used.
• I use as many spellings of surnames and given names as I can invent to conduct queries.. never say never!
• Researched Rootsweb looking for clues & hints.  I have found some very useful information on Alexis’ parents there!
• I have posted messages seeking additional information on Ancestry.com Message Borads, Genealogy.com (for Deyo, Menard, Pageau family names).
• I have read every page of the Church and Census records for the following Towns and years:

• St. Bernard Parish in Lacolle, Quebec, Canada- 1854,1855,1856,1857 (on Ancestry.com)
• St. Valentin Parish in Lacolle, Quebec, Canada- 1855-1867, 1847-1855, 1839-1847 volumes (for years 1852-1859 and 1839 on FamilySearch.org; 1856, 1839 (on Ancestry.com)
• St. Constant 1852-1855 on FamilySearch.org
• St. Bernard 1852-1855 on FamilySearch.org
• Lapraire 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• Napierville 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• St Jean Chrysostome 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• St. Mathieu 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• St. Marc sur Richelieu 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• St. Antoine sur Richelieu 1852-1855 also 1835-1841 on FamilySearch.org
• St. Philomena Parish in Churubusco, NY, USA- 1873-1915 (LDS Family History Center)
• St. Joseph du Corbeau in Coopersville, NY, USA- 1855, 1856 (on Ancestry.com)

I have read the following Canada Census documents:

• Huntingdon County, Quebec, 1861, 1851 (all)

I continue to seek additional clues for Alexis Menard dit Bellerose’s and Louise Pageau’s life, marriage, children, events and photos(?). Is there anyone out there who might have additional clues or pointers? If so, please contact me directly.