Télesphore Demers and Henriette Lamontagne, circa 1888.
After their marriage, Henriette and Télesphore lived and worked on the farm of his parents. When his father died in a farm accident in 1873, Télesphore inherited the farm. They continued to live on the farm with Télesphore's mother Euphrosine until she passed away in 1890. Several months later Henriette and Télesphore immigrated to Maine.
Henriette and Télesphore will have 14 children over a 25 year period, 13 of whom were born in Saint-Fortunat, and the last (Edmund's father) in Sanford, Maine, in 1894, four years after the family had immigrated to Maine. Three of their children, all girls, died in infancy or early childhood before the move to Maine, and a fourth daughter, Lydia, died from tuberculosis in 1900 in Sanford at the age of 27.
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In recognition of Henriette and Télesphore's wedding anniversary that occurred one hundred and one years ago this January 20, this post contains photographs and a translation of a handwritten document that Edmund Demers gave me in 2015 shortly we had reconnected to work on the travel journals of Odélie Demers and her father Télesphore. The document is a two-page handwritten message to Henriette and Télesphore from all their children on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary on January 20, 1919. In examining closely the handwriting and comparing it to Odélie Demers’ handwritten travel journal from 1898, Edmund was quite sure that Odélie had written the text. She may have also read it aloud to her parents, but I suspect it would have been read by the oldest son, Télesphore, Jr. Before we get to the message, let's review a bit of family history.
Henriette and Télesphore exchanged wedding vows when he was 21 and she, 18, at the small missionary chapel of Saint-Julien in the township of Wolfestown in the Eastern Townships of Québec Province. Before their marriage, the two had lived across from each other on a rough farm road about four miles from the chapel. A few years later, this area would become a part of the town of Saint-Fortunat-de-Wolfestown.
Henriette and Télesphore exchanged wedding vows when he was 21 and she, 18, at the small missionary chapel of Saint-Julien in the township of Wolfestown in the Eastern Townships of Québec Province. Before their marriage, the two had lived across from each other on a rough farm road about four miles from the chapel. A few years later, this area would become a part of the town of Saint-Fortunat-de-Wolfestown.
Henriette was born in 1851 on Fifteen Lots Road, le chemin des Quinze Lots, in the nearby parish and town of Saint-Ferdinand-de-Halifax. Her parents, Simon Lamontagne and Marie Legendre, were among the earliest settlers in that area of the Eastern Townships, having cleared forested land for a homestead there some time in the mid 1840s. Simon, from Saint-Nicolas, a town on the south shore of the Saint-Lawrence River not far from Québec City, and Marie, from the neighboring town of Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, were married in 1842 at the stone church that stills stands in Saint-Antoine today. Their oldest child, a daughter, was born in Saint-Antoine, but all their younger children were born in either Saint-Ferdinand or in Saint-Fortunat.
Télesphore was born in Saint-Gilles in 1847 to Euphrosine Lamontagne and Damase Demers, who were both born and raised, like Simon Lamontagne, in Saint-Nicolas. (In fact, Euphrosine and Simon were first cousins.) Damase and Euphrosine were married in Saint-Nicolas in 1838 and shortly after settled on a farmstead about ten miles from there in the Black River district of the town of Saint-Gilles. (The district later became the town of Saint-Agapit.) They farmed this land until 1859 until they moved to Wolfestown and cleared and settled on forested land on the 6th Range Road.
A few years after the Demers family moved to Wolfestown, Henriette’s family moved from Saint-Ferdinand to land on the 6th Range Road across from the Demers farm. Shortly before this move, Télesphore’s oldest brother, Théodore, married Henriette’s oldest sister, Philomène. Then a first cousin, Honoré Demers, married Henriette’s next oldest sister, Victoria. These two new couples established themselves on farms on the 6th Range Road. So with these close family relationships and the proximity of the Demers and Lamontagne farms, it is not surprising that Télesphore and Henriette also soon fell in love and married.
Télesphore was born in Saint-Gilles in 1847 to Euphrosine Lamontagne and Damase Demers, who were both born and raised, like Simon Lamontagne, in Saint-Nicolas. (In fact, Euphrosine and Simon were first cousins.) Damase and Euphrosine were married in Saint-Nicolas in 1838 and shortly after settled on a farmstead about ten miles from there in the Black River district of the town of Saint-Gilles. (The district later became the town of Saint-Agapit.) They farmed this land until 1859 until they moved to Wolfestown and cleared and settled on forested land on the 6th Range Road.
A few years after the Demers family moved to Wolfestown, Henriette’s family moved from Saint-Ferdinand to land on the 6th Range Road across from the Demers farm. Shortly before this move, Télesphore’s oldest brother, Théodore, married Henriette’s oldest sister, Philomène. Then a first cousin, Honoré Demers, married Henriette’s next oldest sister, Victoria. These two new couples established themselves on farms on the 6th Range Road. So with these close family relationships and the proximity of the Demers and Lamontagne farms, it is not surprising that Télesphore and Henriette also soon fell in love and married.
After their marriage, Henriette and Télesphore lived and worked on the farm of his parents. When his father died in a farm accident in 1873, Télesphore inherited the farm. They continued to live on the farm with Télesphore's mother Euphrosine until she passed away in 1890. Several months later Henriette and Télesphore immigrated to Maine.
Henriette and Télesphore will have 14 children over a 25 year period, 13 of whom were born in Saint-Fortunat, and the last (Edmund's father) in Sanford, Maine, in 1894, four years after the family had immigrated to Maine. Three of their children, all girls, died in infancy or early childhood before the move to Maine, and a fourth daughter, Lydia, died from tuberculosis in 1900 in Sanford at the age of 27.
We don’t have a wedding photograph of Henriette et Télesphore. The earliest photograph we have of the two as a couple (see the photograph above) was taken about 1888, or shortly before their move to Maine. By this time, Henriette, at 36 years old or so, had given birth to at least ten children or her 13 children, yet she appears remarkably young and vibrant, as does Télesphore, who was about 40 years old. They must have looked liked children when they married at 21 and 18.
We also don't have a photograph taken at the time of the 50th wedding anniversary, but the photo below was taken at a family gathering with all the surviving children five years earlier. The Sanford and Springvale newspapers published the week before and after January 20, 1919, report that the three sons who were at this time not living in Sanford, Phidelem, Odias and Télesphore, Jr., were all in town on the anniversary date, so it appears likely that all the same children in the 1914 photograph were also present at the 50th anniversary celebration in 1919.
We also don't have a photograph taken at the time of the 50th wedding anniversary, but the photo below was taken at a family gathering with all the surviving children five years earlier. The Sanford and Springvale newspapers published the week before and after January 20, 1919, report that the three sons who were at this time not living in Sanford, Phidelem, Odias and Télesphore, Jr., were all in town on the anniversary date, so it appears likely that all the same children in the 1914 photograph were also present at the 50th anniversary celebration in 1919.
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The 50th Wedding Anniversary to
Henriette Lamontagne and Télesphore Demers
From their Children
The 50th Wedding Anniversary to
Henriette Lamontagne and Télesphore Demers
From their Children
Two-page handwritten document on one large sheet of paper (16" x 12.5") folded in two (the reverse sides of these pages are blank) dated January 20, 1919. Likely written by Odélie Demers and read aloud to her parents at the celebration in Sanford, Maine, of their 50th wedding anniversary.
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English Translation
To Mr and Mrs Télesphore Demers
on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary
January 20 1919
Cherished Parents
If it’s a consolation for you to see yourself surrounded by all your children on the occasion of this beautiful and memorable day, our no less profound joy is to have the sweet satisfaction of being able to gather around you and to place our most sincere wishes for your happiness and to thank you with all our hearts for everything you have done for us up to this very day.
Fifty years ago from this day, while still young and surrounded by all your parents, you went to the altar to unite your destinies for life. At the same time that heaven blessed your union, your good parents begged the Lord to grant you a long life of happiness among them. However, those who surrounded you on that beautiful day are almost entirely all gone, but the Lord gave you a large family to fill those empty places that have been left around you.
The fifty years that you have lived since have been marked sometimes by very dark days, but happiness has always reigned in the family because you always accepted with resignation the trials that God sent to you. And your children are so proud to be able to tell themselves that they always have received only good advice and good examples from you.
Beloved parents, to better show you our gratitude, we give you this little gift that will demonstrate better than we can say, our gratitude and our deep respect, especially on this beautiful day so memorable for all of us. And we ask the Lord to grant you a happy old age, and that He will keep you for a long, long time among us so that we will be able to celebrate your diamond wedding anniversary and that you may always be our happiness and our consolation here on earth.
Accept, venerated parents, our wishes the most sincere and the keenest gratitude of our hearts.
Your loving children.
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The Demers Family, Sanford, Maine. April 27, 1914.
Only an important occasion would have brought the entire family together, perhaps a late celebration of the 45th wedding anniversary of Télesphore and Henriette, but the Springvale (Maine) Advocate newspaper reported only the following in its edition of Friday, May 1, 1914: "A family reunion was held at the home at the Mr. and Mrs. Telesphore Demers on Monday when all members of the family were present. Among those who were in attendance was Telesphore, Jr., of Lac Saint Jean, Canada, who has not been in Sanford for ten years." This photograph must have been taken on the day of the gathering. Télesphore, Jr, was the only child to return to live permanently in Québec, first in the small village of La Doré in the Lac Saint-Jean region and then in Montréal.
Sitting: Télesphore Demers, Sr, Henriette Lamontagne Demers, Odélie Demers Dubois, Virginie Demers Reid, Éva Demers Doiron and Andréana Demers Roberge.
Standing: Télesphore Demers, Jr, Donat Demers, Odias "Pete" Demers, Émile Demers and Phidelem Demers.
Four other children, all girls, died before this photograph was taken. These deaths must have occasioned the darkest days and most difficult ordeals in Henriette and Télesphore's married life. Three died in infancy within a 23 month period: Marie Melanie Demers in April 1888 at three years old, an unnamed twin in March 1889 at birth, and the other twin, Marie Claudia Melanie Regina, in March 1890 at a year old. The fourth daughter, Lydia, died of tuberculosis six days before her 27th birthday in 1900.
Lydia Demers, circa 1893.
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Acknowledgements
Once again, I thank my friends and cousins in Québec, Jeanne d'Arc Leblanc, Cécile Leblanc, and Suzanne Demers for reviewing and offering revisions to the French text, and to another cousin and friend, Anita Demers Olka of Maine, for her generous and valuable help with genealogical and information on Demers family history.
Appendix
Transcription of the Manuscript
Line-by-line and Uncorrected
A Mr et Mme Telesphore Demers
à l’occasion de leur cinquantième anniversaire
de marriage
20 Janvier 1919
Veneres Parents
Si c’est une consolation
pour vous de vous voir entouré de tous vos enfants
à l’occasion de ce beau jour si mémorable Notre
joie n’est pas moins profonde d’avoir la douce
satisfaction de pouvoir tous vous entourer pour
venir déposer à vos pieds nos voeux de bonheur
les plus sincères et vous remercier de tout coeur
de tout ce que vous avez fait pour nous jusqu’à
ce jour. Voilà cinquante ans à pareil epoque
bien jeune encore et entouré de tous vos parents
vous alliez au pied des autels unir vos destinés
pour la vie. Pendant que le ciel benissait
votre union vos bons parents suppliaint le
Seigneur de vous accorder une longue vie de
bonheur au milieu d’eux. Cependant ceux qui
vous entouraient en ce beau jour sont pour
ainsi dire tout disparu mais le Seigneur
vous a donné une nombreuse famille
afin de remplacer ces places vides laissées
autour de vous. Les cinquante années que
vous avez passées depuis ont été marqué
parfois par des jours bien sombres mais
toujours le bonheur a regné dans la famille
parce que vous avez toujours su accepter avec
resignation les epreuves que Dieu vous a
envoyé. Et vos enfants sont glorieux de
pouvoir se dire qu’ils ont toujours trouvé
auprès de vous que de bons conseils et de
bons exemples. Bien aimés parents afin de
mieux vous prouver notre gratitude nous venons
vous offrir ce petit cadeau qui vous
prouvera mieux que vous pouvons vous de
dire notre reconnaissance et notre profond
respect surtout en ce beau jour si memora-
ble pour nous tous et nous demandons au
Seigneur de vous accorder une heureuse
vieillesse et qu’il vous conserve encore long-
temps long-temps au milieu de nous
afin que nous puissions fêter vos noces
de diamant et que vous soyiez toujours
notre bonheur et notre consolation ici bas.
Agreez veneris parents nos voeux
les plus sincères et la plus vive grati-
tude de nos coeurs.
Vos enfants affectueux.
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