Albert Noah Peltier, my grand uncle, was the oldest son and 2^nd of 13 children born on April 22, 1887 in White Bear to Albert and Celestine Peltier.¹  Albert was 28 years old and Celestine was 26 years old.  Albert Noah (Bert) joined his 19 month old sister Alice in the growing family.

Albert Noah was baptized by Father C. Robert at St. John’s Catholic Church in Little Canada, Ramsey County, Minnesota on April 24, 1887.²  His godparents were his aunt and uncle, Clementine (Derosier) and Noe Mireault.

By the 1895 Minnesota census, 8 year old Albert has 4 more siblings: Ellen (my grandmother), Vina, Edmund and Cleveland.  His older sister Alice (shown as Ellis) is also enumerated.  The 6 children range in age from 9 down to less than a year old.  They all are on the family farm which not only includes their parents Albert and Celestine, but also their grandfather Charles Peltier and their uncle Leon Peltier.³

On the 1900 U. S. census 13 year old Albert is shown as attending school.  He also has another sister, Norma (note: the census shows Norma as Norman and being male).⁴  There had been another sister Eveline who was born in 1901, but she only survived 12 days.⁵  By 1905 his sister Frances was added to the family; Albert had 5 sisters and 2 brothers.⁶

The 1910 U. S. census shows 23 year old Albert still living with his family.  He is listed as a road laborer.  Since he still lived on the family farm, I would assume that he also had farm duties to tend to during his free time.⁷

In 1917 President Woodrow Wilson led the United States into World War I.  Although Albert registered for the war, he was never drafted.  He was 30 years old at the time.  On line 9 of his draft registration card he states that he doesn’t have anyone to support which leads me to believe that he was probably not living at home anymore.  As can be seen on lines 7 and 8, he was working for Frank Swanson in White Bear in the transfer express business.  I’m sure they were moving various goods arriving by train, as well as people and their baggage.

Albert’s draft registration is the first time his physical features are mentioned.  As you can see he is described as tall, of medium build, with blue eyes, dark hair and is not disabled.  I was told by a family member that he had a very deep voice.

The 1920 U. S. census has 32 year old Bert (Albert) back home on the family farm.  He and his brother Cleve (Cleveland) are working the farm with their father.⁹

I’m in a quandary over the next document.  I really don’t know what to make of it, because it contradicts almost all of the other documents I have for Albert.  Also, I’ve been unable to find any information on the second party named on the document.  The document I speak of is a marriage certificate showing Albert N. Peltier marrying Clara Peltier (Clara Paulson on his death certificate) at White Bear Lake on January 15, 1936.¹⁰  Although it appears to read otherwise, the marriage license and certificate were filed in Washington County.

All the census records show Albert as single or never married, but the certificate above says different.  Additionally it appears that his sister Avis Peltier was a witness, so I suspect this is Albert Noah, son of Albert and Celestine Peltier.  I don’t know the other witness, Charles Peltier.  Maybe he is a relation of Clara?  This marriage is a mystery and Albert’s death certificate that you’ll see later on complicates things even further.

By 1940, at 51 years old, Albert is living in Hugo, Minnesota.  According to the 1940 U. S. census, he is a lodger waiting tables at a restaurant, and he makes $1,200 per year.  The 8^th grade is listed as the highest grade he completed.  He is shown as single.¹¹

Albert would once again register in a draft in 1942, this time for World War II.¹²  Although he was 55 years old, he still was required to register in the “old man’s draft.”  As you can see on his registration card, he was living in Hugo and worked at a restaurant there.  I wonder if it was Carpenter’s Steak House?

The 1950 U. S. census shows 63 year old Albert’s last job; he is a truck driver for the Minnesota Highway department.  He is renting a room from a Clara Richmond at 1549 Breda Avenue in the Como Park area.  Albert is noted as “never married.”¹³ 

In May of 1952, at age 65, Albert applied for Social Security benefits.¹⁴

Albert passed away on November 22, 1954.  He was 67 years and 7 months old.  At the time of his death he had been living with his sister Avis and their mother Celestine at 499 W. Lawson in St. Paul.

According to his death certificate, Albert died at Anker Hospital in St. Paul.  He had been suffering from lung cancer for the previous 10 months.  Antecedent causes of death listed were gangrene of the small and large bowel and generalized arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  The death certificate also shows him widowed and it shows his spouse’s name is Clara Paulson. 

Albert’s death certificate is the one other record that contradicts all the others in terms of his marital status.  Was Albert married?  I don’t know.  I think that more documentation needs to be found.

Services for Albert were held at the Church of St. John in Little Canada on Saturday, November 27, 1954.  He was interred in the church cemetery, section 6, lot 46, grave 7.

Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia

© 2023 Copyright by Cynthia Vadnais, All Rights Reserved

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Footnotes for Albert Noah Peltier post