I don’t remember why I have named this photo with Thanks for rekindling the passion. Or was it someone else?
Old pictures are a treasure trove of information about our ancestors. This one has even more... a date.
15 June, 1934.
People in the U.S. were living in peace and the Great Depression was almost 5 years-old. I think Steve Myers shared that photo and many more like these.
Here the caption in the back said Lady?
I found out who she was!
I know I won’t be able to post only on Sunday mornings… maybe in 10 tears from now.
Things are picking up lately about a family I have researched since 2011 when Robin started sharing old photos shared by Sylvia Marie Bleau’s daughter.
Sylvia Marie was still living then. Her mother was Sylvia Elizabeth Bleau. Our Ancestors owes so much to her, her daughter, and granddaughter for preserving old photos so future generations will be able to enjoy those.
Original draft written on July 18, 2015
Her name is Sylvia Elizabeth Bleau.
I wrote a lot about her on this blog even if I have never met her in person. All our meetings were virtual thanks to Robin. Robin as you well know is part of “our” A-Team.
A-Team members share all their research on “our”ancestors, and other people’s ancestors even if those are total strangers who appear on wedding pictures.
Original picture scanned by Robin
Unidentified women
Ida Ashley, the bride
Leo Alphonse Combe, the groom
Mary Archambault, Ida’s mother
Joseph Ashley, Ida’s brother
Lawrence Ashley, Ida’s younger brother
What’s interesting is that the Ashleys were in fact Dufresnes. That’s what my third cousin Joe T. told me. French-Canadians emigrating south of the border in the 1800s, and later on would change their names to integrate into the American society… Lagacés would become Lagasses or Lagasseys, Alexandres would become Alexanders, Archambaults would become Shambos (for some, not all).
Need I continue…?
All original pictures scanned by Robin
End of the original post… This is what I kept in my files to remember Robin’s first virtual encounter.
Thank you for inviting me to view tree. I had no info on her parents, where she was born etc. My husband’s line comes through Silvia their daughter.Silvia and Louis are my husband’s grandparents.
I am hunting for a family picture that I have that has the names Myra and Phoebe Alexander. Have no idea who they are, but photo has no dates. I am guessing well before 1880.
I am new to adding photos to tree, where you able to see any?
I have a postcard photo of David N. Bleau in uniform in front of trolley, I must find it as well, when I do I will scan and add to tree.
Thanks for the info and let’s keep in touch.
Robin
I was planning to publish this post later in April, but then, out of the blue, came a message on Ancestry about Pauline Chagnon. What was strange was that Pauline Bernadette Chagnon was the last person I had looked for while checking people who could be related to the cabinet cards I had posted.
So without further ado here is what I had intended to post later in April…
There are still too many unknown people in the collection of my third cousin Joe from Plainville, Connecticut…
These cabinet cards were scanned in 2012. With this first cabinet card I will have to ask Joe for this one. I think it’s his father.
This second cabinet card I know is Isabelle Marie his father’s sister.
Third cabinet card… No idea who is this little boy… or is it a girl?
Fourth cabinet card: Joe’s maternal grandparents are in front. The young woman in the back is the sister of his maternal grandmother.
Fifth cabinet card: Joe’s maternal grandparents.
Sixth cabinet card: unknown young woman who was most probably living in Bennington, Vermont where some Bleaus were living in the 1880s. It could be Amelia, Olivine or Marie Rose Bleau.
Seventh cabinet card: unknown baby who was most probably living in South Omaha, related to Joe’s maternal grandparents.
Eighth cabinet card: Jean-Baptiste Alexandre, son of Jean-Baptiste Alexandre and Philomene Lagasse. He is the brother of Philomene, Agnes, Myra, Elmire, Flavie, and Helen Alexandre.
Ninth cabinet card: unknown man living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. He could well be related to the Malloys or to the Chagnons.
Tenth cabinet card: Joe’s paternal grandparents
Eleventh cabinet card: Joe’s paternal grandfather
Twelfth Flavie Alexandre, sister of Philomene, Helene, Agnes, Myra, Elmire
Thirteenth cabinet card: No idea…
Fourteenth cabinet card:
Fifteenth cabinet card: No idea…
Sixteenth cabinet card: unknown woman living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. She could well be related to the Malloys or the Bleaus.
Seventeenth cabinet card: unknown woman living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. She could well be one of the Bleau sisters.
Eighteenth cabinet card: unknown woman living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. She could well be related to the Malloys or the Bleaus.
Nineteenth cabinet card: I think it’s a baby related to Joe.
Twentieth cabinet card: No idea…
Twenty-first cabinet card: Marguerite Alexandre, Joe’s paternal great-great-grandmother, and my paternal great-grandmother Henriette Alexandre
Twenty-second cabinet card: This baby could be related to the Bleaus or the Chagnons.
Twenty-third cabinet card: unknown baby living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. He could well be related to the Malloys.
Twenty-fourth cabinet card: unknown man living in New York, Massachusetts. He could well be the father of Lucille Lestage, the daughter of Flavie Alexandre.
Twenty-fifth cabinet card: Possibly Agnes Alexandre, sister of Philomene, Helene, Flavie, Myra, and Elmire.
Twenty-sixth cabinet card: Again this baby girl could be related to the Bleaus or the Chagnons.
Twenty-seventh cabinet card: Myra Alexandre sister of Philomene, Helene, Agnes, Flavie, and Elmire
Twenty-eighth cabinet card: Unknown woman living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. She could well be related to the Malloys. She could be Ada Pendelbury or one of the Bleau sisters.
Twenty-ninth cabinet card: My new found grandaunt’s photo, Malvina Lagacé (Lagasse)
Thirtieth cabinet card: unknown woman living in Adams, Massachusetts, Parsons photographer. She could be related to the Bleaus or the Malloys.
Sometimes an old picture goes a long way…
I got a message on Ancestry yesterday. It was about someone looking for information about Pauline Chagnon, Isabel Chagnon’s sister…
Original post (January 24, 2013)
I had found Freida’s maiden name back in 2012.
Freida was Freida Kaminski. Then she married Harry Bleau and became Freida Bleau.
Freida Kaminski and Harry Bleau
I had a hunch…
The 1920 U.S. Census. This was the proof I needed. Harry Bleau, son-in-law of Frank Kaminski.
Fredrica Bleau, daughter of Frank Kaminski.
Frank Kaminski was born in Germany.
I was then able to put some names on these people.
Freida Kaminski Bleau on the far left was with her brother Peter Kaminski, then Peter Kaminski‘s wife Isabel Chagnon, their child Pauline Kaminski, and Isabel Chagnon’s sister.
In this next picture Pauline Kaminski had grown up to be a beautiful little girl. She was on the left. Her little brother Peter Kaminski Junior was on Freida’s lap.
Pauline Kaminski was 6 and Peter Kaminski Junior was 4 years old. But what about the girl on the right. She was John Kaminski’s daughter. I had no name until I got this comment on my blog this week.
Wow! These photos are my family! My mother, Pauline Kaminski and her brother, Peter are with my Nana (Freida Kaminski Bleau) and their cousin, Joanie. I would like to know more about your search and our connection.
End of the original post
What about the comment (edited)?
Pierre,
I am the son of Pauline B. Chagnon. I joined Ancestry.com and recently found you Family Tree for the Chagnon family. After Marie Rose Bleau Chagnon died, my mom was a boarder at St. Ann’s Orphanage in Worcester Ma. and later ( ?) lived with her aunts Amelia and Levine. I don’t have dates. Do you have any information regarding Pauline’s life around 1907 to 1933 when she married my dad? I appreciate any input you can provide.Regards
Footnote
Amelia and Olivine Bleau, sisters of Marie-Rose Bleau Chagnon
After Suzan’s urge of touching up old photos yesterday, I went back and took a look at how I got those tintype photos.
This tintype picture was sent by Robin on the West Coast in November 2011. Her husband is a descendant of Agnes Alexandre seen behind her sister Helene holding up her baby boy.
Robin is part of the A-Team as well as Sandy, Joe, Dennis IV, Susan, Ed, Fran, Suzan, Susan…, and lately Luanne.
The family photo was part of this collection which belonged to Sylvia Bleau Combe the daughter of Agnes Alexandre.
I had to look up for the date I posted them on this blog because I have posted many old pictures on this blog to get people’s attention.
What about this picture?
Who’s the woman holding up a baby? I always thought it was Helene Alexandre (Nellie Alexander) with her two sons Joseph Bleau (1891) and David (1893). But now I am not sure anymore. It made sense in 2011. Myra Alexandre was there, so was Agnes. The “old” man had to be Jean-Baptiste Alexandre and the old lady Philomene Lagacé.
Could it be that Philomene Alexandre is there with her two sons Thomas James Malloy (1887) and John Malloy (1890)? Could be… but I doubt it.
When to stop searching for your ancestors even if they are not mine per se, but an extended family? If you are still reading my blog you have the answer.
Footnote to this post…
A few years ago I had this note about Helene on my Ancestry family tree.
Pierre,
Enjoying all your entries to your blog. I may have info on Philomene Lagasse and JB Alexandre’s daughter, Helene. For some reason, which I can not explain, I had her down as Abeline (baptized on 24 June 1867, Notre-Dame-de Stanbridge. Today I received an invitation to a birthday party for one of my Mother’s Bleau cousin, who is the granddaughter of Joseph Henry Bleau and Helen Alexander. Her brother had told me ages ago that their uncle had married an Alexander. I did their line back around 2001 so I never made a connection until today when I checked my Family Tree and saw the names of their grandparents. He never gave me any other info on the Bleau line as he knew I was doing my maternal grandparents’ lines. I will be seeing them August 4 and will discover if I am right. Remember the photo of JB Alexandre and Philomene Lagasse with two daughters and two children? If I am right, one of the children is their Dad, born 1891 in North Adams, MA. If so, we are related through my maternal grandfather and through my maternal grandmother’s side. I am hoping they might have some photos of the Bleau line. They have two great albums of their Mother’s family. I will get back to you when I get direct info from the Bristol Bleaus.
Fran
PS Have you a definite identity of the young ladies in the great photo of Philomene in the center and her daughters around her?
Could this be Philomene Alexandre with her sister Myra?
Suzan just could not help herself touching up old photos…
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
Pierre ~ I just HAD to. I copied these from the blog and cleaned them up a bit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do much with the small boy in the large group photo.
Suzan
I am not an expert on facial recognition.
But now I am sure this is Malvina, my grandfather’s sister. People who commented all agreed with me that there is a strong resemblance with this young woman and the older one on this wedding picture.
Malvina’s great-grandchild contacted me last November and she shared the wedding picture and lots of information about her great-grandparents Joseph Dubé and Malvina Lagasse, and her grandparents Joseph Dewey Dubé and Blandine Lamothe.
I had found Susan on Find a Grave and I wrote her a message. I don’t usually do that.
That time it paid off BIG!
Malvina is somehow a very precious person to me since she took care of her father, the man with the mustache and the suspenders. Stanislas Lagacé, aka Dennis Lagasse II, is my great-grandfather. His wife Henriette Alexandre, my great-grandmother died in September 1907. She is not on this group picture taken before October 1922, because that’s when Malvina’s brother Dennis III who is hiding in the back died in an accident while at work.
Malvina’s husband Joseph Dubé had died the same year as her mother leaving Malvina to raise her five children alone. They were Joseph Dewey, Irène, Alice, Béatrice, Marie-Louise. Her son Joseph married Blandine Lamothe.
Susan had this wedding picture of her grandparents.
5 years ago I had found this poem while I was researching the Malmaison Hamlet and the Malloy family. It was about…
The Section Man
by Edna Jacques
We passed him there, knee-deep in snow,
Standing to watch the train go by,
A lonely man in overalls,
Outlined against the snowy sky.
Along by Field, where peak and heigh
Make ghostly shadows in the night.
His face was bitten by the cold,
His mittened hands were stiff and hard
Yet there he stood as staunch and true
As any soldier standing guard,
Keeping his trackage swept and bare
That we might pass in safety there.
Oh, unsung heroes of the land,
The lowly knight of mawl and spade,
His home a lonely section-house,
His trust a curving mile of grade.
Seen through the dusk, a tired wraith
Knee-deep in snow…he still keeps faith.
Source: Canadian Pacific Railway, Factors in Railway and Steamship Operation.
