Sunday, January 22, 2012

Marriage Announcement from 1883




A marriage announcement for my g-g-grandparents Billette and Loiselle. The Minnesota Historical Society had it posted online.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Census Double-Reported

I have been looking over census records from 1900 thru 1930 and found out that Granny Plummer's grandpa, Christian Cleveland (born around 1868) showed up on the 1930 United States Census twice; once in Cass County, Minnesota and once in Los Angeles County, California. Apparently he moved sometime during that year and was caught by the census workers on both ends.

More information about g-g-grandpa Cleveland; he had six children by his first wife Elise before she died in 1904. His second wife Edith (who was 20 years younger him!) helped to raise the kids from the first marriage and also bore him at least two more children. Granny Plummer's dad, Charles Cleveland appears to be the third child from the first marriage. Charles moved back into his father's household in Los Angeles County in 1930, and Granny Plummer was born to him and Kathryn Edens in Santa Monica in 1932.

Both sides of my family appear to have connections to Minnesota before my parents even met.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Placing Mom's Headstone





All the boys were able to make their hand-prints in the setting for Mom's headstone. Jarin also made his mark. A week later we were able to place the headstone...so glad we could finally get this done!

The grandsons all made paintings about grandma and they left those there by the headstone.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Marriage Certificate from 1883


Marriage license and certificate for my great-great-grandparents Toussaint and Mary Billette. I have been looking for about two years for more information about g-g-grandpa Toussaint including origins and parents etc. So far all I know is that he was born somewhere in Canada around 1850 and probably spoke only French.
On an 1855 census from Quebec I found someone named Toussaint Billette but it has his birthday around 1845. I cannot verify that the boy on the census was my g-g-grandpa. I really want to find out more about Toussaint because he is the earliest link in the direct Billette line.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Death Certificate


Great-great-grandpa Toussaint Billette is shown in the death certificate of his widow; great-great-grandma Mary.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Earliest related Billette... so far


My great-great-grandpa Toussaint Billette along with my great-grandpa Joseph Billette are both shown in the cutout. This is part of a census from 1895 in Wright county Minnesota. Grandpa Toussaint emigrated to Minnesota from Quebec around 1869. He may have been a twin, but I can't confirm that yet.