Re: Ayotte Book
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In reply to:
Ayotte Book
Gary Ayotte 2/07/02
AYOTTE FAMILY'S THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR INFORAMTION. I HAVE COMPLIED FREE A CHARGE A TRANSCRIPTION FOR THE WISCONSIN AYOTTEE IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY WISCONSIN. PLEASE FIND THE INFORMATION THAT IS CUT AND PASTED BELOW. HOPEFULLY IT WILL FILL IN THE BLANKS FOR SOME, AND OTHERS IT MAY BE THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECE.
CHARTER MEMBERS
WHO WERE THESE CHARTER MEMBERS OF ST. JOHNS CHURCH IN COOKS VALLEY, AND WHAT BECAME OF THEM? MANY OF THE FAMILYS HAVE MOVED ELSEWHERE BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, BUT SOME KPT CORRESPONDENCE WITH THOSE IN THE VALLEY. FOLLOWING IS THE INFORMATION WHICH COULD BE FOUND.
JOHN AYOTTE
JOHN, SON OF LEONARD AND MARQUERITE (GAUTHIER) AYOTTE WAS BORN IN KINCARDINE, ONTARIO CANADA IN 1824. HE MARRIED ELIZBETH PRINCE DAUGHTER OF JOHN ENOCH AND ANGELINE (TROTTIER) PRINCE. THEIR CHILDREN JOHN, ENOCK RIGGS PRINCE AYOTTE AND MARY MARGARET "ELIZA" WERE BORN IN CANADA AND MADE THE JOURNEY WITH THEIR PARENTS TO WISCONSIN, SETTLED IN COOKS VALLEY WISCONSIN AND STARTED FARMING 160 ACRES. THEY WERE PROBABLY THE FIRST CATHOLICS IN THE VALLEY. CLARA LOUISEWAS BORN SHORTLY AFTER HER PARENTS ARRIVAL IN 1861. JOHN DIED BY DROWNING IN 1866. MATHILDA SARAH "TILLIE"
WAS BORN TWO YEARS LATER. FOUR OTHER CHILDREN WERE BORN TO JOHN AND ELIZABETH BUT DIED BEFORE ADULTHOOD. ELIZABETH DIED SOON AFTER HER LAST CHILD OLIVE WAS BORN IN FEBURARY 1837 AT BLOOMER.
JOHN MARRIED MARY CHARTRAW. THEY LATER MOVED TO TURTLE LAKE WHERE JOHN DIED AND IS BURIED. THE TAX ASSESSMENT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY OF THE TOWN OF AUBURN SHOWS THEIR POVERTY. THEY OWNED ONE HORSE, AND WAGON, TWO NEAT CATTLE AND A PIG. ALL WITH THE VALUE OF $60.00.
JOHN AND ELZABETH'S CHILDREN ALL MARRIED CHILDREN OF PIONEERS OF THE VALLEY. MOST WERE MARRIED AT NOTRE DAME.
ENOCK "JOHN" MARRIED MARY ANN GRADY AND HAD TWO CHILDREN. THE 1896 ASSESSMENTSHOWS THEM OWNING TWO HORSES, TWO COWS, WITH A VALUE OF $215.00.
ELIZA MARRIED JOSEPH THERIEN. DUE TO POOR HEALTH THEY AND THEIR CHILDREN MOVED BACK TO CANADA WHERE MANY OF THEM DIED OF TUBERCULOSIS.
CLARA MARRIED JOHN JAMES O'ROURKE. THEY RAISED EIGHT CHILDREN. THE SECOND CHILD ANNE ENTERED A RELIGIOUS ORDER AND BECAME SISTER JUSTA .
TILLIE MARRIED JOHN DANIEL CHARTRAW. THEY RAISED 13 CHILDREN. ONE OF THE CHILDREN, AGNES MARRIED JOHN DuBOIS AND THEIR SON BECOAME A PRIEST, REVERND MAX DuBOUIS.
OLIVE MOVED TO TURTLE LAKE WITH HER FATHER AND STEP MOTHER. SHE BECAME A TEACHER, AND MARRIED LOUIS MANSEN.
FAMILY REUNION HELD
FOLLOWINGIS AN ACCOUNT OF THE AYOTTE FAMILY REUNION IN TURTLE LAKE.
FAMILY MEMBERS FROM FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA, COLORADO, ILLINOIS, LOUSIANA, NORTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, NEW YORK, MINNESOTA, AND WISCONSIN GATHERED IN THE TURTLE LAKE VILAGE PARK FOR A REUNION AN SATURDAY JUNE 29TH (NOTE: YEAR IS NOT LISTED). ALL BUT THREE TO FOUR OF THE 210 PERSONS ATTENDING WERE DIRECT DECENDENTS OF JOHN ANDMARY AYOTTE, WHO SETTLED IN TURTLE LAKE AREA ABOUT 1890. THREE OF THEIR FOUR GRANDCHILDREN. FRED HANSON, HELEN CORDES AND FRANCES PEICHEL STILL RESIDE IN THE AREA.
JOHN AND MARY AYOTTE AND THEIR DAUGHTER OLIVE LEFT COOKS VALLEYIN CHIPPEWA COUNTY ABOUT 1890AND MOVED TO TURTLE LAKE BY TRAINAND WAGON TO MAKE THEIR HOME. SOON AFTER THIS, THEIR SON JOHN AYOTTE, HIS WIFE, SON AND A DAUGHTER MARGARET AND HER HUSBAND, JOE THERIEN AND FAMILY MOVED HERE. IN 1910 THEIR DAUGHTER MATLIDA AND HER HUSBAND, JOHN CHARTRAW AND OLDER CHILDREN CAME TO SETTLE IN THE AREA.
THEIR DAUGHTRE OLIVE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER AND AT ONE TIME TAUGHT IN CLAYTON IN THE DDAYS WHEN THE TEACHER BORDED WITH DIFFERENT FAMILIES IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SHE ALSO TAUGHT AT DERONDA WHERE SHE MET AND MARRIED LOUIE HANSEN. THEY SETTLED ON A FARM IN THE TURUTLE LAKE AREA AFFTER SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN WHERE BORN.
THE JOE THERIENS HAD 8 CHILDREN. FIVE OF THEM DIED IN THEIR TEENS, AND EARLY TWENTIES FROM TUBCULOSIST. THERE WAS NO CURE FOR THE DISEASE IN THOSE DAYS.
THE JOHN CHARTRAWS HAD 12 CHILDREN. ONEOF THEIR CHILDREN OLIVE, DIED AT THE AGE OF FIVE FROM DIPTHERIA. HER FUNERL HAD TO BE A THE CEMETARY ONLY AND AT NIGHT. A FEW OF THE NEIGHTS CAME AND STOOD OUTSIDE THE FENCE AS THEY WERE SO AFRAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DREADFUL DIEASE . ANOTHER DAUGHTER FRANCES ALSO HAD DIPHTHERIA WHEN SHE WAS FIVE OR SIX BUT BY THE THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO MEDICINE TO FIGHT THE DIEASE AND ALTHOUGH SHE WAS NEAR DEATH, FOR SERVERAL DAYS, SHE SURVIVED.
THE LOUIE HANSEN'S HAD 6CHILDREN. FOUR OF THEM ARE STILL LIVING.
NONE OF THE THERIEN CHILDREN ARE LIVING, AND ONLY 4 OF THE CHARTRAW CHILDREN ARE LIVING.
JOHN CHARTRAW-CHARTRAND
JOHN WAS BORN IN CANADA AND COME TO THE VALLEY WHERE HE MET AND MARRIED MATHILDA "TILLIE" AYOTTE. THEY LIVED ON 40 ACRES LOCATED NEAR THE CHURCH. PART OF THE LAND WAS LATER DONATED TO THE CHURCH. JOHN AND TILLIE HAD 11 CHILDREN.
CHARLES, MAMIE "MARY", ENOCK -"NICK", PETER, DANIEL, MARGARET, AGENES, JOHN, MATILDA, FRANCES AND HELEN. MASSES WHERE OFFERED IN THEIR HOME PRIOR TO THE BUILDING OF THE CHAPEL. (ST. JOHNS THE BAPTIST - COOKS VALLEY WISCONSIN)
RAPHAEL CHARTRAW-CHARTRAND
RAPHAEL WAS AN UNCLE TO JOHN CHARTRAW. THERE IN NO INFORMATION ABOUT HIS FAMILY. HE IS BURIED IN HOPE CEMETARY IN CHIPPEWA FALLS WISCONSIN.
JOHN NICHOLAS GRADY
JOHN WAS BORN IN NEW YORK, THE SON OF JOHN AND MARY (LEONARD) GRADY, BOTH BORN IN IRELAND. JOHN WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN HIS PARENTS MOVED WEST TO MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN THEN TO WAUKESHA COUNTY WISCONSIN, AND FINALLY TO WASHINGTON COUNTY WISCONSIN. JOHN STAYED THERE FOR 15 YEARS AFTER HIS FATHERS DEATH. HE RECIEVED HIS EDUCATION IN JANESVILLE. HE THEN OBTAINED A POSITION OF JAILER IN JANESVILLE FOLLOWED BY 4-5 YEARS AS DEPUTY AND PRISON GUARD. IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, HE RAN A BOARDING HOUSE, A GRAOCERY, WORKED IN A RAILROAD SHOP, SUPERVISED BUILDING FENCES ALONG RAILROADS, AND SETTLED IN CHIPPEWA FALLS. HE FINALLY SETTLED IN COOKS VALLEY. HE MARRIED BETSY NELSON OF JANESVILLE, WHO BORE HIM 4 CHILDREN, BORN IN VARIOUS PLACES, IN SOUTHRERN WISCONSIN. MARY ANNA (ENOCK AYOTTE) , ABBE, JOHN, HENERY AND MARGARET ELLEN.
MR. GRADY WAS TREASUER OF AUBURN TOWNSHIP FOR 4 YEARS. HE WAS A MEMBER OF FARMERS ALLIANCE AND 1 UNION, AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FARMER STORE COMPANY OF BLOOMER WISCONSIN. HE WAS A MEMBER OF ST. JOHNS AND TAUGHT CATECHISM. AST THE TOWN TREASUER HE AIDED IN ESTABLISHINGA LIBRARY IN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE TOWNSHIP.
JOHN O'ROURKE
JOHN, THE SON OF SAMUEL JAMES AND OLIVE (GUIMOND) O'ROURKE OF CANADA, MARRIED CLARA LOUISE AYOTTE AT NOTRE DAME CHURCH IN CHIPPEWA FALLS WISCONSIN. THEY WERE PARENTS OF 13 CHILDREN. TWO OF THESE, ANNA, AND EMMA WERHER BORN WHILE THEY LIVED IN CANADA, 1886-1890. EMMA DIED IN CANADA AT THE AGE OF 2 YEARS. THE REMAINDER OF THE CHILDREN WERE: ELIZABETH, SAMUEL, MARCEL, JOSEPH, ADRAIN, LEONARD,ELOIA, ARTHUR, CLARA, AND BERNARD. THERE WAS ALSO A STILLBORN SON IN 1898 WHO IS BURIED IN AN UNMARKED GRAVE AT ST. JOHNS CEMETARY. NONE OF THE O'ROURKESCHILDREN STAYED IN THE VALLEY.
ANNA ENTERED RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND TOOK THE NAME OF SISTER JUSTA.
ELIZABETH MARRIED HARRY CLARK.
JOSEPH MARREID LUCINDA SCHNOOR.
ADRIAN MARRIED MARGARET HARMS.
LENORD MARRIED HAZEL BAILEY.
ELOIA MARRIED GEORGE KRAMSCHUSTER
ARTHUR MARRIED CRYSTAL CRELL
CLARA MARRIED CARL HESS.
WHEN THE O'ROURKES RETURNED TO WISCONSIN, THEY BOUGHT A FARM NEAR BLOOMER WISCONSIN. JOHN AND CLARA, LIVED ON THE FARM MOST OF THEIR LIVES ON THE FARM. THEY BOTH DIED IN THE 1940'S.
DELORES O'BRIEN, A GRAND DAUGHTER WROTE A BOOK , BITS AND PIES OF LIFE IN SMALL TOWN WISCONSIN IN 1993. SHE WRITES BRIEFLY OF VISITS TO THE O'ROUKES AND OTHER RELATIVES IN THE VALLEY."AUNT ELIZA AND THE OLDER CHILDREN WERE TEASED ABOUT SPEAKING FRENCH AND BEING "FROGS" WHEN THEY STARTED COUNTRY SCHOOL IN WISCONSIN.
DANIEL O'BRIEN
DANIEL WAS BORN IN IRELAND. HE CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AND MARRIED ELLEN OF NEW YOUR. THEIR CHILDREN JOHN,MARY, ELELN MARIAH,M CATHERINE, EDITH, AND CLARA WERE BORN IN WISCONSIN . FORU OF THE GIRLS ARE BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVES ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS AT ST. JOHNS. THE FAMILY LATER MOVED TO CHIPPEWA FALLS.
GOLDEN WEDDINGS
FOLLOWING IN AN EXCERPT FROM DELORES O'BRIENS BOOK ABOUT THE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
EVERY YEAR ON APRIL 18TH OR A SUNDAY CLOSE TO IT, WE CELBRATED MY GRANDMA AND GRANPA O'ROURKES'S WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. BEFORE THY DIDED IN THE MID 1940'S THEY HAD SPENT OVER 60 YEARS OF WEDDED LIFE TOGETHER. FIFTY YEARS AGO SOMAY YEARS TOGETHER WERE UNCOMMON.
THE CELBRATION ALWAYS MEANT A HUGE FAMILY REUNION. FOR THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING, WE GRANDCHILDREN LEARNED POETRY BY HEART FOR A PROGRAM. THE CHURCH BASEMENT WAS DECORATED. IT WAS A RATHER FORMAL AFFAIR WITH A DINNER SERVED BY THE PARISH LADIES.
AFTER THAT YEAR, IT MEANT A GREAT FEAST AT THE FARM OR LATER IN TOWN AFTER MY GRANDPARENTS LEFT THE FARM. MOTHER, AUNT HAZEL, EVEN GRADMA IN EARLIER YEEARS, DID THE GREATEST PART OF THE MEAL. RELATIVES BROUGHT FOOD. WE ATE IN SHIFTS, AMAZINLY FOOD NEVER RAN OUT.
THE CANADIAN SIDE OF THE O'ROURKES WAS REPRESENTED BY MY MOTHERS FRIST COUSIN ARCHIE, WHO HAD BEEN RAISED BY MY GRANDPARENTS, AND LIVED NEARBY. THE REST OF THE REUNION IN ADDITION TO SOME OF MY MOTHERS BROTHERS AND SISTERS CONSISTED OF RELATIVES, FROM THE AYOTTE SIDEM MY GRANDMA'S RELATIVES.
THESE FIRST COUSIN OF MOTHERS WER LIKE SISTER TO HER. THEY LIVED ONLY 45 MILES AWAY BUT COULDNT TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH VERY OFTEN BECAUSE THEY HAD NO CARS OR HAD TOO MANY FAMILY REPONSIBLITIES. NEWS STORED UP FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WAS SHARED, FAMILY NEWS HEAVY IWTH PREGNANCIES, MISCARRIAGES, DEATH BUT MIXED NONETHELESS WITH HUMOR AND LAUGHS AT LIFE.
IMAGINE LISTENING TO MY GRANDMA AND HER TWO LIVEING SISTERS ABOUT THEIR ONLY BROTHER ENOCH IN DENVER. MY GREAT AUNT TILLIE, WAS A WARM COMFORTING PERSON WITH A KEEN INTEREST IN FAMILY NEWS. GREAT AUNT OLIVE, THE YOUNGEST CONTRIBUTED HER DRY HUMOUROUS COMMENTS. HOW THOSE LADIES MUST OF WELCOMED MY GRANDMA, SISTER ON HER RETURN FROM CANADA.
THE AYOTEES ENJOYED ALL COUSINS NEAR AND DISTANT. PICTURES SHOW 50 PEOPLE IN MOST SHOTS OF THESE CELEBRATIONS. HERE FRIST COUSINS WERE A DELIGHT TO MY MOTHER ALWAYS. (PICTURE WITH CAPTIAN OF THE GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF A.P. PRINCE 1914)