Dispatches From Mom: July 19, 2013

Mom continues her story from the previous night:

The next morning, on Friday the 19th, Gabriel graciously toured us around Berthier, Yamaska, St. Pie-de-Guire and Sorel, towns and villages in the area where my grandfather and grandmother Fagnan and their ancestors had settled and were married. He also arranged for us to take a ferry across the St. Lawrence Seaway to Sorel, another important ancestral location, to visit another of my father's cousins in Sorel. I introduced my daughter and granddaughter to them as it was their first visit and my second one. After several exchanges of news covering the past ten years since I had been there we were treated to a wonderful supper of smoked meat sandwiches and fries. We left with a promise to return soon and headed back to Brossard with Gabriel where we would spend our last night before being on our way. I am so thankful to Gabriel for helping to organize a huge Fagnan family reunion in Yamaska, Que. back in September 2003. I was fortunate enough to find this out in time, as they did not me back then and was able to attend and represent my family there. It was definitely one of the most striking events of my life and it touched my soul. Gabriel was also instrumental in helping me complete the Fagnan ancestry line and now we are working on helping other Fagnan families in the United States whose ancestors left Quebec and emigrated there. It is hoped that we find their missing links.

That was just like Mom. Always wanting to use her newfound knowledge to help people out in some way.

The following information comes from Mom's notes provided by Jacquie, which follow Mom's entry. Mom is talking about her relatives in these notes:

Toured Berthierville and Sorel with Gabriel , where many Fagnan ancestor's had lived.

Saw the land on which my grandfather, Joseph Benjamin Fagnan, lived as a child in Berthierville

Ate lunch at St Hubert in Berthierville.

Stopped next in St. Pie-de-Guire where my grandmother, Clarinda Proulx was born and where her and my grandfather were married in 1912. 

Took a ferry across the St. Lawrence Seaway to visit the Fagnan's in Sorel.

Visited there with Antoinette and Mario Fagnan and ate smoked meat and fries for supper.

Gabriel then brought us to the town of Yamaska where many Fagnan families had settled. It had rained steadily that evening but we nonetheless took some photos of the church and graveyard area from the car.