Family Photos of . . . Télesphore and Henriette Demers and their children around the time of their emigration from Québec.

A young Télesphore and Henriette pose for a formal portrait around late 1888 or early 1889. Proudly displayed here is a watch chain worn by Télesphore, a common accessory for men at the time. His grandson Edmund Demers remembers that he always saw Télesphore with his Waltham watch ready for use, and the frequent references to time in Télesphore´s travel notebook indicate that his watch was always handy during that long trip.

Typical of many portraits of married couples at the time, Télesphore is seated while Henriette stands at his side. In the second family portrait below, they are both standing, which allows you see the relative height of the two. Télesphore, at around six feet tall, is more than a head taller than Henriette, a very petite women who appears to be a little over five feet tall.

The photo of Télesphore and Henriette was obviously taken on the same day as the first group family photograph below, but we don’t have a definite date or location for either. But given that the youngest, Phidelem, was born in Saint-Fortunat in November 1887, and that the family arrived in Sanford on October 9, 1890, it appears certain the photos were taken before their departure from Saint-Fortunat, most likely in late 1888 or the first half of 1889.

In addition to Henriette and Télesphore, this family portrait shows all their surviving children. Seated in the front row are Éva, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1879, Henriette born in Saint-Ferdinand-de-Halifax in 1851, Phidelem, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1887, Donat, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1885, Télesphore born in Saint-Gilles/Saint-Agapit in 1847, and Émile, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1877. Standing are Lydia, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1873, Andreana, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1881, Odelie, born in Saint-Julien/Saint-Fortunat in 1871, Virginie, born in Saint-Fortunat in 1875, and Télesphore, fils, born in Saint-Julien/Saint-Fortunat in 1869. When this photo was taken, one of their children, Melanie, had already died, She was born in 1884 and died in 1888.  

According to oral family history, Henriette was a talented seamstress who made her family's clothes, and all her daughters (and some of her granddaughters, as well, including Rose, Oline and Yvette, Éva's daughters), inherited her talents. It is likely that all the clothes worn in the early photographs were made by Henriette or her daughters. In the photo above, the dresses of the three older daughters use the same material and are made in the same style, while the dresses of the two youngest are matched.

Télesphore and Henriette with all nine surviving children, circa 1891-92. Sitting: Odelie, Andreana, Phidelem, Donat, Éva, and Lydia. Standing, Télesphore, Junior, Télesphore, Senior, Henriette, Émile, and Virginie.

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It is difficult to say whether the second family portrait above was taken in Saint-Fortunat or Sanford, but in any event, it was taken very close in time to the family's immigration to Sanford, Maine on October 9, 1890.  Phidelem appears to be four or five years old and Éva appears to be twelve or thirteen. So the photo likely was taken in 1891 or 1892 in Sanford/Springvale. Although Télesphore is not shown with his watch chain, his son Télesphore shows his.

By the time this picture was taken, two other children had died, twin girls born on March 2, 1889. One died on that date or was still born and was not given a name, the other, Marie Claudia Mélanie Regina, died on March 15, 1890. Their last child, Odias (who would call himself "Pete”), and the only one born in the United States, is yet to arrive - he will be born in 1894. With Odias, Télesphore and Henriette will see ten of their thirteen children survive to adulthood.

Andreana and Éva Demers, youngest daughters of Télesphore and Henriette Demers, circa 1890.
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Again, we don’t have a date or a location for this photograph, but by the appearance of the two sisters, it seems to have been taken between the two family portraits above, perhaps in 1890. Once again, the sisters are sharing the identical style of dress and, this time, identical hair-styles and matching leather boots.

Éva, Télesphore, Andreana, and Émile Demers, circa 1882.
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This is the earliest photo we have of any members of Télesphore and Henriette´s family. As Éva was born in 1879, Andreana in August 1881, and Émile in 1877, this tin-type photo was likely taken in 1882 in Saint-Fortunat. The girls are shown once more in matching outfits, and both wear necklaces with large crucifixes, an obvious sign that they are part of a very religious family. Télesphore is shown with a mustache typical of men of his generation and something he would keep throughout his long life.