Virginia Gagne - Grandmother

Virginia Gagne St. Lawrence
Maternal Grandmother

Virginia was born on December 6, 1889 in Cap Chat, Gaspe, Quebec, Canada.

Her parents were Benoni (Beloni) Gagne (1855-1928)  and Marie St. Laurent (1861-1943).   She was also known as  Virginie or Virgie.

You may notice that there are a number of unions between the Gagne's and St. Laurent's in our family history.  Cap Chat was a small fishing village on the St. Lawrence River so in the late 19th century,  the Gagne and St. Laurent families probably made up a good percentage of the population in the town and it seems were very close.  

Parents:

Benoni and Marie were both born in Cap Chat, Gaspe, Quebec, Canada and married in 1882 in Cap Chat.

They relocated to Mass in 1905 with their children. In the 1881 and 1901 Canada Census, Benoni listed his occupation as Farmer.  Benoni had 10 siblings and Marie had 9 siblings and 2 half siblings. In the 1910 Census, the family is living in Winchendon, Mass and Benoni is working as a Watchman in the Cotton Mill.  In the 1920 U.S. Census,  they are living in New Bedford on Nash Rd.  At some point they moved to 42 Glennon St.   Benoni died on July 9, 1928, and according to Census reports, at least from 1935 on, Marie was living with her daughter Marion Langlois and her family at 42 Glennon St. in New Bedford.  It was a two family house.  Marie died on April 20, 1943.

Marie St. Laurent (MeMere)

Virginia had 14 siblings:

Joseph Octave Gagne (1884-1959) - known as Octave,  he married Flora Foisey.  They were married in Winchendon, Mass and later moved to Peterborough, NH and then eventually moved to Norwich by 1924.  Joseph worked as a spinner in the mill  and according to the 1930 Census, he was still living in Norwich, divorced and working as a laborer on a dairy farm.  Flora moved to Gardener, Mass somewhere between 1924 and 1926.  Joseph and Flora had three children:  Ethel Irene, Alfred Henry and Francis Richard.

Rita with Richard, son of Octave

Albert Joseph Gagne (1886-1969)  - Albert settled in New Bedford, Mass and was a carpenter.  He did not marry.  It appears he lived with his parents until they died.  In the 1940 census, he was living with his sister Marion Langlois  and her family. Their mother Marie (MeMere) was also living with them.  

Aldoph Adrien Gagne (1887-1963) - Aldoph married Adelaide (Adella) St. Laurent.  They settled in Winchendon, Mass and had 5 children. The first two,  Michele Henry and Joseph Louis Phillippe Roland both died within a month of their birth.  They then had three more: Anita G., Loretta Theresa, and Francis George.

Adelaide F. Gagne (1890-1966) - Adelaide married Frederick Morin in New Bedford and they had one daughter Madeline (married Francis Nolan).  Adelaide and Frederick settled in Winchendon, Mass.  

Esther Gagne ( 1890-?) - There is mention of Esther in research records from the family but I have no official document to confirm and she is not recorded with the family in the 1901 Census so she may have died very young.  It could also be that Esther was Adelaide's twin.

Ernest Wilfred Gagne (1891-1892)

Blanche Alma (Aunt Mimi) (1893-1987) - I have many fond memories of Aunt Mimi. Of all the aunts, she seemed closest to Doris, Rita and Dottie. She was single and lived in Winchendon and New Bedford with her parents until she moved and settled in Norwich. In the 1910 US Census, at age 16, she was working with Virginia as an operator in a Cotton Mill.  In the 1920 Census, at age 25, she is living with her parents in New Bedford and working as a winder at the cotton mill. I was unable to track her residence in 1930 but pick it up again in the 1940 U.S. Census (which also confirms residence in 1935), Blanche is living with Virginia and her family at 16 Grovesnor Pl. and her occupation is listed as stenographer.  Her occupation is listed as a clerk in the 1958 directory and living at 4 127 Washington Ave, Norwich.  She lived her later life in an apartment on Broadway in Norwich.  She was very close to Virginia and was a great support to the family.

Anna Gagne (1895-1955) - Anna married Edgar Levasseur in New Bedford in 1918.  They did not have any children.  Uncle Edgar was a wood worker and built furniture as a hobby.  According to the 1920 Census,  he was a weaver in the Cotton Mill in New Bedford.  In the 1940 Census, they were still living in New Bedford and Edgar was a machinist at a Rubber Co. and Anna was an operator in a mill.

Francois Wilfred Gagne (1897-1901)

Joseph Alfred Gagne (1898-1956) - Joseph married Bernice Casteaux.  Joseph met Bernice in California during WWI where he served in the 53rd Artillery.Coast Arty Corps and they were married there.  They lived in California until the mid 1930s, then moved to Plymouth, Mass and settled in New Bedford, Mass.  Rita remembers that Joseph was a firefighter for the city. No records to confirm that.  At age 42, Joseph died at sea while on a fishing trip.

Alvina Gagne (1901-1905) I have records of Alvina's birth and baptism and a date of death, but no other official records.

Francois J Napoleon (Frank) Gagne (1901-1984) Frank married Elizabeth Miler in 1922 in New Bedford, Mass.  They had two daughters, Rose Mary and Elizabeth (Betty) Ann.    They settled in New Bedford and lived there for all of their lives.  In the 1930 Census, Frank was working at a Silk Mill as a twister-tender.   According to the 1949 city directory, he continued to work as a mill worker.

Marie Ange (1904-?)  No further records on this child.  May have been an early death.

Marion (Marie Ange) Gagne (1909-1961) Marion was the only child born in the United States and the youngest.  25 years younger than the eldest Joseph. Marion married Eugene Langlois in New Bedford in 1935.  They had one daughter, Claire Jeannette (Barbero).  The family settled and remained in New Bedford for the rest of their days.  Marion worked in the mills and according to the Census they had her mother and brother Albert living with them after Benoni died.  In the 1940 Census, Eugene listed his occupation as a fireman in a warehouse.  

LtoR: Blanche (Mimi), Anna, Marion, MeMere

LtoR: Blanche, Virginia, MeMere, Anna, Mrs. Langlois

Gagne Sisters:  L-R: Virginia, Adelaide, Marion, Anna, Blanche

Life Before Marriage:

Virginia with possibly Alfred St. Lawrence

Virginia lived in Cap Chat until age 16, when she relocated with her family to New Bedford.  In the 1910 US Census, Virginia is living with all of her siblings and parents at age 21 in Winchendon and working as an operator at the Cotton Mill.  In the 1920 U.S. Census, at age 30, she is living with her parents and some of her siblings (including Mimi) in New Bedford, on Nash Road and is working at the Cotton Mill as a spooler.

Marriage:

On June 12, 1923, Virginia married Frank St. Lawrence (Francois X. St. Laurent)
in New Bedford, Mass.  At the time,  Frank had been living in Norwich with his four children from a previous marriage to Marie Bouley, who died in 1921. After the wedding, Virginia moved to Norwich to live with Frank.

According to the 1920 US Census, Frank was working as a foreman at the cotton mill and lived at 22 Grovesnor Place with his wife (Marie) and children.

Family

Lto R: MeMere, Frank, Virginia, Blanche, Sadie, Marion 

LtoR: Rita, Virginia, Dottie, Frank, Doris

Virginia married Frank and takes on the care of his children and then they have three more:

Mary Doris (1924-2018)

Rita Theresa (1925- )

Dorothy Mary (1929-2016)

16 Grovesnor Place, Norwich CT

 

Rita, Dottie, Doris in 1930s

By 1930, according to the US Census, the family lives at 16 Grovesnor Pl in Norwich and Frank is the Superintendent at the Cotton Mill.  Sadie is living with the family, and the rest of older siblings have moved on.  Doris, Rita and Dottie, grew up in Norwich and attended Norwich Free Academy.  

Death

Virginia lived at 16 Grovesnor Pl with her husband and family until her death on August 17, 1954 at age 65.  She is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Norwich.

Note:  All photos were originally black and white.  I used a free Colorized tool at My Heritage.com to add color to some for more definition.

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