July 2004 -- Vol 5, No. 7

In this month's COUSINS:

(To return to the top, click on the decorative bars)

WHAT'S NEW

   Okay.  I started with the very best of intentions.  But I got distracted. 

There was this small township about a 45 minutes drive east of Vancouver that wanted the re-enactment group I was with to come join their festivities in July 1st.  Since only two of had the free time, we decided to go as the township’s founder and his wife, but I needed a new dress and got all caught up in sewing (1850 tea dress, mauve silk – no pictures . . . yet).

Anyway.

This is going to be a pretty full issue.  Lots of good stuff, including a family information on descendants of Guillaume Pépin and descendants of Robert Pépin, and a review of Cousin Elise’s Marie Grandin – Sent by the King.

THIS MONTH'S FEATURE:  CORRECTIONS to last month’s Louis-Etienne PEPIN, his parents, siblings, siblings-in-law, and parents AND THEN Marie-Catherine PÉPIN, husband Jacques TASSÉ and their 3 children

It’s what I get for working in the daylight.

Everything was okay, right up to when I started listing Louis Pépin and
Madeleine MARTIN dit dit Jolicoeur dit LaChance’s children.  I started out by getting Madeleine’s name wrong (I typed “Marie-Angélique”), THEN I missed one of the kids

Number 4 is listed as “Louis PÉPIN, baptized 27 March 1734”.

Number 4 should have been:

Marie-Anne Pépin, baptized 18 June 1732; married Jean-Baptiste-François MAILLOT in 1750; buried 3 Nov 1783, St-Jean-Deschaillons

THEN comes Louis PÉPIN, baptized 27 March 1734, at number 5, and finally Louis-Etienne

NOW…

Last month, we took a daylight look at Louis PEPIN and Madeleine MARTIN dit dit Jolicoeur dit LaChance, and their 6 kids.

This month we move on to the children of Louis’ younger brother Charles and Charles’ wife Marie-Louise MERCEREAU, starting with daughter Marie-Catherine PEPIN.

Marie-Catherine PEPIN (IIICharles;IIJean;IRobert)

Married 16 August 1751, in Trois Rivières

Jacques TASSÉ, the first North American Generation of his line, son of Gilles TASSÉ and Marie ENCONIGNART

Together Marie-Catherine and Jacques had three children
 

1.	Marie TASSÉ, baptized 29 June 1752, at Baie-du-Febvre
2.	Marguerite-Louise TASSÉ, baptized 20 May 1755, at Nicolet; married 7 Jan 1782 in Trois Rivières to Augustin GILBERT
3.	Louis-Jacques TASSÉ, baptized 20 May 1757

If you can add/subtract/change any of this, send it on via email. 

FAMILY STUFF FROM LAURETTE PÉPIN

Back in April, I was checking email an old email addy that I no longer use but the service provider (Juno) won’t cancel.  To my great surprise I found an email written in French.  Now my French has improved to the point I knew she was writing about family stuff, so I wrote back from my lisa@fortlangley.ca address.  Shortly thereafter, I received a letter from a Laurette Pepin from Montréal.

She said in part,

“It’s a pleasure to give you 2 little stories: Juliette PEPIN has the same ancestors than you, moi, Laurette, I come from Guillaume PEPIN.  My native land, Ste. Marguerite du-Lac-Masson is in the North of Montréal, not far, an hour in car.  I participate in the historie Society, and also in the Genealogical Association for Canada (Québec).  You have my photo included and my lineage and a little story of my relatives and ancestors.”

Merci beaucoup, Laurette.

I’ll start first with her lineage.

(Remember, in French genealogy, when the parents are listed after the child, it is presumed the father’s surname is the same as the child’s.  “d/o” means “daughter of” or “fille du”)
 

I--	Guillaume PEPIN dit TRANCHEMNTAGNE
		married Trois-Rivières, 1645
	Jeanne MECHIN
II--	Jacques PEPIN
		married Trois-Rivières, 16 novembre 1671
	Marie-Jeanne CAIET (CAYER) (d/o Claude & Anne Vallée) de Paris
III--	Jacques PEPIN
		married Point-aux-Trembles, Montréal, 25 février 1713
	Elisabeth DUFRESNE (d/o Jean-Baptiste & Marie-Renée Marsan)
IV--	Jean-Baptiste PEPIN
		married Longue-Pointe, Montréal, 7 janvier 1760
	Madeleine LEBEAU/LALOUETTE (d/o Marien & Suzanne Lory)
V--	Jean-Baptiste PEPIN
		married Sault-au-Récollet, Montréal, 11 octobre 1802
	Françoise PIGEON (d/o Louis-Basile & Marie-Louise Lemay)
VI--	Louis PEPIN
		married Sault-au-Récollet, Montréal, 6 février 1844
	Catherine LORRAIN (d/o Jean-Baptiste & Adélaide Lemay/Delorme)
VII--	Louis PEPIN
		married Saint-Jérôme, Comté Terrebonne, 12 juillet 1875
	Orise CHAPLEAU (d/o François-Xavier & Anastasie Mail)
VIII--	Raymond PEPIN
		married Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson
	Fabiola BELEC (d/o Hormisdas & Zéphérina Vanier)
IX--	Laurette PEPIN (Soeur de la Providence)

Les Pépin Dans les Laurentides

L’Histoire des Pépin dans les Laurentides s’ouvre avec l’heureuse naissance de mon grand-père, Louis Pépin, le 28 janvier 1845 à Sault-au-Récollet.  Il est le fils de Louis Pépin et de Catherine Lorrain et l’aîné d’une famille de quatorze enfants.  Rien de particulier à signaler durant l’enfance et l’adolescence de Louis Pépin : sa vie est celle du Recensement de 1871 qui déclare pour Sault-au-Récollet : « Louis Pépin, père, machiniste, Louis Pépin, fils, marchand ».  Il a alors 26 ans.

[Pepin's History in Laurentides opens with the happy birth of my
grandfather, Louis Pepin, on January 28th, 1845 in Sault-au-Récollet.  He is the son of Louis Pepin and Catherine Lorrain and is the eldest of fourteen children.  Nothing particular to signal during childhood and Louis Pepin's adolescence: his life is that of the Inventory of 1871 which declares for Sault-au-Récollet: “Louis Pepin, father, stagehand, Louis Pepin, son, trader”.  He is then 26 years old.]

Le 5 juin 1871, il épouse à Sault-au-Récollet Stéphanie Pelletier qui lui donnera une fille.  Stéphanie, le 16 mars 1872, bientôt orpheline, puisque sa mère décède une semaine plus tard, le 23 mars à 22 ans.

[On June 5th, 1871, at Sault-au-Récollet, he marries to Stephanie Pelletier who will give him a girl. Stephanie, on March 16th, 1872, soon orphan, since her mother dies one week later, on March 23rd at 22 years of age.]

Si l’on voulait caractériser d’un seul trait mon grand-père, on pourrait dire que Louis Pépin c’est « l’homme des moulins à scie ».  Vers 1873, il monte s’établir à Saint-Jérôme.  Il travaille d’abord à la scierie de Louis Brière.  Il s’associe à Léonidas Villeneuve dans l’ancienne scierei de Godefroy Laviolette; il s’initie à tous les rouages des moulins à scie.  Bientôt il construit son propre Moulin à scie et y ajoute une fabrique de meubles.

[If they wanted to characterize my grandfather of a single trait, they could say that Louis Pepin it is “the man of sawmills”.  By 1873, he settles in Saint-Jérôme.  He works on Louis Brière's sawmill first.  He joins Léonidas Villeneuve at the ancient sawmill of Godefroy Laviolette; he starts to learn about all the clockwork of sawmills. Soon he constructs his own sawmill and adds to it a plant of pieces of furniture.]

Mon grand-père pense à se fonder un nouveau foyer.  Il épouse, en secondes noces, Orise Chaplea1u à Saint-Jérôme le 12 juillet 1875.  Orise Chapleau est la cousine germaine de Sir Adolphe Chapleau,  premier minister du Québec en 1879.  Le couple a eu treize enfants : Léopold (1876), Marie-Anne (1877), Antoine (1878),  Corinne (1880), Samuel (1883), Léon (1885), Jeannie (1887), Raymond (1888), Cécile (1890), Gustave (1892), Anonyme (1881), Anonyme
(s.1895), Pierre-Paul (1900).

[My grandfather thinks of being based a new hearth. He marries Orise Chaplea1u, in second wedding, in Saint-Jérôme on July 12th, 1875.  Orise Chapeau is the first cousin of Mr Adolphe Chapeau, first minister of Quebec in 1879.  The couple had thirteen children: Leopold (1876), Mary-Ann (1877), Antoine (1878), Corinne (1880), Samuel (1883), Léon (1885), Jeannie (1887), Raymond (1888), Blindness (1890), Gustave (1892), Unknown boy (1881), Unknown boy (buried 1895), Pierre-Paul (1900).]

Vers 1898 ou 99, la fabrique de meubles passe au feu. Louis Pépin vend sa maison, cède son moulin à scie à Ferdinand Filion et, sur les conseils du Curé Labelle, vient s’installer à Saint-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson.  Au printemps de 1901.

[By 1898 or 99, the plant of pieces of furniture is destroyed by fire.  Louis Pepin sells his home, gives up his sawmill to Ferdinand Filion and, on advice of the priest Labelle, comes to become established in Saint-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, in the spring of 1901]

St-Marguerite a été le foyer principal des Pépin dans les Laurentides.  Mon grand-père Louis y construisit successivement trois moulins à scie; je me souviens seulement du dernier, situé à l’endroit appelé aujourd’hui « Canton St-Amour » Vers 1916, mon grand-père, usé par l’âgé et la maladie, lègue son commerce à ses deux fils, Antoine et Raymond, mon père, qui, lui, en assume l’administration.  Louis Pépin s’éteignit le 25 novembre 1926; Orise Chapleau lui survécut jusqu’au 3 octobre 1941.  Tous deux reposent dans le cimetière de Sainte-Marguerite.

[St-Marguerite was Pepin's main hearth in Laurentides. My grandfather Louis constructed successively three saw mills there; I remember only the last, located in the place called today "Canton St-Amour".  By 1916, my grandfather, worn down by age and illness, leaves his trade to his two sons, Antoine and Raymond, my father, which, he, takes the administration.  Louis Pepin passed away on November 25th, 1926; Orise Chapeau survived him until October 3rd, 1941.  Both rest in the graveyard of Saint-Marguerite]

D’autres Pépin fera souche à Sainte-Marguerite.  Les Margaritois se souviennent sûrement de l’oncle Antoine Pépin et de ses six filles : Jeanne, Alice, Georgette, Lucille, Marguerite et Antoinette, également de tante Corinne mariée à Clarence Fortier, et encore de l’oncle Gustave, marié Cécile Clermont, qui éleva sa famille à Sainte-Marguerite.

[Others Pepin will make stump to Saint-Marguerite.  Margaritois remembers surely of uncle Antoine Pepin and of his six girls: Jeanne, Alice, Georgette, Lucille, Marguerite and Antoinette, also of aunt Corinne who married Clarence Fortier, and uncle Gustave, who marries Cécile Clermont, and brought up his family to Saint-Marguerite.]

Quant à mon père, Raymond, il avait fréquenté le Collège de Saint-Jérôme et y avait suivi un cours de  plombier.  Quand la guerre de 1914 éclate, il est appelé et enrôlé pour le service militaire.  Après la guerre.  Le 7 janvier 1918, il épouse Fabiola Bélec, fille de Hormidas Bélec et de Zéphérina Vanier.  Dix enfants sont nés de cette union: Berthe, Laurette, Françoise, Aline, Isabelle, Denise, Émile, Henri, Fabienne et Gérard.  De ce nombre trois sont décédés: Denise (1983), Berthe (1999), Gérard (2000).  Mes parents déménagèrent à Montréal en 1951.  Ma mère mourut le 7 février 1974 à 70 ans, mon père le 11 janvier 1978 à 89 ans.  Ils sont inhume à Montréal, Cimetière Côte-des-Neiges.

[As for my father, Raymond, he had seen frequently the Secondary school of Saint-Jérôme and had taken plumber's lessons there.  When the war of 1914 bursts, he is called and drafted for military service. After the war, on January 7th, 1918, he marries Fabiola Bélec, daughter of Hormidas Bélec and Zéphérina Vanier. Ten children are born in this union: Berthe, Laurette, Françoise, Aline, Isabel, Denise, Émile, Henry, Fabienne and Gérard.  Of this number three die: Denise (1983), Berthe (1999), Gérard (2000).  My parents moved to Montreal in 1951.  My mother died February 7th, 1974, at 70 years of age, my father on January 11th, 1978 at 89. Both are buried in Montreal, Graveyard Côte-Des-Neiges.]

Laurette Pépin, s.p.

We now move on to Juliette Pepin and her family and relatives.  This comes to us by way of Laurette, who is the writer of the piece which was published
originally in Nos Origines Bulletin de l’Association des familles Pepin inc.

Lignée Généalogique descendante de Sœur Juliette Pepin.

I--	Robert PÉPIN
		married Québec, Notre Dame, 4 novembre 1670
	Marie CRESTE (d/o Jean & Marguerite Gaulin) de Tourouve, en Perche
II--	Jean PÉPIN
		married Québec, Notre Dame, 10 octobre 1695
	Marguerite MOREAU (d/o Martin & Jeanne Lecoq
III--	Jean-Baptise PÉPIN
		married Trois-Rivières, Immaculée-Conception, 7 août 1756; contract: Jean-Bte Badeaux
	Marie-Louise PINARD (d/o Antoine & Marie Jutras; widow of François-Marie Didier)
IV--	Jean-Baptiste PÉPIN
		married Baie-du-Febvre, 11 août 1783
	Josepht  LEFEBVRE/LANGE/DESCOTEAUX (d/o Gabriel & Madeleine Desrosiers
V--	Gabriel PÉPIN
		married Baie-du-Febvre, 5 février 1839
	Marie-Anne DION (d/o Pierre & Marie Côte)
VI--	Pierre PÉPIN
		married St-Thomas de Pierreville, 9 avril 1887
	Anne FORCIER (d/o Joseph & Aléline Charland)
VII--	JuliettePÉPIN religieuse de Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs [nun of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs]

Juliette Pepin, Sœur Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, Centenaire
[Juliette Pepin, Sister Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, Centenary]

À dix heures du soir, le 22 novembre 1902, à Baie-du-Febvre, grand branle-bas chez Pierre Pepin et son épouse Annie Forcier.  C’est la 22e enfant qui s’annonce, une petite fille qui sera baptisée le lendemain et prénommée Juliette.  Elle est très entourée et choyée par les plus grands qui demeurent à la maison.  Il faut dire que la 1ère épouse de Pierre Pepin, Jessée Gauthier était décédée, lui laissant 9 enfants vivants.  À 41 ans, il épouse Annie Forcier âgée de 20 ans.  À quatre ans et demi, suite à une forte méningite, Juliette perd l’usage de l’ouïe, ce qui la rend quelque peu agressive.  Ceci est compréhensible.  Habituée à jouer et à communiquer avec ses frères et sœurs; maintenant, elle se sent seule et à l’écart de leurs conversations.

[At ten o'clock, November 22nd, 1902, in Baie-du-Febvre, big commotion at Pierre Pepin and his spouse Annie Forcier.  It is the 22nd child who is brewing, a small girl who will be baptised the following day and called Juliette.  She is very encircled and is cosseted by the biggest which reside at the home.  It is necessary to say that the 1st spouse of Pierre Pepin, Jessée Gauthier had died, leaving him 9 living children.  At the age of 41, he marries 20-year-old Annie Forcier. In four and a half years, because of a strong brain fever, Juliette loses her hearing, making her a little aggressive. This is comprehensible. Taught to play and to communicate with her brothers and sisters; now, she feels only and away from their dialogues.]

Mais elle est sociable et espiègle, alors elle tente de se mêler à leurs jeux.  Un beau jour, Hector, le 9e de la famille, reçoit ses amis. Anita, la 19e garde de l’absence de ses parents.  Naturellement, Hector offre le vin à ses compagnons.  Puis, après leur départ, les jeunes : Juliette, Isabelle et Anatole vident les verres, à l’insu de la jeune gardienne.  Quand Anita revient à la cuisine, Isabelle ne peut se lever, Anatole vomit; Juliette qui y avait goûté seulement, reste solide sur ses jambes.  Elle aide Isabelle à se coucher.  Anita, comme une petite mère, veille à ses côtés.  Cette leçon reste gravée longtemps dans leur mémoire.  Juliette ne peut aller à l’école comme les autres, causant une peine à ses parents.  Après bien des démarches, ils décident de la placer pensionnaire à l’Institution des Sourdes-Muette au 3715, rue Saint-Denis, à Montréal, chez les Sœurs de la Providence.

[But she is sociable and roguish, then she tries to mingle with their games.  One fine day, Hector, the 9th of the family, accepts his friends.  Anita, the 19th nurse of the absence of his parents. Of course, Hector gives the wine to his companions. Then, after their departure, the young persons: Juliette, Isabel and Anatole empty glasses, without knowing the young watch.  When Anita comes back to the kitchen, Isabel cannot get up, Anatole vomits; Juliette who had tried there only, remains solid on the legs.  She helps Isabel to lie down. Anita, as a small mother, looks after her sides. This lesson remains engraved for a long time in their memory. Juliette cannot go to school as the others, causing a trouble to her parents. After a lot of steps, they decide to place her as a resident in the Institution of Deaf-and-dumb at 3715, rue Saint-Denis, in Montreal, at the sisters de la Providence.]

Le premier mois passé dans cette maison fut une véritable épreuve pour Juliette.  L’éloignement, l’ennui, l’inconnu, tout s’en mêle.  Cependant, comme elle est une fillette intelligente et aimable, elle s’intéresse très vite aux cours spécialisés pour les handicapés de l’ouïe.  Pour la réconforter et la mettre en confiance, une religieuse s’occupe d’elle personnellement.  Elle apprend la lecture, l’écriture, le calcul, le dessin; plus tard, la dactylographie et la peinture.  Les techniques d’apprentissage à parler, non seulement en gestes, mais aussi en paroles sont déjà développées.  Juliette adore la lecture et le jeu.  Chaque fois qu’elle le peut, même au dortoir; elle dévore les livres, ceci aidant beaucoup à sa culture personnelle.  Pendant les récréations, elle est toujours disponible pour participer aux courses, aux parties de balle, sauts à la corde, promenades et pique-niques.  Aujourd’hui, elle apprécie grandement l’éducation reçue dans ce milieu plutôt austère.  Quand arrive le temps des grandes vacances, son père vient la chercher en train.  Comme Juliette est heureuse de revoir les siens et de donner un coup de main sur la ferme.  L’été passe trop vite.

[The first month crossed in this home was a true proof for Juliette.  Distance, trouble, the unknown, everything mingles. However, as she is a clever and kind little girl, she is very quickly interested in lessons specialized for the disabled persons of hearing.  To comfort her and put her in trust, a nun is in charge of her personally. She learns reading, writing, counting, drawing; later, typing and picture.  The techniques of study to be spoken, not only in movements, but also in words are already developed.  Juliette loves reading and games. Each time she can it, even in the dormitory; she devours pounds, this helping in her personal culture a lot.  During recesses, she is always available to participate in shopping, in parties of bullet, jumping ropes, promenades and picnics. Today, she appreciates greatly the education accepted in this rather severe middle.  When arrives the time of big vacation, her father comes to get her by train.  As Juliette is happy to see him again and to give a hand on the farm. The summer passes too quickly.]

Sa 9e année terminée, la jeune fille entre dans la communauté des Sœurs de Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. Cette congrégation a été fondée par le Chanoine F.-X. Trépanier et les Sœurs de la Providence pour les jeunes filles sourdes-muettes désirant devenir religieuses.  La directrice agit avec rudesse et sévérité.  Juliette est malheureuse et aussi blessée de voir ses compagnes humiliées.  Sa protectrice, une Sœur de la Providence, lui conseille de quitter le postulat et de prendre un emploi.  Elle fait des démarches auprès de la Supérieure de l’Hôpital Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc, et pendant trois ans et demi, travaille dans la joie à cet Hôpital. Comme Juliette est sage et laborieuse, tous l’apprécient et l’aiment.  L’appel à la vie religieuse s’intensifie.  Alors elle entreprend de faire un pèlerinage de neuf mercredis consécutifs à l’Oratoire Saint-Joseph.  Ses prières sont exaucées et une lumière éblouissante le ramène au Noviciat. Mère Charles-Alexandre, Sœur de la Providence, qui l’avait toujours appréciée et suivie, est heureuse de ce choix.  Elle fait son postulat et son noviciat avec ferveur.  Le 21 septembre 1935, elle prononce ses vœux et prend le beau nom ce Sœur Marie du Carmel.  Toutes les tâches la trouvent disponible : secrétaire, sacristine, puis copiste au Service Social pour personnes sourdes.

[Her 9th year was ended, the girl enters the community of sisters de Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. This congregation was founded by the Canon F.-X. Trépanier and the sisters de la Providence for the deaf-and-dumb girls wanting to become religious. The head acts with coarseness and rigour.  Juliette is unhappy and is so hurt to see he r humiliated companions. Her protector, a sister de la Providence, recommends her to leave the postulate and to take a job. She goes to Supérieure de l' Hôpital Sainte-Jeanne of Arc, and during three and a half years, works happily at this Hospital.  As Juliette is wise and hard-working, all appreciate her and like her.  The call to religious life intensifies. Then she undertakes to make a pilgrimage of nine successive Wednesdays in the Oratory San Joseph.  Her requests are granted and a dazzling light brings her back to Apprenticeship.  Mother Charles-Alexandre, sister de la Providence, who had always appreciated her and followed, is happy of this choice. She makes her postulate and her apprenticeship fervently. On September 21st, 1935, she pronounces her wishes and takes a nice name for her sister Mary du Carmel. All the tasks think she is available: secretary, sacristine, then copyist in Social Service for deaf persons.]

En 1976, le gouvernement achète plusieurs de nos grandes maisons dont  l’Institution des Sourdes-Muettes.  La petite communauté déménage à la Résidence Notre-Dame de la Providence nouvellement bâtie sur la rue Grenet, à Montréal, en arrière de la Maison-Mère.  Juliette est nommée sacristine, puis copiste pour le Journal local de la maison Le glaneur d’espoir.  Et que dire de ses activités en plein air.  Il lui faut un grand carré de jardin pour le belle saison : fleurs, fruits et légumes occupent ses loisirs.  Ses compagnes le taquinent en disant qu’elle tire sur ses plants pour qu’ils poussent plus vite.

[In 1976, the government buys some of our big houses of which the Institution of Deaf-and-dumb. The small community moves to the Residence Notre-Dame of the Providence newly built on the street Grenet, in Montreal, behind the Headquarters. Juliette is named sacristine, then copyist for the local Newspaper of the home The Gleaner of Hope. And that to say her activities open-air.  She needs a big square of garden for nice season: flowers, fruits and vegetables occupy her free time. Her companions tease her by saying that she pulls on her young plants so that they grow more quickly.]

Le 15 mai 2000, alors âgée de 98 ans, le Supérieure générale des Sœurs de la Providence lui propose de ses retirer à l’Infirmerie de la Maison-Mère, elle accepte de bon cœur.  Elle prie, visite ses compagnes âgée et participe à toutes les activités : sorties, pèlerinages, pique-niques, etc.  Le 22 novembre 2002, elle a atteint l’âge vénérable de 100 ans.  Juliette respire la joie de vivre et de servir le Seigneur en semant le joie et l’amitié dans son entourage.  Elle va bien et marche sans canne.  Longue vie à vous, Sœur Juliette!

[On May 15th, 2000, then 98-year-old, general Superior of sisters de la Providence offers her of her withdraw in the Infirmary of the Headquarters, she accepts willingly. She asks, visits her companions old and participates in all the activities: exits, pilgrimages, picnics, etc. On November 22nd, 2002, she attained the venerable age of 100 years. Juliette sniffs exuberance and to serve the Lord by seeding joy and friendship in her environment.  She goes well and walks without cane. Long life to you, Sister Juliet!]

Laurette Pepin
Sœur de la Providence

In the online version of this newsletter, there will be pictures of both Laurette and Juliette.

LANGUAGE

There are, I think, at least a couple of you who are perplexed at my increased use of French.  I do this, in part, because I can, and in part because learning to recognized certain words and phrases in French AND becoming comfortable with them will greatly further your own research into family history.

One of the things you will see me mention from time to time is that thing about b = baptism and s = burial.  Yeah, okay, so most of the kids were baptized within 24 hours of birth and most were buried fairly soon after death but there are exceptions.  I say this as someone who first looked at the b and the s and thought, “Ah, ‘born’ and ‘died’” and entered the dates given as such.

Changing all those entries is one of the reasons the Monster Data Base is taking just a tad bit longer to complete.  Also, when the Monster Data Base does go online, in the notes there’s a lot of French, which should be not *real* surprise as that is the language the source I’m working with is written in … and that, in the beginning, I hadn’t the confidence to translate everything.  It'sall about just diving in and trying (and yes, I know, I can be *very* trying at times <insert big cheeky grin HERE>).

My above translations may not be the best, and they were done with extensive help from ImTranslator – Free Translation at
http://freetranslation.imtranslator.com/ but even the best translation programs have their flaws.  I made the best choices I could and with those that I couldn’t quite figure out, I left as ImTranslator – Free Translation presented them.

BOOK CORNER

Mary Grandin – Sent by the King
written by Elise Dallemagne-Cookson
ISBN 1413407528 (hardback)
ISBN 141340751X (softback).

For starters, Elise, lovely cover!

My softback edition arrived while I was off playing in the past.  When I got home, Laurie says, “You got a package.”  Once I got all my gear in the house and (not so) neatly stacked in the living room --and before my post-event shower-- I cracked the cover of "Marie Grandin – Sent by the King" and didn’t close it until I reached the last page.

The physical descriptions of some of the folks mentioned were no
surprise –which surprised me . . . some– but, see, I *knew* these people.  I’ve been dealing with their baptized, married, and buried information for close to four years now via the Monster Data Base (which now weighs in at 23,125 individuals).  ‘Course, now, were I taking medication for anything right now, I’d probably ask the doc to change it because there were physical descriptions I read and immediately thought, “well, yeah, how else would they look.”

The events were no surprise.  You got two groups of people who’ve been throwing rocks at each other for several generations and drop a third group of people into their midst, and there’s gonna be trouble.  It’s a no-brainer that somebody’s gonna get really peeved, somebody’s gonna be glad of the distraction, and somebody’s gonna get caught in the crossfire.

One of the things I noticed right off is that, at least to this Anglophone, the dialogue is very close to what I’ve seen l’Abbey Tanguay’s genealogy dictionnaire.   And the list of sources at the back is pretty cool.  If I had access to *half* the stuff listed there, I’d feel like a pig in fresh mud on a hot summer day.

There’s a real Sense of Place.  A couple times I could actually smell the forest … the wood smoke, freshly turned soil (though it could have been me needing a shower) … hear the water lapping at the sides of the boats…

To make this any more coherent, I’d need to read it again.  First time through it was a visceral thing  … that and I was never very good at writing book reports <insert lopsided grin HERE>

However, it was a very enjoyable read for me, and a trip I plan on making a few more times.

If you would like to get your own copy of Marie Grandin-Sent by the King, you may do so at either
http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=18884
or
http://tinyurl.com/3eooa  (Amazon.com)

To learn more about Elise and her other books, please see
 http://www.dallemagne-cookson.com/index.html

RAMBLINGS FROM THE EDITOR

Now you would think that writing about a book would be second nature.  I wish it was.  <insert wry grin HERE>  I have a 126,000 word ms sitting on the hard drive and for the life of me I cannot write synopsis for it – at least not one any shorter than 15 pages.

In school, in English class, in the part where the teacher tells the class to first write an outline, then a rough draft, and then the final draft, I’d write the final draft, then the outline –because by then I knew what was going to happen– and then created the rough draft.  I did finally luck out in high school with an English teacher who actually understood the creative process.  As far as I know, she was the first teacher to see what order I wrote in … and then told me that if I could get it down to my satisfaction in one go, then that was my writing style and not to sweat it.

She also would have, if she could have, given me an award for the longest run on sentence she’d ever seen in all her years of teaching.  If I recall correctly, it went on for two pages.

Diane Huey was one of a kind.

In my junior year in high school, Diane quit teaching to become a lawyer.  A year after I graduated, she read my first stab at novel writing.  The best *I* can say about it was that it kept the rickety bookshelf I once owned level.  Throughout the three inch thick stack of paper there were blue pencil marks; she’d read the entire dismal thing.  When she handed it back to me, she said she saw promise, the dialogue was great, but, well, I might just want to think about writing something with a broader appeal.  We lost track of each other for a short time, then I rediscovered her when I went to work for a telephone answering service.

She had become a high priced attorney, practicing out of an upscale office in a high-profile neighborhood –a much classier gig than a high school English teacher with the dubious honor of teaching English to the “rowdy” students– and she worked and worked and worked with me to get me comfortable with calling her Diane rather than Ms. Huey.  The day we got it right, my supervisor took me into her office and “spoke to me” about calling the customers by their “Christian names”.  Next time Diane called in for messages, and I followed Company Policy, Diane asked to speak with my supervisor. They talked for probably 5 minutes, but when my supervisor came out of her office– well, let’s just say that, from the other side of that busy office (14 100-line switch boards), one could hear her pencil strike the note card with each letter as she wrote phrase “Prefers to be called ‘Diane’”.  And if you looked *real* close, you could just make out the steam coming out of her ears.

Then I married, quit my job and went to Germany to join my husband, stationed there with the US Army.  8 months later, I was back State-side and back at my old switch board, while Diane handled my divorce.  She also took the time to handle a couple personal injury suits.  Then there was a little altercation between myself and the owner of the trailer park I once lived in.

Diane said, “Here’s the info about the laws she’s breaking,” and dropped a stack of photocopies on her desk in front of me, adding, “I think you’re sharp enough to handle this yourself, but if you have any questions, call me.  And don’t forget to quote the RCW number on those revised codes.”  She was right; I handled it.  It was something she had always done well, making a person aware of his or her own potential.

And just before her untimely end (cancer of some kind), I dropped by to tell her that I thought I had found The Right Something with a broader appeal.  We tossed the plot and characters around a bit and she said she’d give it a look over.  I do regret not making the time to go by with the new book.

But I am so very thankful I had the chance to know Diane Huey.

NEWSLETTER INFORMATION

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COUSINS
comes out once a month -- more or less
This month's was finished 12 July 2004, 6:32 PM PDST