..........Brodeur

 

 

I think that the Brodeur and David family ties are particularly important because of Memere.  Bertha David Brodeur was the only grandparent I ever really knew.  She was everything that a grandmother was supposed to be - loving, caring, patient and genuinely fun to be with.  It’s funny how memory works: every time I think of apricot jam I instantly picture her with her famous apricot squares.   I am so grateful that my children had the opportunity to be with her when they were growing up. 

 

As with the McCarthy lineage, the research into the Brodeurs was particularly difficult because of the number of name changes along the way.  From the earliest days and well into the 19^th century our Brodeur ancestors were referred to as Le Brodeur, Brodeur, Le Brodeur dit de LaVigne, and even Lavigne.  With this challenge in mind I have taken great pains to ensure that this information is as accurate as possible using at least two sources whenever possible.

The first of the Brodeurs to leave France and emigrate to Canada was Jean Brodeur Dit de Lavigne.  The family was listed in Genealogies des Principales Familles du Richelieu, written by Jordy. 

The following is a rough translation of the original French text:  “This family occupies first place among the most honorable and oldest families to colonize the valleys of the Richelieu and Yamaska rivers.  The first of the family to arrive in Canada was Jean Le Brodeur dit de Lavigne, native of Niel, in the department of Vendee in France.  Jean came to Montreal about 1675 to the edge of civilization and most exposed to the ferocious Iroquois”.  From this beginning the Brodeur lineage spread throughout Canada and the United States, from New England to Michigan and to the west coast of Oregon.      

 

Jean was born around 1654 in Nieul, Department of Vendee, France.  This very attractive village just 12 kilometers from Fontenay-le-Comte in the south of the Vendee.   

Jean’s parents were Jean Baptiste Le Brodeur (1620-    ) and Francoise Frogeret (1631-    ).  The earliest record I could find regarding the Brodeur family listed Jean’s grandparents as Honere Le Brodeur and Josephte Girard, both from France. 

 

In 1679 Jean married Marie Anne Messier in Sainte Famille Church in Boucherville, QC. 

Boucherville was originally founded as a seigneurial parish in 1667 by Pierre Boucher, for whom the city was later named. Pierre Boucher came from Mortagne-au-Perche, France. After having lived in Québec City and Trois-Rivières, Boucher moved to the Percées Islands by the shores of Saint Lawrence River, where he founded Boucherville.

At the time of their marriage Jean was 25 years old and Marie-Anne 14.  At this time Jean’s occupation was simply listed as “habitant,” a term then in use that roughly translates to “farmer.”

 

 

Les Habitants by Cornelius Kreighoff

Habitants were French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Québec in Canada. The term was used by the inhabitants themselves and the other classes of French Canadian society from the 17th century up until the early 20th century when the usage of the word declined in favour of the more modern agriculteur (farmer) or producteur agricole (agricultural producer). 

Marie Anne gave birth to sixteen children, eight of whom died at birth or shortly thereafter.  This is yet another reminder of how harsh this environment was for everyone;
particularly the women and children.  Their first two children died at birth while the couple’s next child, Marie Anne, born in 1685, perished four years later in 1689.  The first of their children to survive to adulthood was Jean Baptiste Le Brodeur.  

Jean Baptiste Le Brodeur was born 28 April 1689 in Boucherville, QC.  His father’s name was listed as Jean Brodeur Lavigne, emphasizing once again the sometimes difficult task of following generations of ancestors.  

 

Sainte Anne de Varennes

Jean Baptiste was the first of the Brodeur family to be born in Canada and live to adulthood.  At the age of 23, Jean Baptiste married Marie Hebert in the church of Sainte Anne de Varennes in Varennes QC.   

Marie gave birth to nineteen children over the next 26 years.  It appears that as many as eleven of those children passed away within a year of their birth.  Marie died 19 April 1754 in Varennes, QC.  Jean Baptiste passed away 20 June 1769 in Varennes, QC.

 

Ignace Lebrodeur was born on 30 July 1723 in Varennes.  He was Jean Baptiste and Marie’s eighth child.  Ignace would later marry Marie Renee Malard Laverdure at the church of Saint Anne de Varennes on 24 November 1746.  Ignace passed away on 26 September 1813 at the age of 90.  Marie Renee lived until the age of 75, passing away on 26 August 1798.  Records indicate that Ignace was a farmer.  Ignace and Marie Renee gave birth to fourteen children between the years 1748 and 1767.  Unfortunately, seven of those children died at birth or shortly thereafter.

Louis Lebrodeur was born on 8 February 1763, the twelfth child born to Ignace and Marie Renee.  Louis was born in St Denis sur Richelieu, Québec, Canada.  His Godparents were Louis Jared and Marie Catherine Delandes, and he was baptized by Father Jean Baptiste Frichet.  At the age of 20, Louis married Marie Marguerite Piche Lamusette, age 16.  Marie was the daughter of Basile Piche and Marie Anne Guilber.  The marriage ceremony was performed at St Denis sur Richelieu on 7 Jun 1784.  It appears that the couple had nine children.  Louis died 20 Mar 1822 at the age of 59.  At the time of his death his occupation was listed as cultivateur (farmer).  Marie Marguerite lived twenty more years, passing away on 7 Feb 1843 at the age of 75. 

Joseph Lebrodeur was born 12 Feb 1792 to Louis and Marie, and was baptized the next day in St Denis sur Richelieu.  On 2 Oct 1815, Joseph married Angelique Larue.  This marriage was also performed in St Denis sur Richelieu.  Angelique was the daughter of Thomas Larue and Marie Angelique Gosselin.  At the time of the marriage Joseph was listed as a farmer.  Joseph and Angelique had eight children over the years.  Joseph was 83 years old at the time of his death on 4 Aug 1875 in St Denis sur Richelieu.  Angelique would live another twelve years before passing away at the age of 90 on 24 Feb 1887, also in St Denis sur Richelieu. 

Nazaire Brodeur was born on 7 Jul 1829 in St Denis Sur Richelieu to Joseph and Angelique.  He married Adeline Bourque (1829-1878) on 20 Aug 1850 in St Charles Sur Richelieu QC.  Nazaire and Adeline had eight children before she passed away 19 Dec 1878 at the age of 49.  Nazaire remarried, but the circumstances are unclear.  I came upon a record of a marriage in Massachusetts for a Nazaire Brodeur and Delima Dragon Laperle in 1880, but it was recorded in both Salem and Southbridge Massachusetts.  These towns are 40-50 miles apart.  From the documents it appeared that Delima was from Salem and Nazaire was in Southbridge.  The records of the marriage seem reliable, although they did leave a bit of a mystery as to the details.  The couple may also have known each other in Canada since, according to the 1871 census of Canada, Delima and her then-husband Jacob Laperle (d. 1876) and their two children were living in St Denis Sur Richelieu, QC, the same town where Nazaire and Adeline were living at that time.  Sometime between that census and 1880 Delima moved to Massachusetts, where Nazaire would travel to marry her. They soon returned to Canada, since the 1881 census of Canada shows them living in St Denis Sur Richelieu with their “combined” families.  Nazaire traveled down to the United States to marry her.  They apparently returned to St Denis Sur Richelieu almost immediately.  Nazaire and Delima went on to live many years together.  Delima passed away 16 Feb 1920 at the age of 77.  Nazaire died the following year on 22 Apr 1921 at the age of 92. 

Alfred Brodeur was born to Nazaire and Adeline on 19 Nov 1854 in St Denis Sur Richelieu QC.  At the time of his baptism his name was listed as Francois Alfred Brodeur.  He is listed in the 1861 and 1871 census of Canada living with his parents and siblings in St Denis.  On the 6^th of February 1883 he married Agnes Maher (1861-1937) in St Guillaume d’Upton QC.  Alfred was 28 at the time of his marriage.  Alfred and Agnes’ first child, Joseph, was born in Canada before the family moved to United States in 1889.  They settled in Northampton Massachusetts, where they would live until the early 1900s when they relocated to Worcester, MA.  Alfred was a carpenter by trade.  

Calvin and Grace Coolidge

I am unsure why Alfred and Agnes decided to locate in Northampton since there is no record of any other Brodeurs from that area, but many immigrant groups settled there in large numbers including Irish, Polish and French-Canadians.

One interesting fact about Northampton Massachusetts at that time is that U.S. President Calvin Coolidge worked as a lawyer in town and served as the city's mayor from 1910–1912 before moving on to the White House. After retiring from the U.S. presidency in 1929, Coolidge moved back to Northampton where he passed away on 5 Jan 1933.




 

Alfred and Agnes would eventually give birth to seven additional children once they were established in Northampton where they lived at 235 South Street.  Joseph would be followed by Arthur (1889), Wilfred (1891), Henry (1894), Lorendee (1896), Rosario (1898), Rosanna (1900) and an unnamed child who died at birth.  Rosanna would pass away less than four months after her birth.  Lorendee (Laura) would develop bronchitis at the tender age of two and pass away on 24 March 1898.  Henry died 16 July 1903 at the age of nine and finally Arthur would pass away in 1913 at the age of 23 from chronic cystitis. 

From what I have been able to document, only three of their children Joseph, Wilfred and Rosario survived to live long lives.  Rosario would grow up to be a singer in vaudeville according to the U.S. Census of 1920.  In the 1930 census the family had moved to Federal Street in Greenfield Massachusetts and Rosario’s occupation was now superintendant in a life insurance company.  Alfred and Agnes would move around quite a bit during their life in the United States: they came to the US in 1889 and settled in Northampton, Massachusetts, lived in Worcester in 1910 and 1920; in Greenfield Massachusetts in 1930; and in Providence Rhode Island in the mid-1930s, where Agnes died on 28 Jan 1937.  In the 1940 census, Alfred was back in Worcester living with Wilfred and his family on Pilgrim Avenue.
 

Wilfred Brodeur was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on 3 Nov 1891, and he would become my grandfather on my mother’s side of the family.  Wilfred lost five of his siblings before he reached the age of 20.  In 1910, eighteen year old Wilfred was working in a grocery store in Worcester, Massachusetts.  That same year Bertha David was a twenty one year old girl working as a hand-folder in an envelope company,  also in Worcester.  Both Wilfred and Bertha lived in the same general neighborhood and in all likelihood belonged to the same church - likely St Joseph’s on Hamilton Street. 

Wilfred and Bertha were married by Father J C Allard on 7 September 1914.  They would become my mémère and pépère.  In fact mémère would be the only grandparent I ever really knew.  

Wilfred and Bertha would spend their life on Grafton Hill in Worcester, never leaving “French hill,” nor St Joseph parish.  In 1915 Wilfred listed his occupation as a machinist.  By the 1920 U S Census they had three children, and Wilfred’s occupation is listed as a railroad conductor.  Henry was their first child, born in Worcester on 2 August 1915.  My dear mother Irene was their second child.  She was born on 9 October 1916, also in Worcester. 

445th Bombardment Group Monument

Their third child was Raymond A. Brodeur, born 21 May 1918.  In the 1940 census, Raymond was listed as a manager in a grocery store.  A year later (8 March 1941) he enlisted in the US Army.  At that time he listed his occupation as “toolmakers and die sinkers and setters.”    Raymond would become a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces.  He became a Bombardier-Navigator on a B-24 flying bombing missions over Germany.  He was a member of the 700^th Bomber Squadron, 445^th Bomber Group, Heavy. 





Typical crew of 445th bomber
w/Jimmy Stewart

Raymond died on 21 November 1944 after being hit by a truck while riding a bicycle near his base (Tibenham).  He is buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery (Plot D Row 4 grave 72) in Cambridge England.  While the picture at the left does not show Raymond, it does show a “typical” crew for the 445^th Bomber Group.  Interestingly this particular photo shows the famous actor Jimmie Stewart as the pilot of this crew.

 

Wilfred and Bertha had a fourth child, Rita, born on 13 January 1920, three days after the 1920 Census. The family was living on Orient Street at this time.  Wilfred was born the next year, on 16 April 1921.  Wilfred’s addition to the family was followed two years later with Doris, born 30 May 1923.  The final child was Jeannette (Aunt Jean), born 22 June 1925.  Jeannette had been born a twin but the other baby did not survive.

 

Rita - Henry - Doris - Jean

From my memories, the siblings got along great and have always looked after each other.  While I never really knew Pépère, Mémère was always so full of life.  She was everything that a grandmother should be and more.  Of their seven children, only two are still alive in 2014: Aunt Rita and Aunt Doris.  My mother, Irene, would pass away in 1971 the same year that my son Mark was born.  Mom was only 55 years old when she passed away.  Such a monumental loss.  She died of cancer in October of 1971.  She would have so enjoyed all of her grandchildren.     

Wilfred  passed away in 1948.  Bertha (Mémère) lived a long and active life, dying on 17 February 1989 at the age of 100.