Marie Pitre
Anne, sister of Marie Pitre
Jean Pitre & Justine Boudreau
Ancestors of Marie Pitre
Children of Jean Comeau and Marie Pitre
Jean Comeau, son of Fabien and Marie Boudreau, was born in September 1862. He was baptised at the church in Petit-Rocher on October 14, 1862. In that same parish, he married Marie Pitre at the age of 28. Jean Comeau settled in Beresford, the native village of his bride, Marie. That is where he built the above house. The second story was added later by his son, Léandre.
In the 1891 census of Beresford, Jean Comeau is mentioned as Head of the family and farmer. His wife Marie, age 27, is also mentioned. These newlyweds were just married in November and did not yet have any children. On this census, we also find that Jean Comeau's mother, Marie Boudreau as a widow, age 62 and living with her son in 1891. Also, seven of his brothers and sisters were listed as living with their brother Jean Comeau in 1891.
Jean Comeau - April 1948
In 1901, the census depicts a different story. Jean Comeau is mentioned with his wife Marie and four children, Adélard, Théodore, Marie Emma and Joseph Arthur. His mother and brother Joseph are deceased, the other brothers and sisters of Jean Comeau have all married but no trace is be found of his brothers, Jérôme and Victor.
Nine children will be born of Jean Comeau and Marie Pitre between 1891 and 1908 of which two were stillborn. A daughter named Marie-Emma will also die young at the age of 14.
Jean Comeau and
his son Théodore Comeau
During the depression era of the 1930s, Jean Comeau will lose two sons and his wife, Marie Pitre.
Their sons, Thomas and Adélard will look to improve their luck outside of Beresford. Thomas Comeau who had settled in Montréal, was run over by a tramway in 1938. The unfortunate and fatal accident happened to occur on his 30th birthday. Like many other young men during the depression, his brother Adélard Comeau had hopped a ride on a train wagon but unfortunately, was never heared from or seen since by his family.
In 1936, Jean Comeau also lost his wife, Marie Pitre who was 72.
In 1928, Léandre, son of Jean Comeau and Marie Pitre, had married his second cousin Éveline Frenette, grand-daughter of Alex Frenette and Anne Pitre. Jean Comeau lived until the age of 90, in Beresford with his son Léandre.
Jeannette, daughter of Léandre Comeau and Éveline Frenette, remembers that her grandfather Jean Comeau liked to amuse his granddaughters by playing the bombarde while they dansed the 'Step'. Family lore seems to indicate that Jean Comeau prefered a simple life. When his son Thomas who was single, passed away, the insurance company for the Montreal Tramway Company contacted Jean Comeau concerning a settlement for this accidental death. To which, Jean Comeau had answered: 'I dont need any money since I live with my son Léandre'. In 1938, his son Léandre already had nine children.
- First name unknown, still born
- Joseph Alphonse Comeau born December 17, 1891 in Petit Rocher,
- Adélard Comeau born April 17, 1893 in Petit Rocher
- Theodore Comeau born August 29, 1894, married September 20, 1921 to Dorina Léger
- Philias Comeau born April 14, 1896, died in 1897 at one year old
- Emma Comeau born January 6, 1898 died in 1912, at the age of 14
- Arthur Comeau born October 29, 1899 - died July 11th 1945, married Julia Henry on June 20, 1923
- Léandre Comeau born March 19, 1903, died October 3, 1961, married January 3, 1928 to Eveline Frenette
- Thomas Comeau born May 26, 1908, died May 26, 1938, accidently in MOntreal.
HISTORICAL TIDBITS
The first national Acadian Convention was held in Memrancook in 1881. During this congress, the feast day of the Assumption, August 15th was chosen to be the yearly festival for the Acadians.
It was during the second national Acadian Convention held in Miscouche in 1884 that the Acadian National Anthem ‘Ave Marris Stella' and the Acadian Flag were chosen. It consists of the French Flag with a papal yellow star in the upper left corner. The French Flag is reminiscent of the fact that the Acadians' ancestors are from France. The star is that of Stella Maris, patroness of the Acadians' and it's color, papal yellow, symbolizes the ties of the Acadians with the Catholic Church.
