An Aunt and Her Niece (Part 1 of 2)
When information is added to a family tree, it needs to be scrutinized, especially when it comes from someone else’s tree containing no primary original source documentation. Furthermore, if you don’t keep an inquiring mind, it can be easy to not question, or to miss, parts of a story. I succeeded in finding all the connections in this story by just letting the information lead where it may, while not entertaining any preconceived notions.
“An aunt and her niece” is a simple straightforward relationship, but the relationship was not so evident when I first started to piece this story together.
My great-grandmother Jennie (Baillargeon) Vadnais had 11 siblings. There was only one sibling younger than her, Anna Marie (Annie) Baillargeon, my great-grandaunt.
Annie was born on November 1, 1871 and, like Jennie, Annie had been born in Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan.1 Hancock is in the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the time of her birth, Annie’s father Albert Norbert Baillargeon was 42 years old and her mother Genevieve (Giguere) was 38 years old.
Albert, Genevieve and their family, left Michigan sometime after Annie’s birth and by the 1880 U.S. census, they are in Centerville, Anoka County, Minnesota. The household consists of Norbert, Genevieve and their 3 youngest children, all born in Houghton, Michigan: Josephine, Eugenia (Jennie) and Annie.2
Albert (Bert) Arcand, Annie’s future husband, and the common denominator in this story, was born September 22, 1873 in Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan.3 Calumet is about 13 miles northeast of Houghton, where Annie was born. At the time of his birth, his father Joseph Dolphis Arcand was 21 years old and his mother Alvina (Baril) was 18 years old. Bert was the first of 12 children born to the couple.
The 1885 Minnesota state census was the first time I found the Arcand family listed in Minnesota. The record enumerates Dolpus (Dolphis), Alvina, Albert, Fred (Alfred), Alfonso (Alphonse), David and E Emma (Lavina). Their surname is incorrectly shown as Arcorn, not Arcand.4
Bert was 17 years old and Annie was 19 years old when they were married by Father C. Robert at St. Mary of the Lake Church in White Bear Lake on Tuesday, November 4, 1890. Annie’s father, Norbert Baillargeon and Bert’s father Dolphis Arcand were witnesses.5
It’s hard to see, but Annie is heavily corseted in the first picture of her in her early teens and the corseting is quite evident in her wedding picture.
Bert and Annie settled in Grant, Washington County, Minnesota near Bert’s parents and several other members of his family. On March 27, 1891, about 5 months after their marriage, Annie gave birth to William Joseph (Willie) Arcand. Annie at 19 years old and Bert at 17 years old had become parents.6 (Bert and Annie’s children are my first cousins twice removed.)
The sponsors are William’s grandfather, Dolphis Arcand and to one of his (sic).
On May 21, 1892, 14 months after Willie’s birth, Annie gave birth to the couples’ second son, Edward (Eddie) Arcand.8
Edward’s godfather is his uncle, Beloni Asselin and his godmother is his aunt, Lavina Arcand.
On April 1, 1894, Annie gave birth to their third child, a daughter, Hedwidge Marie Arcand.10 At the time of her birth, Willie was 3 years old and Eddie was almost 2 years old.
Her godparents are her granduncle Ferdinand Arcand and her grandaunt, Ferdinand’s wife, Cecelia (Halley) Arcand.
On February 13, 1896, Joseph Wilfred Arcand was born.12 Sadly he died on January 8, 1897, at 10 months and 26 days old. I was taken aback to read “teething” as his cause of death.13
As a side note, for a long period of time teething was often given as a cause of death in children between 6 months and 2 years of age. However, from what I’ve read, teething does not cause death in children. Studies have shown that teething is a natural process and does not lead to death in children. Articles I’ve read say that there are symptoms of teething can lead to death if not well managed.
Annie gave birth to her last child, Hellene Marie Arcand, on July 4, 1899.14 Annie was 27 years old and Bert was 25 years old.
Hellene’s godparents are her uncle, Alfred Arcand and his wife, Marie (Asselin) Arcand. Marie (Mary) is not only Annie’s sister-in-law, but also her niece. This will be explained in part 2.
Hellene was born with a deadly disease. She survived 7 months and 11 days before passing away on March 13, 1900.16 Her cause of death was Phthisis Pulmonalis (tuberculosis) with the contributing cause being that it was inherited. The doctor recorded that Hellene had the disease for 6 months, so she must not have shown any symptoms for several weeks after her birth. Phthisis Pulmonalis is also known as consumption (wasting disease) or “white death.” As the most contagious form of tuberculosis, Annie had passed it to her daughter, which meant that Annie also had the disease.
Annie passed away on November 6, 1900, 7 months and 24 days after Hellene’s death.17 Just five days earlier, on November 1st, Annie had turned 29 years old and November 4th had been her and Bert’s 10th wedding anniversary. Bert was a 27 year old widower with 3 children: 9 year old Willie, 8 year old Eddie and 6 year old Hedwidge.
I think this picture of Annie was taken some time after she had contracted tuberculosis. One of the symptoms of the disease is weight loss. She looks quite thin in this picture.
Annie’s death record does not say how long the doctor had been treating her disease.
Annie was laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Ramsey County, White Bear Lake, Minnesota.18
TO BE CONTINUED…
Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia
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