Albert Norbert Baillargeon and Genevieve Giguere

Albert and Genevieve were my great-great-grandparents.  I’ve been unable to reach a definitive conclusion as to whether his name was Albert, Albert Norbert, Norbert Albert or just Norbert.  His baptismal record shows Albert¹, which is what I will use, but an overwhelming number of records have his name as Norbert.

Albert was born August 3, 1828 at Saint-Cuthbert, Berthier County, Quebec, Canada.  At the time of his birth, his father Pierre Baillargeon was 39 years old and his mother Theotiste (Delisle) Baillargeon was 28 years old.

Translation:

B136 (the 136^th baptism in 1828 at Saint-Cuthbert)

Albert Baillargeon

On August 3, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, we, the undersigned priest, baptized Albert on this day of the legitimate marriage of Pierre Baillargeon, a farmer of the place, and of Thiotiste [Theotiste] Delisle. Godfather Nicholas Dufrene, Godmother Marguerite Baillargeon who as a father did not know how to sign.

(Signature of the priest)

End of translation.

It was extremely rare for the mother to be present at their child’s baptism because the child more often than not was baptized the day they were born.  The “ne ce jous” part of Albert’s record tells me that he was baptized the day he was born.

Genevieve Giguere was born on March 2, 1833 at Saint-Cuthbert.²  Her father Joseph Felix Giguere was 37 years old and her mother Victoire (Laferriere) Giguere was 26 years old.  Genevieve was also baptized the day she was born.

Translation:

B19 (the 19^th baptism in 1833 at Saint-Cuthbert)

Genevieve Giguere

On March 3, one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, we undersigned at ___ baptized Genevieve born today legitimate daughter of Joseph Giguere day laborer and of Victoire Laferiere [Laferriere] of this parish. The godfather was Francois Laferiere [Laferriere] and the godmother Marie Giguere who with the father ____ does not know how to sign.

(Signature of the priest)

End of translation.

At this time I don’t have enough information about the extended families of either the Baillargeons’ or the Gigueres’ to tell how Albert or Genevieve might have been related to their respective godparents.

It appears that Genevieve was the oldest of 6 children and that Albert was the fourth of 7 boys.

Albert and Genevieve were married November 3, 1852 at Saint-Barthelemy.³  He was 24 years old and she was 19 years old.  Their church marriage record is where I first find him referred to as Norbert.  The record shows they both had lost their mother by this time.

Translation:

M22 (22^nd marriage performed in 1852 at St. Barthelemy)

Norbert Baillargeon

And

Genevieve Giguere

November 3, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two after the publication of three marriage banns made — from our parish —- R. Barthelemy, between Norbert Baillargeon, cultivator, adult son of – Pierre Baillargeon and the late Theotiste Delisle of the parish of R. Barthelemy on the other hand: Genevieve Giguire [Giguere] daughter – minor of Joseph Giguire [Giguere] farmer and of Victoire Laferriere of this parish on the other hand having discovered no impeachment or opposition to the said marriage and the consent of -, we, the undersigned priest and — to this – we received their mutual consent of marriage and gave them the nuptial blessing in the presence and Joseph Giguere father of the wife and —-, from Olivier Baillargeon brother and Ollev– Robillard, who thus does not sign the husband and wife

[cannot read bottom line]                                                  (signature of the priest)

End of translation.

By the 1861 Canada East census Albert and Genevieve had 5 children: Joseph (7), Celanaise (6), Georges (4), Marie (3) and Mathilda (1).⁴  At least two more children were added to the family while still living in Canada: Joseph Napolean in August 1861 and Julienne in August of 1863.  Another son, William Leon, was also probably born in Canada in either 1862 or 1864.  I have not found Joseph’s or William Leon’s  baptismal records.

The last 3 children: Josephine, Jennie (my great-grandmother) and Annie were born between 1865 and 1871 in Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan.  Hancock is in the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I’ve not found birth or baptismal records for any of them, only census and death records give clues as to their birth dates. 

The family is enumerated in Centerville, Anoka County, Minnesota in the 1880 U.S. census.⁵  The household consists of Norbert (53), Genevieve (49), Josephine (15), Eugenia (Jennie) (14) and Annie (8).  Norbert is farming the land.

The 1900 U.S. census record enumerates Albert, Jennieve [Genevieve] and Willie Balargeon [William Leon Baillargeon] as living on the farm.  Albert is 73 years old, Genevieve 69 years old and Willie is 39 years old.  They own the property, it is mortgaged and they are farming it.  Interestingly the record shows that they had 16 children of whom 9 are still living (I counted 10 still living in 1900 and only know of a total of 11 children).    They claim that they immigrated to the United States in 1863, but their daughter Julienne was born in August 1863 in Canada, so if they did immigrate that year it would have been after August.  Albert is shown as being naturalized and William as having naturalization papers filed.  Neither Albert, Genevieve or William can read or write, however Albert and William do speak English.⁷  The record contains an interesting cross section of information that is mostly difficult to confirm.

Both the 1905 Minnesota state census and the 1910 U.S. census enumerate Albert and Genevieve in the household of their son William.  I believe it is still the same farm in Centerville, but William is now the head of household. 

The 1905 census shows that Albert (Norbert) at age 77 is still farming.  Also, the period of residence questions show that they have been in Minnesota for 28 years and 8 months (by 1876) and in the current enumeration district for the same amount of time.⁸ 

The 1910 U.S. census contains some interesting information.

The record shows Albert and Genevieve as being married for 58 years with 8 of their 16 children still living.⁹  I cannot find 16 children and in 1910 I show a count of 10 still living.  This is a discrepancy I am sure I will not be able to remedy.  Their son William is head of household, his wife is Mary and he and Mary have 4 children.  The farm is owned, with no mortgage.  William’s native tongue is English and he is a cook for a construction company.  The immigration year for William, Albert and Genevieve is now shown as 1880 (it was 1863 in the 1900 U.S. census record) and Albert is not naturalized, he is an alien.  Again, the conflicting information is probably next to impossible to sort out. 

November 3, 1912 Albert and Genevieve celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary.  I found a newspaper article¹⁰ that states, “Mrs. Norbert Baillargeon, 80 years old [actually 79], baked 24 loaves of bread at the celebration of her sixtieth wedding anniversary.”  It goes on to say that they “are the parents of 16 children, 8 of whom are living.  They have 48 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.”  This is the second time that 16 children are mentioned.  The article further states that “The old couple were both born in lower Canada and came to Minnesota in 1878 and settled on the farm near Centerville where they are at the present time.” 

Albert passed away on April 22, 1913 at 1pm.  I assume he was at his home in Centerville.  His death certificate shows that the cause of death was senile gangrene (gangrene due to lack of blood supply resulting from sclerosis of blood vessels) of the right foot, with a duration of 6 days, and the contributing cause of death, with a duration of 1 year, was atheroma (the buildup of materials that adhere to arteries).¹¹ He was 84 years old.   

Albert was buried at St. Genevieve’s Cemetery in Centerville, Minnesota on April 23, 1913.¹²

Genevieve passed away about five and a half months later on October 31, 1913 at Columbia Heights, Anoka County, Minnesota.¹³  The death record lists the cause(s) of death as artereo sclerosis (the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries) , old age.  It shows her as being 82 years old, but she is only 79 years old at the time of her death.  Her birth year is incorrect on the record.  It should be 1833, not 1831.

Genevieve was buried alongside her husband at St. Genevieve’s Cemetery in Centerville, Minnesota.

Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia

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Footnotes for Albert Norbert Baillargeon & Genevieve Giguere