About the photo gallery...
The collection of photos in this album are thanks to many family members who have generously shared their special photos with me. As a result, I was able to scan them and add them to this gallery. Some photos were from my mother's albums, Marie-Reine (Dubuc) Laframboise while others came to me from aunts, uncles and cousins. Thanks to Anita (Dubuc) Bedard, Dawna Dubuc, Madleine (Dubuc) Vaillancourt, Sylvio Dubuc, Louise Small, Mercedèse (Laframboise) Yapps... Upon viewing these with my mother, she was able to share information about the photos. If something is missing or you believe there is an error, please contact me. Please check back as I will continue to add photos. Thank you. Merci!
Dubuc Family - Alfred et Rose Dubuc
This photo may have been taken on April 4th of 1926...or April 26 of ..?... The above photo came to me from my aunt Madleine Dubuc Vaillancourt and to her from Suzanne Pilon, daughter of Germaine Cousineau. My thanks to Madleine for sharing this wonderful and rare photo of the Dubuc family.
In the front row, center are the parents, Rose Hébert married to Alfred Dubuc. Rose is wearing a serge dress. This was a heavy fabric that was popular in the day. Marie (my mother) remembers the scarf and that her grandmother always wore one.
Back row, left to right:
Yvonne Dubuc Arcand -She was the youngest child in Rose and Alfred's family.
Clara Dubuc Morin
May Dubuc Robitaille
Lucie Dubuc Cousineau
Marie Dubuc Cousineau -Marie was the eldest.
Sara Anne Dubuc Brazeau -Sara Anne went on to marry and raise a very large family. Unfortunately, these were the Depression Years and she, her husband and family lived in dire poverty in those years.
Front row, left to right:
Ambroise Dubuc -He was the eldest boy.
Rose Hébert Dubuc -Mother
Alfred Dubuc -Father
Albert Dubuc -The youngest boy.
Joseph and Léon were absent from this photo.
Alfred Dubuc died at the age of 62 of intestinal cancer.
In the front row, center are the parents, Rose Hébert married to Alfred Dubuc. Rose is wearing a serge dress. This was a heavy fabric that was popular in the day. Marie (my mother) remembers the scarf and that her grandmother always wore one.
Back row, left to right:
Yvonne Dubuc Arcand -She was the youngest child in Rose and Alfred's family.
Clara Dubuc Morin
May Dubuc Robitaille
Lucie Dubuc Cousineau
Marie Dubuc Cousineau -Marie was the eldest.
Sara Anne Dubuc Brazeau -Sara Anne went on to marry and raise a very large family. Unfortunately, these were the Depression Years and she, her husband and family lived in dire poverty in those years.
Front row, left to right:
Ambroise Dubuc -He was the eldest boy.
Rose Hébert Dubuc -Mother
Alfred Dubuc -Father
Albert Dubuc -The youngest boy.
Joseph and Léon were absent from this photo.
Alfred Dubuc died at the age of 62 of intestinal cancer.
Lacourcière Family
Great-Great Grandfather Lacourcière
Mom remembers Pépère Lacourcière telling the story of his father’s arrival off the boat at lac St. Jean. When they got off the boat, they found themselves sinking in mud! They thought they’d been sent to hell. They were likely sent here as the result of a minor crime…stealing a loaf of bread could land you on a ship and deported to a strange land. His family was reputable and respected in France but had fallen on hard times. This must be where Pepère L. had learned his cultured ways.
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La famille Lacourcière:
Parents were Joseph and Marie (Lacroix) Lacourcière and their children...
Marie, Délia, Joseph, Omer, Glorian, Florence, Blanche (2nd youngest) and Bernadette (youngest). One sibling died while out west, a male, but Mom did not know his name.
Parents were Joseph and Marie (Lacroix) Lacourcière and their children...
Marie, Délia, Joseph, Omer, Glorian, Florence, Blanche (2nd youngest) and Bernadette (youngest). One sibling died while out west, a male, but Mom did not know his name.
A common trait among the members of the Lacourcière family was strong character and plenty of personality; they were also a confident and proud people. Grandpapa Dubuc, my mother's father Albert, used to say: Y'en a d'les Lacourcière que c'est bon rien, mais Lacourcière et Dubuc ensemble, ça fait du monde! Of course, he never said this in front of Grandmaman Dubuc! Some believe that Albert Dubuc was very patient to have tolerated the Lacourcière family, but they were not Lacourcières.
Omer and Jos Lacourcière
Both Omer and Jos had served in both world wars. They met two sisters while overseas in Glasgow. The girls both came to the States with Omer and Jos. One stayed...but the other sister eventually went back home.
Marie remembers one afternoon, sitting with Pépère Lacourcière in the front sitting room. He was telling her about his travels to Detroit and the time he spent with 'Oncle Omer' ...Pépère said he had never eaten so many cheese sandwiches in his life! It seems Elsie was not much of a cook...
Omer's brother Joseph...Jos for short...chose a simpler path for himself. Most of any money he earned was spent on alcohol. When he was very young, early teens, he had dated and fallen in love with a girl his age before the war had broken out. At that time, they had wanted to get married. The parents of both Jos and the girl did not allow them to marry as they felt they were too young. Sadly, when Jos returned home after serving in the first world war, his childhood sweetheart had already married someone else. Although another opportunity for marriage presented itself in Elsie's sister, Jos chose against it and ended up settling in Crystal Falls where he remained a bachelor. He would work at the lumber camp in winter and in the warmer weather, he worked on a dam at the French River. He became a heavy drinker by some standards and for many years wandered in and out of Crystal spending the summer sleeping on the hay in the barn. The boys...kids...everyone liked sleeping there. Eventually, Jos moved in with his sister, Bernadette, who ran a boarding house. He later died of a heart attack while only in his 60's.
Bernadette Lacourcière
Bernadette was the youngest member of the Lacourcière family. She married Cecile Hall somewhere between 1933 and 1942 and lived in Sudbury, Ontario. She had established and ran a boarding house where she provided rooms and meals.
Délia Lacourcière
Pépère (Joseph) Lacourcière had one brother, Narcisse who rented a room at Délia's house. Délia had a very strong personality. She knew what she wanted and nothing could sway her from any direction she had chosen. She was a proud woman...always well-groomed and neatly coiffed. She had an appeal...a handsomeness that she felt good about. Her confidence helped her to stand tall and proud as can be seen in the photo above. She was Mom's Godmother and they had developed a good relationship over the years...until something happened that Délia did not approve of. My mother had entered the convent when she was very young and during her noviciat, my mother realized and was supported by her mentors at the Convent, that due to medical limitations, she needed to choose a different life. Sadly, after my mother Marie left the convent...Délia chose never speak to my mother again...and she no longer gave Mom gifts at her birthdays as she had always done before. It was as though their relationship had never existed. My mother was saddened by this because she had always enjoyed her time with her Tante Délia but, she realized that it was not her problem. Délia was married to Ferdinand Charron and together they had five children: Elise Marie ((Charron) Landry, Fabiola Forgette, Laurette Diotte, Gérald and Honorald "Tino". Délia passed away in 1965 in Sudbury.
Elise Marie (Charron) Landry was married to Albert Landry. Elise went to her mother for advice when her relationship with her husband was troubled...her mother sent her back to her husband because in those days, women were expected to make their marriages work. There was no question of her leaving her husband as far as her mother was concerned. Elise raised two sons and lived to the age of 92 when she passed away in 2009.
Elise Marie (Charron) Landry was married to Albert Landry. Elise went to her mother for advice when her relationship with her husband was troubled...her mother sent her back to her husband because in those days, women were expected to make their marriages work. There was no question of her leaving her husband as far as her mother was concerned. Elise raised two sons and lived to the age of 92 when she passed away in 2009.
Fabiola, Elise's sister, was married to M. Forgette. She was Fabiola Eva (Charron) Forgette. She lived to the age of 78 when she passed away in Sturgeon Falls February 22, 1999.
Délia had two sons, Honorald who was nicknamed 'Tino' and Gérald.
Ferdinand Charron, Délia's husband retired from the blast furnaces at Copper Cliff at age 70 and at that time was seriously thinking of buying a small farm in the district. The old saying is: “You can take the boy from the farm but you can’t take the farm from the boy.”
He was born on a farm in Quebec, worked at farming around Sturgeon Falls after World War I and operated his own farm near Azilda for a number of years in the late thirties. "We had a tough time making a living then," he recounted. "Potatoes were selling at 35 cents a bag and big chickens at 50 cents. I wish we could buy things at that price today!" Ferdinand came to Inco in 1942 and worked on the blast furnaces all his Inco years. Previously he had worked for Hydro and then for many years with Fraser-Brace Construction Co. in the Sudbury district. His early youth was spent around Sturgeon Falls where for many years he helped with the drives on the Sturgeon and Martin rivers. "The drives sometimes took two or three months," he said.
He was married in 1912 to Delea Lacourciere and their family are: Alice [Elise] who is married to Albert Landry of Clarabelle Open Pit, Fabola (Mrs. L. Forgette), Laurette (Mrs. J. Diotte) and Honorale, all of Sudbury, and one son Gerry who is at present stationed at Leopoldville in the Congo with a large banking concern. Twenty-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren round out this family. (Cited from The INCO Triangle, Volume 21, Number 12, March 1962. Page 13)
He was born on a farm in Quebec, worked at farming around Sturgeon Falls after World War I and operated his own farm near Azilda for a number of years in the late thirties. "We had a tough time making a living then," he recounted. "Potatoes were selling at 35 cents a bag and big chickens at 50 cents. I wish we could buy things at that price today!" Ferdinand came to Inco in 1942 and worked on the blast furnaces all his Inco years. Previously he had worked for Hydro and then for many years with Fraser-Brace Construction Co. in the Sudbury district. His early youth was spent around Sturgeon Falls where for many years he helped with the drives on the Sturgeon and Martin rivers. "The drives sometimes took two or three months," he said.
He was married in 1912 to Delea Lacourciere and their family are: Alice [Elise] who is married to Albert Landry of Clarabelle Open Pit, Fabola (Mrs. L. Forgette), Laurette (Mrs. J. Diotte) and Honorale, all of Sudbury, and one son Gerry who is at present stationed at Leopoldville in the Congo with a large banking concern. Twenty-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren round out this family. (Cited from The INCO Triangle, Volume 21, Number 12, March 1962. Page 13)
Ferdinand and Délia's son, Honorald "Tino" married Madeleine Coutu.
Gérald was sent to school in Montreal. Once he arrived there, the regular requests for money soon became a drain on Délia's finances. It is not 100% clear...but it seems as though he perhaps became an international banker or accountant? He was stationed at Leopoldville in the Congo at the start of his career.
One of Pépère's sisters ended up living in a convent as she was mentally disabled and the family could no longer take care of her. She spent her entire life at the convent with the nuns. Stories indicate that she was well cared for and had a good life at the convent.
Photo Album from the 1949 trip to Maniwaki
Back left to right: Cécile Labelle, Florence Labelle and their mother Marie Lacourcière Labelle, Glorian Lacourcière and Bernadette Labelle. Bernadette was Marie Labelle's eldest daughter. In the front left, Sylvio Labelle, Glorian's wife Cécile (Beaudry) Lacourcière and Gervais Labelle. Absent from this photo were: Thérèse Labelle, Jean-Marie Labelle. . (We met Jean-Marie while visiting in Maniwaki sometime in the late 1970's. He had a wonderful handle-bar mustache and an infectious laugh that charmed everyone he met. He came to visit Mom and Dad one summer at Lake Chebogan.) Marie, Pépère's sister, was married with Dominique Labelle, a farmer.
Thérèse Labelle was Mom's Aunt Marie's daughter. Both Cécile and Thérèse became nurses. They completed their studies while working. Bernadette's husband was a businessman and ran a 'quincaillerie'..a hardware store.
Mom’s eyes fill with
emotion as she remembers the dire poverty in which this family lived. The only pot they had to cook in was a 'chaudron', a single caldron…like the type used to bake beans. All the cooking was done in that pot. They had few dishes...few belongings. They lived
in utter poverty. Mom remembers a
pervasive sadness that touched them all.
They had a small amount of land for farming but the land was not very
workable and hence the farm was not economically viable. Day to day living was filled with struggle.
Left to right: The man at the far left is unknown but is likely a Lacroix and husband to the woman standing next to Pépère Lacourcière. Cecile Beaudry-Lacourcière, Mom, Pépère Lacourciere’s sister in law. She was sister to Pépère L.’s wife, Marie Lacroix.
Left to right: The man at the far left is unknown but is likely a Lacroix and husband to the woman standing next to Pépère Lacourcière. Cecile Beaudry-Lacourcière, Mom, Pépère Lacourciere’s sister in law. She was sister to Pépère L.’s wife, Marie Lacroix.
Marie-Reine's grandfather Lacourcière had been married to Marie Lacroix. My mother never knew her paternal grandmother because she had died when she was only 42 years of age. She had died as the result of complications from a fall from which she never recovered. Some think she might have had cancer. It is not known for sure. Pépère Lacourcière worked in the bush which meant she was alone a great deal of the time. Marie-Reine's mother, Blanche, was only 6 years old when her mother Marie died.
1949 When she was about 19, Mom (on the left) went to Maniwaki with her uncle Glorian and aunt Cecile (right). They stayed with her aunt Marie. Her aunt Marie was married to M. Labelle. Glorian was an attractive gentleman. He dressed well and was very resourceful. As charming as he could be at times, unfortunately, he could also be somewhat unpleasant and domineering. He liked to travel from place to place relying on the hospitality of those he’d drop in on. He was married to Cecile Beaudry who was much younger than he was. She was unpretentious and very soft-spoken and gentle. Whatever Glorian said…she went along with. He likely would not have tolerated anything else from her.
There was a small lake at the back of Marie and Dominique Labelle's house. They caught catfish there which became dinner! Glorian cooked the catfish in the oven. He had been a cook in the lumber camps. He took the job very seriously and actually became a very good cook. He could concoct a delectable meal ...at times with next to nothing it seemed. He'd been in an accident when he was younger and had a 'plate' in his back. This limited the type of work he was able to do.
Dubuc - Albert et Blanche Dubuc
Left: Albert Dubuc (father), Sylvio in front and Albert Jr. (Pitt) behind him, Roger (Cecile's son), in back Cecile with Marie-Reine in front of her and Rhéa in front of Marie-Reine, teenaged girl next to Cecile was the eldest, Yvette, in front of Yvette but with head turned is Jeannine and Anita in front of Jeannine, next to Yvette in back is Blanche (mother) and Thérèse at the far right. They are standing in front of the original homestead in Crystal Falls. Perhaps Glorian (Cecile's husband and Blanche's brother) is standing behind the camera?
Fred, Denise and Madleine were not in the family photo above...as they had not been born yet!
Laframboise Family - Florimond et Regina Laframboise
Left: Marcel Laframboise age 15 or 16, next to him Florimond Laframboise, Florence Laframboise Quesnel, Mercedese Laframboise (Yapps), standing behind Florence is Emile Quesnel, husband to Idèse Laframboise and next to him Henry Leach, married to Florence. The little girl in front is Florence and Henry's daughter, Rachel. This photo was taken likely around 1945.
Two years after this photo, the Laframboise family farm was sold (1947) after which, the family moved to town.