Arthur CARRIER and Maria LEBLANC
Arthur Carrier had been born the 1st of March, 1894 in Saint-Frédéric in
Beauce county, province of Québec. 1 He had been baptized the same day by
the Father A. Vézina. The godfather had been Thomas Coté and the godmother
Albertine Carrier. He lost his mother (Odile Boulet) when he was still very
young . After the death of his mother, he was adopted by his half sister and
godmother Albertine and her husband Onézime Francoeur.
On Monday, June 24, 1912, he married in first wedding Maria Leblanc
daughter of François Leblanc in Saint-Hubert de Spaulding (Audet).2 The
officiating priest was Father H. Fraser and the witnesses or "fathers" were
Onézime Francoeur and Georges Leblanc. Arthur and Maria were both 19 years
old. The nine descendants of Arthur are from this first marriage.
Their first son, Albert, was born on July 7, 1913 in Saint Samuel du Lac
Drolet. 3 He would marry Yvonne Carrier on July 9, 19334 daughter of Henri
Carrier and Clara Gauthier from Zenon Park, Saskatchewan. Later, Albert and
Yvonne will move to Saint-Boniface where they will spend most of their life.
Albert will be a carpenter.5
Children: Lucien married to Georgette Babineau daughter of George Babineau
and Alphonsine Dupéré on May 16, 1956 in Macamic, province of Québec.6
Jacqueline married to Édouard Yves Brunel on March 20, 1971 in the parish of
Précieux Sang, in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba.7
Arthur would live in several different places. So, he went, between 1912 and
1914, from Saint-Hubert (Audet) to Saint-Samuel where Paul was baptized on
July 8, 1914. 8
Paul Carrier married Laurence Goyette on Saturday, September 5, 1936 in
Zenon Park Saskatchewan.9 Laurence Goyette, baptized on November 30, 1913 in
Zenon Park was the daughter of Edgar Goyette and Hélène Foucher ,from
Dunkan, British Colombia. Paul and Laurence will live in Bellsite (
Manitoba).
They will still be living there at the death of Paul the 1st of July, 1982
in Winnipeg. Paul will die from lungs cancer. Tobacco and insecticides will
be right of his sturdy health. He will be interred in Bellsite's cemetery on
July 6, 1982 by the priest of Saint Colomban, Swan River, Manitoba.10
Children: Rita, Robert (foster son) and Irène.
In 1916, Arthur Carrier and Maria Leblanc have had their first daughter
they named Berthe. 11 She will marry Alcide Parent on July 3, 1935 in
Saint-Honoré de Shenley.12 Alcide and Berthe, after being farmers in the
Prairies, will move to Vancouver (New Westminster) British Colombia. Last
known address: 1010, Alderson avenue, Maillardville, B.C.
Children: Ghislaine (Madame Laurent Pilon), Monique.
Having returned to Saint-Hubert de Spaulding (Audet) in Frontenac's
county, Arthur and Maria have had another son. On September 2, 1917, Gérard
was born on Road no. 7. 13 He will marry Julienne Boucher 14 on May 8,
1940 in Sainte-Germaine-Boulé, in Abitibi-Ouest.
Children: Pauline (Madame Robert Rossignol), Jean-Guy, Denis, and François.
In 1918, Arthur Carrier rented the house of Aimé Grondin what forced the
young family to move 6 miles to the West, in Saint-Hubert de Spaulding. It
is there, that on March 17, 1920, was born Thérèse. 15 She will marry
Euchariste Bilodeau in Saint-Honoré de Shenley on October 26, 1938. Thérèse
and Euchariste will live at first in Shenley, and after 1949, at 149, rue
Napoléon in Lévis, Québec.
Children: Ghislain, Guy, Jacqueline, Roch, Roger, Bertrand, Rachel, and
Lina.
In 1920, Arthur Carrier rented mister Dostie's house where he will reside
with his family. In the summer of 1921, they move again. This time, they are
going to Saint-Théophile. Arthur rented the Pepin's house on Road Saint-
François. This Road was called "le Rang des Crêpes" (Pancakes Road), because
of the custom that the inhabitants had to hang on their frying pans outside
of their houses. 16
Gisèle Carrier was born on December 8, 1921, in Saint-Théophile. She will
marry in first wedding, Gérard Bilodeau, brother of Euchariste, on June 12,
1941, in Saint-Honoré de Shenley.
Children: Gilles, Chantal
Gisèle will marry in second wedding, Arthur Gaboury, on August 31, 1946,
in Shenley. Gisèle and Arthur will live several years in Saint-Etienne de
Languedoc (Abitibi), then will return to Saint-Georges de Beauce. (206 , 2nd
Avenue, Saint-Georges Est).
Children: François, Claire, Louise, Hélène, Michelle, Danielle, Pierre,
Laura, and Denise.
In the Fall of 1923, Maria gave another son to Arthur. This son was baptized
the 1st of November in Saint-Théophile. 17 Henri-Louis will marry,
twenty years later, on May 4, 1944, Thérèse Castonguay daughter of Joseph
Castonguay and Marie Henley She had been baptized on November 27, 1927, in
Zenon Park. So she was 16 years old at her marriage and beautiful with her
auburn hair.
Children: Marthe (Madame Jean-Guy Fortier), Jean-Luc (who will marry
Judith Beauregard on May 25, 1974, in Saint-Hyacinthe parish of
L'Assomption) and Bertrand.
Henri-Louis died from the multiple sclerosis after suffering for twenty
years, in Saint-Michel de Bellechasse, the country of his ancestors.He was
interred in Saint-Théophile, on June 14, 1972. 18 Thérèse Castonguay, will
have other children.
In 1924, one more moving. This time, Arthur Carrier opted for the purchase
of the lot and the house of Joseph Leclerc 19 in Saint-Hubert de Spaulding
(Audet). This was the return to Saint-Hubert.
House of Arthur Carrier
In 1925, Maria and Arthur have had a baby boy who they named Darvini. This
son was baptized on April 18, 1925, in Saint-Hubert de Spaulding (Audet).20
After Maria's death, Darvini will be adopted by Ovide Carrier, brother of
Arthur, and his wife Marie-Mathilde Lacasse 21 from Stanstead. He will die
at this place, on August 24, 1927, at the age of two years and four months,
after having eaten some white sand brought from the river and used against
the house's basement as outside insulation. 22
At the end of 1926, Maria, already affected by tuberculosis, gives birth
to her last son. This ninth child received the name of Origène 23 on
December 27. Origène will marry Claire Pinette at Saint-Élie d'Orford,
Québec, on August 18 1947.24 Claire, born in the United States, near the
border of Québec,was the daughter of Oliva Pinette and Rose Fournier. Claire
and Origène Carrier will live mainly in Rock Forest near Sherbrooke.
Children: Carol, who will marry Ginette Sanschagrin, on September 6, 1969,
in Saint-Denis de Brampton.
Pierre, who will marry Ginette Thibeault, on June 15, 1973, in Saint Élie
d'Orford.
and O'neil.
On July 9, 1927, Maria Leblanc, wife of Arthur Carrier, died of
tuberculosis at the age of 33 years and 6 months. 25 She was interred in
Saint-Hubert-de-Spaulding (Audet), leaving nine young children without their
mother.
On June 17, 1930, Arthur Carrier married in second wedding, Angéline Fortin.
This second marriage was at first quite difficult. The new bride did not
accept that the children from the first marriage came to live with them.
Arthur choose to build a "shack" of round logs at the middle of his 100
acres lot he had, near the village of Saint-Théophile. It is Thérèse who, in
spite of her young age, played the mother's role for the youngest, whereas
the oldest among which Gérard, did numerous stays in foster homes. Albert
and Paul, well before their majority, left for the Canadian West. Gérard,
for his part, choose the Abitibi. That was how the children of Arthur
Carrier and Maria Leblanc were scattered by all Canada.
In the spring of 1935, Arthur "went up" to Abitibi with the intention to
get a non cultivated lot on Road 2 (rang 2) 26 in Sainte-Germaine-Boulé.27
The lot he was looking for was later sold to Donat Drouin. Arthur Carrier
returned to Saint-Théophile.
In 1943, he went temporarily to Zenon Park, Saskatchewan but returned soon
in Beauce.
Arthur Carrier became again a widower before leaving us himself in 1973,
at the age of 79. He died in Saint-Georges-de-Beauce from a cancer of the
respiratory tracts and was interred on July 18 in Saint-Théophile.
He smoked the pipe and enjoyed amazing his friends by swallowing boiling
maple sap. When he lit his pipe, he used to rub the match under his chair,
crossed up his right leg in a quick movement and continued to talk without
using his match which burned up between his fingers. It was a particular
feature of him.
To keep himself in good health, he gave himself from time to time what he
called a "suerie" (perspiration) . This curative practice consisted in
filling up a thin tank with fine hay residues and immersed that with boiling
water. You shall then sit down on the whole, by making sure to cover
yourself with several woolen blankets. The perspiration was guaranteed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
1 Taken from the Register of baptisms of the parish of Saint-Frédéric for
the year 1894.
2 Taken from the Register of marriages of the parish of Saint-Hubert de
Audet for the year 1912.
3 Taken from the Register of baptisms of Saint-Samuel du Lac Drolet.
4 Not related. The date of the marriage: July 9, 1933.
5 Last known address: P. O. Box 344, Lorette, Manitoba.
6 Taken from the Register of marriages of the parish of Saint-Jean
l'Évangéliste of Macamic, Québec, for the year 1956.
7 Taken from the Register of marriages of the Catholic parish of
Précieux-Sang, Norwood (Saint-Boniface) Manitoba for 1971.
8 According to Gérard.
9 Taken from the Register of the parish Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité of Zenon
Park for the year 1936
10 Taken from the Register of the parish of Saint Columban, Swan River, for
year 1982.
11 Marie-Madeleine-Berthe; her father used to call her Bertha.
12 Éloi-Gérard Talbot, Genealogie des familles originaires des comtés de
Beauce-Dorchester-Frontenac, 1971, vol. 2, p. 272.
13 Joseph-Alfred-Gérard, taken from the Register of baptisms of Saint-Hubert
de Spaulding (Audet) for the year 1917.
14 Marie-Blanche-Julienne-Cécilia.
15 Taken from the Register of the baptisms of the parish of Saint-Hubert de
Spaulding (Audet) for the year 1920.
16 As told to the author by Gérard Carrier, on Sunday , November 20, 1977.
17 Taken from the Register of baptisms of the parish of Saint-Théophile for
1923.
18 Taken from the Register of the parish of Saint-Théophile, for the year
1971.
19 Brother of Mignon Leclerc. Maria Leblanc's photo taken in front of a
house with two children playing in the door opening (Gérard and Berthe) was
taken in front of this house. It is in that house that she died in 1927.
20 Taken from the Register of Saint-Hubert de Spaulding (Audet) for 1925
21 Used Marie as first name.
22 Practice which consisted in adding some sand against the foundation of a
house to make the basement warmer and give a slope which facilitates the
drainage of surface water.
23 Taken from the Register of baptisms of the parish of Saint-Hubert de
Spaulding (Audet) for the year 1926.
24 Taken from the Register of marriages of the parish of Saint-Élie
d'Orford, for the year 1947.
25 Taken from the Register of sepulturs of Saint-Hubert de Spaulding
(Audet), for the year 1927.
26 Country roads in Abitibi have even number, eventhough lands situated
North of them are in the row having an odd number (here no 3).
27 Variation: Sainte-Germaine de Palmarolle. The toponym of Sainte-Germaine
was chosen because many pioneers came from Sainte-Germaine-de-Dorchester.