Peltier Jean Baptiste

Jean Baptiste Peltier, my great-granduncle, was born on Wednesday, March 25, 1863 at the home his parents built near Lake Vadnais in White Bear Township.¹  His father, Charles Joseph, was 37 years old and his mother, Mathilda Domitille (Garceau), was 28 years old.  Jean’s 5 siblings welcomed him into the family: Charles Damas (9 years old), Matilda (7 years old), Sophia Louise (4 years old), Albert Joseph (3 years old and my great-grandfather) and Leon Onesime (1 ½ years old).  Another sibling, Marie, had passed away three years before Jean’s birth.²

Jean was baptized the day he was born by Father Joseph Goiffon at St. John’s Church in Little Canada.³  Jean’s father and godparents probably brought Jean to the church to be baptized while his mother remained at home and rested.

[Jean] Baptiste, age 7, is enumerated with his family in the 1870 U.S. census. He had not yet attended school that year.⁴

By the 1880 U.S. census was taken, Jean Baptiste is 17 years old and working as a laborer.⁵

Lillian Celeste Pepin, Jean Baptiste’s future wife and my 2^nd cousin 4 times removed, was born to Stephen Etienne and Francoise (Paul) Pepin on February 28, 1872 in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota.⁶  Lillian was one of twelve children born to the couple.

Lillian’s family had deep roots in the early years of the formation of Minnesota. Her father Stephen was the first white man born in Mendota, whose birth in 1832 occurred before the city of St. Paul was founded.⁷  Her grandfather and my 4^th great-granduncle, Antoine Pepin, was the blacksmith at Fort Snelling from 1834-1844 and her grandmother, Marie Marguerite (Hamelin), was a seamstress, sewing for the officers at the fort.⁸

According to church records, Jean Baptiste and Lillian were married on April 13, 1890 at St. John’s Church, Little Canada by Father Combettes.⁹  Their marriage certificate states they were married on April 12, 1890.¹⁰  Whichever date, Jean Baptiste was 27 years old and Lillian was 19 years old.  The marriage was witnessed by Jean’s father Charles and Lillian’s father Stephen.

I was surprised when I first saw Jean Baptiste in his wedding portrait.  If I had to guess who was in the picture, I would have said that it was my great-grandfather, Jean’s brother, Albert Joseph.

By the 1900 U.S. census Jean and Lillian had moved to North Branch Township, Isanti County, Minnesota where they purchased a farm.  Lillian had already given birth to 5 children: Mathilda Frances, Charles Stephen, Elmer Peter, Thomas John and Selina Celestine.¹²

Over a period of 19 years, Lillian gave birth to 11 children with the youngest being born in June 1910.  The last 6 children were: Anthony, August Israel, Theodore Albert, Grace Marie, Lillian Eve and Cecelia Geralda.  The family was very fortunate in that all but one of the children, Anthony, lived well into adulthood.

Eight of the 11 children are enumerated in the 1910 U.S. census.  Jean Baptiste is farming his land with the help of his son Charles and his son Thomas is working as a farm laborer on some other farm.¹³

Lillian passed away on Thursday, August 2, 1928.¹⁴  She was 56 years, 5 months and 6 days old.  A little over six and a half years later on March 10, 1935 Jean Baptiste passed away at his home.¹⁵  He was 71 years, 11 months and 14 days old.  According to his obituary, he passed away after suffering a stroke.  Both Lillian and Jean Baptiste were laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery, also known as St. Gregory’s, in North Branch.

Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia

© 2025 Copyright by Cynthia Vadnais, All Rights Reserved

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Footnotes for Jean Baptiste Peltier and Lillian Celeste Pepin post