JEROME PELLETIER FROM SOREL (QUEBEC) AND FAMILY AT THE ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

IN WISCONSIN

Serge A. Theriault

We have published last January, in the French Canadian /Acadian Genealogists of Wisconsin Quarterly, the genealogy and role of Western Quebec families Laviolette and Robillard at the origin of the Christian Catholic Church in Illinois and Wisconsin.1 Another French-Canadian family played an interesting role. It is the family of Jerome Pelletier, born in Sorel, Quebec, Canada. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1851.2 Eight years later, on October 4, he married Esther Giguere from St Robert (Richelieu Co.), Quebec. He was then a voyageur or fur trader.

Inscription in the records of St. Robert parish church

for the marriage of Jerome Pelletier and Esther Giguere

The couple settled in Rockland, Ontanagon County, Michigan, where were born their children John Baptist (1861-1947), Mary Louise (1863-1891), Agnes (1865) and Joseph (1867). Another child, Josephine, was born in 1869, in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois. In 1870, the family moved to Gardner, Door County, WI, were where born their children Louis (1870) and Emma (1873). According to the census of 1880, Jerome was a farmer. He also carried mail from Sturgeon Bay to Green Bay, what he did by foot.3

1 Vol. 19, No. 2, p. 48-59. 2 According to Wisconsin Census of 1900. He might have immigrated with Abraham Pelletier or at the same time. Abraham went to St. Anne, IL, the same year, with wife Helen Martin, married in St Leon le Grand (Maskinonge Co.), Quebec. Abraham was one of the first trustees of the Christian Catholic Church. He was elected in 1859. 3 Information ovtained from Gail Gordon, a descendant who lives in Arizona. .

2

On December 12 1885, Jerome had joined the Christian Catholic Church at Gardner, led by Reverend Rene Vilatte. He presided at the funerals of Jerome’s daughter Josephine on August 22, 1887. The following inscription is found in the records of the parish (dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus).

Burial of Josephine Pelletier

Jerome was a widow when he joined the church. His wife Esther had died on 31 December 1875, five years after they settled in Wisconsin. He never remarried and brought up his children with the help of his eldest son John Baptist with whom he lived till he passed away on the 3rd of March 1907. Reverend John Baptist Gauthier officiated at his burial as per following inscription in the parish records.. March 5 1907 Mr. Jerome Pelletier died at Gardner, Door County, WI, on 3 March 1907. Internment took place from our church and cemetery of the Precious Blood, Gardner, on the 5th of March, He was 76 years old.

J.B. Gauthier, priest

Inscription for the burial of Jerome Pelletier

Here follows the genealogy of this family.

Spouses and Parents Marriage Spouses and Parents Pelletier, Nicolas 4 B 1590 Gaillardon (Chartres), France D 1679 Berthierville, Quebec (QC)

1632 Gaillardon, France

De Voissy, Jeanne B 1614 Gaillardon, France D 1689 Sorel, QC

Pelletier, François (dit Antaya)5 B 1635 Gallardon, France D 1688 Berthierville QC

1661.09.266

Morisseau, Marguerite M. B 1637 Quebec (Sillery) D 1707.12.15 Quebec, QC

Nicolas / Jeanne de Voissy Sillery, Quebec (QC) Julien / Anne Brelancour

4 Nicolas came to New France with his family on 11 June 1636. In 1649, he owned a piece of land near Fort Saint François Xavier, in the viciny of Cap Rouge. In 1670, he went to live in Sorel with his son François. Seven years later, he owned a domain in D'Autray Seignory, near the place called Berthierville. 5 Brother of: Philippe (1632), Pierre (1632), Jean (1633), Marie (1637), Louise (1640), Françoise (1642- 1707), Jeanne (1644-1715), Geneviève (1646) and Nicolas(1649-1729). 6 He was first married in Tadoussac (1660) to late Dorothée La Montagnaise.

3

Michel 7 B 1674 Île d’Orléans, QC D 1744 Sorel, QC

1697.07.09

Meneux, Françoise B 1676.04.20 Île d’Orléans, QC D 1743.01.01 Sorel, QC

François / Marguerite M. Morrisseau Île d’Orléans, QC Jacques / Marguerite Peuvrier Michel 8 B 1700.11.01 Île d’Orléans D 1762.03.06 Sorel

1726.02.06

Letendre, Louise B 1700

Michel / Françoise Meneux Sorel Pierre / Catherine Lemay Jean-Baptiste9 B 1730.04.20 Sorel

1753.05.05

Hus dit Millet, Catherine B 1735.01.17 Sorel

Michel / Louise Letendre Sorel Claude / Françoise Mandeville Jean-Baptiste 10 B 1756.09.03 Sorel

1778.11.09

Lavallée, Josephte B 1758.06.22 Sorel

J-Baptiste / Catherine Hus dit Millet Sorel Michel / Geneviève Duteau Jean-Baptiste B 1786.10.15 Sorel

1815.01.08

Mandeville, Françoise B 1799.01.17 Sorel

J-Baptiste / Josephte Lavallée Sorel Louis / Marie Cartier Jerome11 B 1829.02.14 Sorel D 1907.03.03 Gardner WI

1859.10.04

Giguere, Esther B 1840 Saint Aimé, QC D 1875 Gardner, WI

J-Baptiste / Françoise Mandeville Saint Robert (Richelieu)

Louis / Marie Lambert

Chidren of Jerome and Esther (Giguere) Pelletier

Jerome’s eldest son John Baptist married (1881) Louise Dalebroux (1863-1938), with whom he had five children: � Ghislaine (1882-1907), � Édward (1884-1909), � Esther (1887-1973), � Henry (1890-1976) and � Arthur (1899-1902). Esther was baptised at Precious Blood Church by Rev. Vilatte 26 June 1887. She had baptised there (1909.05.09) the first child Byron she had with Edward Robillard, the son of Frank Robillard and Adolphine nee Montquin.12

Baptism of Esther Pelletier

7 Brother of: Angélique (1662-1741), François-Xavier (1663-1697), Joseph (1665), Agnes (1666), Geneviève (1668), Catherine (1672-1743), Pierre (1676-1757), Elizabeth (1677) and Louise (1678-1703). 8 Brother of: Marie (1698), Marguerite (1699), Antoine & Dorothy (1706), Marie-Françoise (1712), Louis (1714), Catherine (1716), Hyacinth (1716) and Jacques (1718). 9 Brother of: Catherine (1752), Geneviève (1754), Louis, Michel (1759). 10 Brother of: Marie, Marguerite, Louis and Michel. 11 Brother of: Jean-Baptiste, Pierre (?), Françoise, Félix, Zoé, Édesse and Aurelie. 12 The genealogy of the Robillard family is presented in the paper mentioned on page 1.

4

Precious Blood Church and Rectory

Rev. Rene Vilatte

John Baptist Pelletier

Jerome Pelletier

Esther Pelletier

The Reverend John Baptist Gauthier, who succeeded Reverend Vilatte, baptised two of Jerome’s grand sons: Constantin, son of Agnes & August Jenquinne (Jenkins), born in 1893, and William, son of Mary Louise & Mark Schuyler, born in 1895. The following inscriptions were made in the parish records.

Baptism of Constantin Jenquinne (Jenkins) Baptism of William Schuyler At the time he was godfather of his nephew Constantin Jenquinne, Louis Pelletier was assisting Reverend Gauthier as lay reader at Precious Blood Church. Both are seen on the following photo taken from church archives.

Louis Pelletier (1st) and Reverend J.B. Gauthier (3

rd)