James Arthur Haigh: 1937-2016

James Arthur Haigh was born in 1937 to James Arthur Haigh and Marie Loretta Brisson, he was the first of four children born to this couple.

Jim grew up in Smithfield, RI and lived there most of his life, however, he did live in MA, NE, and IA in his lifetime. He graduated from URI, with post graduate work out of the Univ. of Wisconsin, Iowa State University and Univ. of Iowa. He was licensed as a Professional Engineer in RI in 1973. He was also a member of multiple engineering societies, a guest speaker and a seminar presenter. 

Jim married Joyce P. Malone in 1963 and together they had four children. Jim was involved in a large variety of activities from politics to the community and church, but he always felt his greatest achievement in life was his dedication to his loving wife and 4 children.

Jim was one of my 45 first cousins on my dad's side and out of all of them, he was the oldest I knew. There were a few others that were older, but I never had the opportunity to get to know them like I did with Jim. We often spoke about family, kept in touch by phone and when in the area we would go out and enjoy lunch together.

His wife Joyce was wonderful and very involved in scouting as was he, along with genealogy and learning about his ancestors. I helped him go back a number of generations to England two Christmases ago and he was so thrilled to learn about all of those ancestors along with being part of the Brisson and Haigh legacy.

Unfortunately, his wife, Joyce, passed away in 1992 after a horrible battle with cancer. It was a terrible loss to him and their children. Jim recently passed away unexpectedly, he was 79 years old. Our many phone calls and his opportunity to continue that bond between father and children and cousins grew over time and is now gone.

He wrote his own obituary in May, 2015, here is a link to it. Whenever we'd talk or get together, it was always good fun, talking about days gone by, children, family, growing up and of course, what new things were going on. He always made time to attend funerals of aunts and uncles and visited them when opportunities came along. 

He will be missed by his own children, his siblings and all those he interacted with each and every day. May he rest in peace.

James Arthur Haigh: 1937-2016

Marie Beatrice Brisson Crisostomi

Marie Beatrice Brisson was born on 10 January 1920, she was the 9th of 16 children born to Omer Joseph Brisson, Sr. and Julia Anne Plante. Two of their children died the same day as their birth so she was the 7th living child.

With so many children in the family everyone grew up quickly and learned to help out to get everything done in the home and find jobs as soon as they could to simply survive the times. 

Aunt Bea worked as a waitress in many locations and helped to raise the younger ones as they came along. She also was a banquet server and a host which, combined with her own skills, made her a wonderful cook for many many years.

She married Alred Crisostomi on 21 June 1941 and lived in Providence, Rhode Island all her life. Here she had 3 children, Carmino, Robert and Julie Ann. She did all she could to raise her family and help her siblings with their families. 

These were very difficult times, the "Great Depression" was here and life was very hard, jobs were scarce but she maintained a positive attitude through all this and the loss of her husband and children.   

Over the years she became an inspiration to the many nieces and nephews she had along with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. When you  bring up Auntie Bea's name everyone smiles and says "she was such an inspiration to me and always knew exactly what to say to help me through anything at the time".

Her legacy is amazing as she leaves many grandchildren, great grandchildren and many more nieces and nephews who are scattered all over the United States. 

She passed away on December 26, 2014, a liitle over a year ago, she was 94. Even today speaking to one of her many descendants, they always say, "I miss calling and talking to Auntie Bea, she was always so positive and had the best outlook on life, she loved to go places and have fun". 

In 2014, she was the 3rd sibling to pass away in this family. Her sister Jeannette Brisson Renza passed away on 22 Feb. 2014, then another sister, Lillian Brisson Anastasi on 11 June 2014 and then Beatrice Brisson Crisostomi. There two siblings still living, they also miss her daily cheerful phone calls as well as getting together and enjoying life.

May she rest in peace and know she is dearly missed by many.

Marie Beatrice (Brisson) Crisostomi: 10 Jan. 1920-26 Dec. 2014

Comments are Always welcomed!

Claire (*)

Timeless Genealogies
We're Your Family is "No. 1"

Blogs
http://gen-reflections.blogspot.com
http://buddinggenealogist.blogspot.com/

Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/TimelessGenealogies
http://www.linkedin.com/in/clairebrissonbanks

Twitter@TimelessGen
claire@timelessgen.com


 (c) 2005-2016, Timeless Genealogies, All Rights Reserved

Pioneers-Who Are Yours?

With today being "Pioneer Day" in Utah, I couldn't help but reflect on the pioneers in my own family. The above photo of footsteps is but a small symbol in what most pioneers endured as they traveled from one country to another and settled in that new country. The mode of transport would match the time period they came to that new country in combination of where the old country was located.

While my ancestors helped to settle Quebec, Canada in the 1600s, my four main direct lines from my grandparents all came from Canada between 1850 and 1900 and migrated down to the New England area where there was work in the mills which allowed them to support their families.

The Legacy from my great grandparents as they all traveled through St. Albans, Vermont into the United States and settled in the New England Area are:

• Elzear and Florentine (Soucy) Brisson immigrated in 1893 with 7 of their 9 children and Forentine was pregnant with their 8th. 
• Laurent and Marie (Ruel) Plante immigrated in 1904 with their 7 children
• Isaie-Gedeon and Josephte (Bougeois) Marotte immigrated in 1855 with 7 of their 8 children
• Joseph and Alida/Elida (Labbe) Theroux immigrated in 1866 with 5 of their 7 children.

The conditions of their travel at that time was most likely walking just like most pioneers who are settling in a new country during that time period.

My heart goes out to each one of them in total gratitude for the sacrifices they all made to provide for a better life for their children and their descendants going forward.

Each of their descendants have gone on to settle and love the country they live in and have led or are leading productive lives.

Thank you to all those who are pioneers..

Comments are always encouraged and welcome!

Building Bridges for All Generations!

Claire (*)

Timeless Genealogies

We're Your Family is "No. 1"

Blogs

http://gen-reflections.blogspot.com

http://buddinggenealogist.blogspot.com/

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/TimelessGenealogies

http://www.linkedin.com/in/clairebrissonbanks

Twitter@TimelessGen

claire@timelessgen.com

 (c) 2005-2014, Timeless Genealogies, All Rights Reserved

Edward Frances Brisson

Edward was born 22 Dec 1922 to Omer J Brisson and Julia Anne Plante. While he was their 2nd son, he already had 5 sisters born before him. As both his parents were born in Canada, all their children were first generation Americans.

By the 1930 US Census there were 11 children in this large family that was still growing. His father is listed as a clerk in a market while 3 of his older sisters were working in the mills to help support the family. By the 1940 census 3 more children were born to this family and Eddie was also working along with the older children, the census states he was a road builder, from an early age, a solid work ethic was part of this family and most families during this time period. This work ethic was carried over in my own family as Eddie's brother, Omer, is my dad, and we all had jobs early in our lives, mine being a paper route at 11 along with my brother Paul who was 10. As we grew the paper route was handed down to other members of the family instilling in us a solid work ethic that has sustained us thus far throughout our lives.

When WWII came along, Eddie did his part and joined the Army, he was a WWII veteran and a member of the American Legion Post as it states in his obituary. He married in 1958 to Helen A Gannon and together they raised a house full of boys and lived in West Warwick, RI. He enjoyed sports and played minor league baseball when younger and was an avid Yankee fan. He was the owner of the Brisson Claim service but worked for various other claim services as well as being part of the RI State Jury Commissioners Office.

Family was very important to Eddie and he was always interested in all the genealogical information I would share with him over time and would attend as many family functions as physically possible. He enjoyed all the information gleaned over the years on the Brisson family and how they had come from LaRochelle, Aunis, France in the 1600s with the first one being Rene Brisson.

He was always welcoming to all who visited his home and enjoyed lots of company. He would reminisce about times gone by when his sisters and family were there and did his best to look on the positive side whenever possible to most situations.

On August 30th, 2013, he passed away and surely was greeted by his wife, Helen who passed away in 2001 and his son Kevin who passed away in 1997 along with many other family members who have passed on. He will be missed but be remembered for the happiness he brought to all wherever and whenever possible.

Edward Francis Brisson: 1922-2013

Omer Joseph Brisson, Jr.

Omer Joseph Brisson, Jr.

Born 30 March 1918 in Providence, RI to Omer Joseph Brisson, Sr. and Julia Anne Plante. He was the first male child to this large family of 16 children.

Omer was known as "Red" for his hair color. After finishing his senior year in high school, he started bodybuilding to improve his overall appearance and for entertainment around January, 1937. This was commonplace for this time period as it was during what was known as the 'Great Depression' which began with the stock market crash in 1929 and continued throughout most of the 1930s. With money short and jobs difficult to find, individuals found other ways to get by; body building required a lot of structure and discipline, but no money, and he became very good over time.

He developed moves, positions and routines with friends, and they eventually formed an 'Acrobat Troupe.' In February, 1939, he competed in Mr. America. He received an honorable mention, and in the spring of 1940 he competed in Mr. Rhode Island and was the runner-up with the following pose:

In April, 1939, he injured his right ankle at Hugh B. Bain Jr. High, Cranston, RI and landed in the hospital. Over a long period of time, he had 10 operations, a bone spur removed, and had tuberculosis, which made matters worse. To aid his walk, his right shoe heel was much thicker than normal. Because of this injury and the number of surgeries, he never served in World War II; however, many of his brothers and friends had enlisted and did what he could to support the war.

During these visits to St. Joseph's Hospital, he met his future wife, Claire V. Marotte, a nurse at this hospital. He also worked as an accounting clerk at the Sheraton Biltmore Hotel for a time; he was very good with numbers.

Omer and Claire were married in 1950. He fathered six children and attended Bryant College, where he graduated with a degree in accounting and spent the rest of his life working in the accounting field. He worked for the State of RI as the Assistant Property Manager for many years and also worked multiple jobs, often times to support his large family.

Later in life, he became a member of the Lincoln chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (S.P.E.B.Q.S.A.) and enjoyed all that this organization had to offer. He loved swimming and traveling with the barbershop groups, and he even had the opportunity to travel to California in 1975 when they visited their daughter and her family, who were also living there. 

He passed away on March 16, 1984.

1918-1984

Elzear Brisson

My Great-Grandfather, Elzear Brisson was born on 25 Aug 1853 in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada to Ludger Brisson and Henriette Fiola/Vignola. He was the 2nd child of seven children all born in Rimouski. On the same day of his birth, he was baptized as is shown in his baptismal record below in the parish of Ste. Cecile.

The 1861 Canadian Census has the whole family living in St. Germain Parish, Macpes, Rimouski, Canada. Their father is listed as a 'cultivateur' which is some one who grows crops. While this section of the census is only of his immediate family, at the top of the census page on line 6 are his grand parents and additional family members from both sides of their family. Elzear is on line 40 and is 8 years old.

The family stays in Rimouski according to the 1871 and 1881 census but by the 1891 census he is living with his wife, Florentine Soucy and two children, Joseph and Omer in Hull, Ottawa, Quebec. According to his naturalization petition papers, he immigrated to the United States on 14 Sep 1893. 

The family settled in Providence, Rhode Island where Elzear is listed as a railway worker. The family stayed in this area for many years and Elzear continued to work on the railway until his death on 21 Feb 1924. By this time all his children were married or on their own. Together, Elzear and Florentine had 9 children and many grandchildren who in turn have married and spread out throughout the United States. Of those 9 children, 5 died was still very young.

His death certificate states he died on 21 February 1924 and is buried in St. Ann's Cemetery in Cranston, Rhode Island. According to the cemetery records he and his wife are buried in Section 6, grave marker # 676 as shown below.

As I ponder the above marker it helps me to understand more clearly how difficult times were then. His dear wife, Florentine, had purchased the plot and she herself would be buried there in 1937, just 13 years later.

Being an immigrant family with many children often made it impossible to afford more than a marker. Each of their own children had large families too, and so this is the way it was at this time in Providence, Rhode Island.

Elzear Brisson: 1853-1924

Marie Florentine Soucy Brisson

Marie Florentine Soucy was born 23 Jul 1855 in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada to Pierre (Prudent) Soucy and Mides-Neiges Thibault. She was the 2nd of eight children. Here is a copy of her baptismal record.

We find this family in the 1861, 1871, 1881 Canadian census living in various location in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. Pierre, her father was a farmer.

Maire Florentine Soucy married Elzear Brisson on 4 Feb 1879 at St. Blanchard's Church, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. Together with three children they immigrated to the United States in 1893 and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. This family is located living at 44 Howard Street, Providence, RI. This census states she has had 9 children but only 4 are living. It is difficult to imagine how it would have been to leave their country knowing that these 5 children were buried and their family moved on for perhaps a better life in a new country.

Ancestry's "Quebec Vital & Church Records 'Drouin Collection', 1621-1967" allowed me to locate the missing 5 children who lived very short lives:

1) Elzear Brisson: 3 Feb 1882 to 13 Feb 1882

2) Marie Delphine Brisson: 30 May 1883 to 12 Dec 1886

3) Pierre Irenee Brisson: 28 Nov 1884 to 4 Dec 1886

4) Marie Exilda Brisson: 10 Jan 1887 to 19 Nov 1887

5) Joseph Theodore Pamela Brisson: 7 Apr 1889 to 12 Sep 1889

Their next child was my grandfather, Omer Joseph Brisson born 14 Jan 1891. The family moved to the US after this birth as their daughter Marie Victoria Leontine Rose Brisson was born in Providence, RI on 3 Apr 1893. It must have been difficult to leave family and loved ones behind and yet they were able to relocate, settle down and the remainder of their family stayed in the RI area for many years. Some of their descendants moved out of the area but most stayed in New England.

The 1900 Census finds her husband, Elzear working for the Railway and unable to speak, read or write English as was the usual situation during this time period. Florence was also unable to speak, read or write English, however all of their children had learned English within the 7 years they had been in the US.

The 1910, 1920 Census shows the family living on Huntington Ave. where they stayed for many years.  Elzear contined to work for the railways and died in 1924, Florentine lived till 1937 and was living with her daughter Evelina's family still in Providence. They had 8 children and she was probably able to help out with their care. She is buried at St. Ann's Cemetery in Cranston, RI.

She leaves a great legacy of endurance through difficult times to the many descendants she has today along with courage to be able to settle in a new country, learn a new language and instill in her family all the good qualities needed to be a productive member of society.

Marie Florentine Soucy Brisson: 1855-1937

Rene Brisson

This part of the memorial to the first French Colonists who settled around  L'Ange-Gardien, Quebec, Canada which is located 10 miles northeast of Quebec City on the north side of the St. Lawrence Seaway. (Courtesy of Roussin.org)

Rene Brisson was born about 1635 in St. Xainte, La Rochelle, Aunis, France. Records from this time period are scarce and it is thought his parents were Pierre Brisson and Marie Navarre, others say that his father was Jacques Brisson. Not much else is known about the family he left behind to settle in Quebec, Canada by this author at this time.

It is known that Rene Brisson sailed in the spring of 1664 on the ship "Le Noir d'Amsterdam" under Captian Pierre Filly who was from Dieppe. The ship was a fishing vessel and to improve the return on investments they added 51 passengers. Rene was among 50 young men hired to work in New France as it was a time of recruiting individuals to help build 'New France'. There was also one female, Jeanne Benart. Besides Rene Brisson there were others who helped to settle the area; Nicolas Fournier, Andre Gautron dit Larochelle, Mathais and Pierre Champagne and Jean Beaudet. From the passenger list only 42 are identified (1). On May 25, 1664, the 100 ton ship docked at Quebec. You'll note most of these names along with many others were some of the "First Colonists" who helped to settle Quebec.

Rene was a butcher and did very well in Quebec. He married Anne Vezina in 1664 in L'Ange-Gardien, Montmorency, Quebec, Canada after signing a marriage contract on September 6, 1663 in front of Mr. Paul Vachon dit Pomerleau.

Together they had  ten children but three died very young. They lived off the coast of Beaupre, Montmorency, Quebec, Canada and had four boys who helped to carry on the Brisson name. He died in 1698. The number of descendants this couple has had since their marriage in 1664 is truely amazing, there is no field this family has not entered into and been successful. Their descendants live in many places all over the world.

Rene Brisson is my 8th grandfather and my pioneer ancestor!

1635-1698

Reference:

(1) Author: Debrien, Gabriel "Engages pour le Canada au XVIIe siecle, vus de la Rochelle." In Revue d'Histoire de L'Amerique Francaise, Vol. 6:2 (Sept 1952), pp. 177-233; vol. 6:3 (Dec. 1952), pp. 374-407. Page 393 / http://ancestry.com/

 

Claire Virginie Marotte Brisson

Claire Virginie was born on 8 April 1927 to Alphonse Arthur Marotte and Lovina Theroux, she was the 9th and last child in their family who settled and lived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Besides being my mother, through the years she developed many talents that included a love for education, playing the piano, barbershop singing, knitting, crocheting, playing Scrabble and various card games along with spending time at the beach with family and friends.

She also was involved in many organizations as a treasurer, secretary or whatever the group needed, and was there to help. In spite of all this, her love besides her family of six children was nursing and she passed that love onto many of her children. She graduated from high school in 1945 and went straight into nursing at St. Joseph's School of Nursing which was in Providence, Rhode Island. She completed her studies and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1948. Besides working at St. Joseph's Hospital, she also worked at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital for many years before retiring.

When she was very young, she lost her sister Rhea in 1931. Her mother passed away in October, 1945 and another sister, Blanche, passed away June, 1952,  and then her husband, Omer J. Brisson, passed away 16 Mar 1984. In spite of all these losses, she built good relationships with her siblings and her children and lived a very full life. Her love of music allowed her to participate in a Barbershop singing group called "Harmony". She enjoyed many trips to competitions and their singing group put on shows every year. Her enjoyment showed through it all and it brought a sense of great accomplishment each year.

After a long battle with cancer, she passed away on September 13, 1998 leaving six children and 16 grandchildren and to date 21 great-grandchildren who have been able to go on and accomplish much, as if often said, "Descendants are a living legacy of those gone on before."

It will be 12 years ago on September 13th since her passing, she is dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. To uplift the sadness of the day, one of her grandchildren was born on her 1 year anniversary, so as we remember her with tears in our eyes, we also celebrate the 11th birthday of her grandson, Phillip the II.

8 April 1927 - 13 Sep 1998