The following was researched and written by Scott Smith. To the best of my ability, the footnotes and references were placed within the text in (parentheses). Continued from the last post (below).

Louis Toussaint Billette was born in Canada, probably in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec (Lorraine Billette remembered that Toussaint Billette was born in France, but there is no indication of that in the census records we have.). His answers on the 1900 Census indicated that he was born in October 1850 in Canada to francophone parents. The only “Toussaint Billette” or “Louis Billette” in the 1851 Census of Canada in the correct age range were twins who would have been 6 years old on their next birthday—indicating that they were born about 1846 or 1847 in St-Urbain, Beauharnois, Quebec. The parents of these twin boys were Rémi and Osite (nee Lemieux) Billette (Based on information provide by the 1900 U.S. Census and other sources, we think that Emil’s father Louis Toussaint Billette: 1) was born in French-speaking Canada about 1850 (probably in Québec); 2) that he entered the United States about 1866 or 1869; 3) that he was living in Minneapolis area by the mid-1880s; 4) that his wife Marie Loiselle was born in Minnesota about 1864; and 5) that the two were married about 1883. Given these facts, we searched the 1851 Census of Canada for anyone named Billette. There are only about 50 people on the 1851 Census that have this name or some version of it, and only two of them are named either “Louis Billette” or “Toussaint Billette.” These two boys are twin brothers born to Remi Billette and Osite Lemieux in St Urbain, Beauharnois County, Canada East (Québec). Some of the given names found in the children of this Remi Billette family in St Urbain repeat in the children of Louis Toussaint Billette (e.g. “Delphas” and “Delima/Delvina” as well as “Louis” and “Toussaint”). Of course, this doesn’t prove a connection, but it seems like a reasonable conjecture. The fact that there are so few people in Canada with the same name and that these two boys happen to be born in 1846 makes it somewhat likely that one or the other grew up to be the Louis Toussaint Billette who came to the United States in 1866 and married Marie Loiselle in 1883. Both twins appear on the 1861 Census (search “Louis Bellette” in Beauharnois, Canada East). My identification of his parents is speculative. I have no way to confirm it. Toussaint Billette left Canada and immigrated to the United States in 1866 (or 1869). Records show that he normally used Toussaint (which means “All Saints” in French) as his given name. He married Marie Loiselle in 1883. She was born on January 26, 1864—in Hamel (just west of Minneapolis), Minnesota (When asked to provide the nativity of his parents on the U. S. Census forms, their son Emil T. Billette indicated that both of them were from Canada the majority of the time: 1910 – father, Canada and mother, Minnesota; 1920 – father, Canada/French speaking and mother, Canada, French speaking; 1930 – father, United States and mother, Canada/French speaking. However, we have a record of Arthur Billette on the 1920 Census where he indicated that his father was a francophone Canadian and that his mother was born in Minnesota. We also have a record for Mack Billette on the 1930 Census where he give his father’s birthplace as Minnesota and mother’s as Canada. Finally, the best evidence we have is from the 1900 Census, where Toussaint gives his own birthplace as Canada and his wife’s as Minnesota, and from the 1910 Census where Marie reported her own birthplace as Minnesota. The preponderance of the evidence is that she was born in Minnesota to Quebecois immigrant parents. Her death certificate states her place of birth as Hamel, Minnesota.). Her parents were Jean-Baptiste and Marie Cesarie (nee Garon/anglicized to Gorham) Loiselle. Toussaint’s answers on the 1900 Census (indexed on Ancestry.com under “Louisont Bellett”) indicate that he entered the United States in 1866 and had become naturalized. But his answers on the 1895 Minnesota Census indicate that he had been a resident of Minnesota for 26 years (i.e. since 1869). He and Mary appear on the 1885 Minnesota State Census (dated May 1, 1885; indexed as “Tansiant Billette”) for Hennepin County, Minnesota. This is the only record (known to us) that mentions their first child, a baby girl named Margaretta Ida who was nine months old. The next evidence we have is an indirect record in the form of a birth/baptismal record for Emil Billette—which is dated January 29, 1886 (see below). The next record is a listing for Toussaint in the Minneapolis city directories for 1889, 1890 and 1891. He was living at 1156 North Fremont Avenue, and his occupation was laborer. The residence at 1156 North Fremont seems to have remained in the family for the next 30 or 40 years. The family was recorded on the 1895 Minnesota Census for Otsego in Wright County. His answers indicate that he had been living in Otsego since October/November 1890. (4 years, 8 months). He must have purchased the farm near Elk River in Otsego Township, Wright County, Minnesota about October 1890 (Wright County is adjacent to Hennepin County on the west and a little north; Otsego Township is located in the northeastern corner of Wright County, bordered by the Mississippi River.). Toussaint appeared on the 1905 Minnesota Census (dated June 8, 1905). He was a farmer in Otsego, Wright County, Minnesota. He died sometime after June 8, 1905 and before January 1, 1908 (probably on the farm in Otsego). Minnesota death records are indexed beginning in 1908, and he doesn’t appear on the index so it’s likely that he died before that year (Lorraine Billette recollected that Toussaint Billette died prior to 1914 (“before any of us kids were born”) in Minneapolis.). Lorraine said that she was always told that Emil’s younger brother Joseph inherited the family farm because he was already married and had started a family at the time of their father’s death. Marie is still living on the farm with her youngest daughter, Delvina and adopted daughter Della, in 1910; she moved back to Minneapolis in 1920 (Death certificate states she had resided in Minneapolis six years at time of death.). The 1920 Census has her as “Mary A. Billette.” She died of chronic nephritis and chronic myocarditis on May 14, 1926 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota (The record is indexed under the name “Mary Billette.” Lorraine Billette remembered that her grandmother gave her and her sister Mardell some very beautiful bracelets, but these were lost over the years. She also remembered that Mary loved to play cards with the family.). Her last place of residence was 4355 Humboldt Avenue-North, Minneapolis. She is buried in Dayton, Wright County, Minnesota. The children of Toussaint and Marie (nee Loiselle) Billette included: Margaretta Ida Billette (b. August/September 1884 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) (shown 9/12 on May 1885 Census for Minnesota) (1900 Census: Marie/Mary is mother of 6, only 5 living) (d. June 28, 1885 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) Aimé/Emil Toussaint Billette (b. Jan 29, 1886 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) (bap. Feb 14, 1886 at St. Clothilde (now St. Anne)) (m. Emily White on July 18, 1911 in Hibbing, MN) (d. Dec 15, 1937 in Black Diamond, Washington) Joseph Delphas Billette (b. April 12, 1888 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) (m. Annette Bistodeau, 4/12/1910 in Albertville, Minnesota) (d. November 18, 1947 in Otsego, Wright Co., MN) (buried in St. Albert’s Cemetery, Wright County, MN) Arthur Billette (b. May 21, 1890 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) (never married; living with Ethel Davis in 1940. He served in World War I and suffered mustard gas burns to his lungs.) (d. Aug 4, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was knifed to death in the hall outside his apartment after an argument about the war in Europe.) (buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery—612A 5) Maguire “Mack” Billette (b. April 22, 1892 in Albertville, Minnesota) (m. Ina Pearl Dawson, 6/20/1921 in Oregon) (Lorraine remembered that she was “of Swedish origin.”) (d. March 21, 1970 in White Salmon, Klickitat County, WA) (buried in White Salmon Cemetery) Delvina M. Billette (b. March 1894 in Minnesota) (m. 1st a man named Plante about 1912—divorced him) (sons named Gerald H. & Earl J. Plante-d. 1989 in MN) (m. 2nd John J. Brabant, Jr. between 1920 and 1930) (children named Corinne M. and Donald J.) (d. June 3, 1948 in King County, Washington) Della M. Loiselle (Della M. Billette was an adopted child. She was the third child of Henry Joseph Loiselle, Marie Loiselle’s brother (b. 1866). He and his second wife Edwina Rancour had Francis Joseph (b. March 19, 1899); Alfred J. (b. December 23 or 24, 1900); and Marie Idella Loiselle (b. 1903). The boys lived with their Uncle Rancour after their mother died.) (b. April 30, 1902 in Min.—age 3 years, 2 mos on 6/2/1905) (see 1905 Minnesota Census with widowed father Henry) (on 1910 Census she is listed as a Billette and a daughter) (on 1920 Census she is listed as a boarder and a Loiselle?) (m. Henry H. Erickson about 1921 in Minnesota) (Children in 1930 are Arnold Henry and Roy Delmar. Arnold Henry Erikson died September 27, 1987 in Los Angeles, CA. Roy Delmer Erickson probably died in Pineville, LA on April 7, 2003.) (d. March 23-24, 1953 in Hennepin County, Minnesota) (buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, wife of Henry) Unproven connection: Rémi Billette was born and baptized the same day—October 1, 1809—in the small town of Chambly, (Remi is age 71 on the 1881 Census. See Drouin Collection for birth record.) which is located about ten miles southeast of Montréal on the south side of the St. Lawrence River—across the “narrows” from Montréal, the same “narrows” that gave Québec its name (Québec is an Algonquin word meaning “narrow place.” Chambly is the site of Fort Chambly, first established in 1665. A stone fortress built between 1709 and 1711 still stands there on the banks of the Richelieu River. It was captured by the English in 1760.). He was the son of Louis Paschal and Marie Amable (nee Delage dit Lavigueur) Billette. Rémi married Osite/Osithe Lemieux on October 12, 1835 in La Prairie Québec (Saint Isadore Parish). Osite was born about 1815 in Châteauguay, which is located about fifteen miles south-southwest of Montréal and also on the south side of the St. Lawrence River—not far from Chambly or St. Clotilde de Châteauguay or Saint-Rémi (The County of Châteauguay was created in 1855 from a section of the old Beauharnois District. This included the Seigniory of Châteauguay and the southern part of the Seigniory of Beauharnois, the seigniories having been abolished in 1854. Included within its boundaries were the Towns (Villages) of Châteauguay, Ste-Martine, Ormstown (then known as Durham), and Howick and the parishes of St-Antoine Abbé, Ste-Martine, St-Joachim, St-Philomène, St-Jean Chrysostome, St-Malachie, Ste-Clotilde and St-Urbain-Premier. The Châteauguay River originates in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Chautauqua (the English spelling) is an Iroquois word meaning “Jumping Fish.”). She was the daughter of Toussaint and Marguerite (nee Lemieux) Lemieux (Osithe Lemieux was a seventh generation Canadian, being a descendant of Gabriel Lemieux, who immigrated to Canada in 1643 with his older brother Pierre. They were from Rouen, France.). Rémi and Osithe settled in St-Urbain-Premier, a small town in Beauharnois County (originally a Seigniory) about twenty-five miles southwest of Montréal and about fifteen miles north of the New York/U.S. border (This town is easily confused with a town called St-Urbain that is located 50 or 60 miles northeast of Québec City.). They were recorded on the 1851 Census of Canada. It appears from the 1851 Census that Remi had brothers Eugene (b. 1814) and Louis (b. 1816)—plus a sister (?) named Justine Billette (b. 1826) living with brother Eugene. Also living in Eugene’s household, which is recorded just previous to Remi’s, is an elderly woman (age 72) named Amable Delage, possibly their mother. The same family appears on an 1861 Census and an 1863 list still living in Beauharnois, Chateauguay. Rémi and Osithe appear on the 1881 Census for Canada living in Ste-Louis-de-Gonzague, Beauharnois, Quebec. They have a young son (age 24) named Delphas living with them. Rémi and Osithe died sometime after 1881, probably in Québec. The children of Rémi and Osite (nee Lemieux) Billette included: Thaise Billette (b. September 18, 1836 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. Octave Herbert, 11/10/1857 in St-Urbain, Québec) (d. unknown, after 1881—living in Ste-Isadore, Lapraire, PQ) Osite Billette (b. about 1838 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. Etienne Patenaude, 1/21/1860 St-Louis-de-Gonzague, PQ) (d. unknown, but may have died in childbirth 1861) (Her husband appears to be remarried in 1881.) Philomène Billette (b. about 1839 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. François Dorais, 9/28/1863, St-Louis-de-Gonzaque, PQ) (d. unknown) Solomée Billette (b. about 1841 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. Joseph Lefebvre, 1/7/1863 in St-Louis-de Gonzaque, PQ) (d. unk., after 1881—living in St-Louis-de-Gonzaque, PQ)) Remi Billette (fils) (b. about 1842 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. Henrietta Fortier, 10/30,1871 in St-Louis-de-Gonague, PQ) (living in St-Louis-de Gonzaque, PQ in 1881) (d. unknown—living in St. Stanislas de Kostka in 1911) Delima Billette (b. about 1844 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. ) (d. unknown) Louis Billette (b. about 1846 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec ) (twins) (m. Francoise Montpetit, 11/21/1876 at Beauharnois) (1881 and 1911—living in St-Louis-de Gonzaque, PQ) (d. November 18, 1928 in Huntingdon, Quebec) Toussaint Billette (b. about 1846 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. Marie Loiselle, 4/14/1884 at St. Clothilde’s in Hamel, MN) (d. between 1905 and 1908 in Otsego County, Minnesota) Basilise Billette (b. about 1848 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. ) (d. unknown) Henri (?) Billette (b. about 1850 in St-Urbain-Premier, Québec) (m. ) (d. unknown) Delphas Billette (b. about 1857 in St-Urbain, Quebec) (d. unk., living w/parents in 1881 in Ste-Louis-de-Gonzaque)