These are few comments from Last nights dinnerIan, the other guy in the photo, is from EnglandÂ
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It was good of Dick Johnson. to post a reply concerning Joseph LaFrance and Mary Louise Tennancour. Both Joseph and Mary Louise had been married prior to 1900. Joseph and Nora Cutter had one daughter; John Levi Gaudette and Mary Louise had three daughters. Joseph’s marriage ended before 1900 and Mary Louise was divorced in 1907 after a long separation. After their marriage, Mary Louise did apply to have a name change for her living daughters Marie Alphonsine and Evelina Lise, but I found no record from the courts granted the request. Evelyn used the name Gaudette/Gaudet when she and George Gottbreht married in 1915.
In later years Evelyn told me that she would always be grateful to her father, John L Gaudette, who arranged with Bottineau County Child Service to have his daughters placed in the St. John Academy of Fargo. “Without my Dad, I never would have had an education.” Her beautiful penmanship, reading and writing skills, and I must add rhythm to the other 3 “Rs” were known in the town and probably throughout the county.
Evelyn was especially proud of her foster father Joe LaFrance and his service in the Spanish American War. After that brief conflict, the troopers spent six weeks of quarantine in Montauk, NY. I viewed the photo history of the Rough Riders preserved in the Light House near the former camp and Army Headquarters. The structures of the camp seemed well preserved but were closed for renovation and update of the Museum. After his presidency, Teddy Roosevelt hosted a reunion of the Rough Riders at Montauk. TR called Joseph LaFrance foreword by name.
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I do have extensive files for the GAUDETTE and CARTIER dit LAFRANCE families if this would be helpful for those searching family lines. I have many boxes yet unopened and find the challenge of sorting through old files so daunting.
Keep well friends! I read the blog faithfully with great interest. Thanks Gary. Sharron
Sharron,ÂIt is wonderful hearing from you again. I was wondering what happened to you because we had not heard from you for so long.
Gary
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       The pictures of threshing in the snow in October 1959 really
bring back some memories, some not so good. That was the year that the
snow came in early October and never left until spring. It turned cold
and stayed that way. My Grandpa Henry Olson wasn’t feeling well for a
few days and on October 5 he decided he better drive to Rugby and have a
doctor check him to see what was going on. He drove to Rugby by himself
at 3 PM and in about 4 hours he had died from pneumonia. He was just 56
years old. The day of his funeral, October 9, it was still snowing
and the hearse got stuck on Main Street trying to get out to the
cemetery. The pall bearers were out pushing the hearse to get it out of
the deep snow. My other grandparents got stuck trying to get to the
highway from the farm and had to walk home and weren’t able to get to
the funeral. Two older Texas duck hunters came every year and set up
camp on our place near Sucker Lake. I don’t remember if they ever came
back after 1959? Attached is a newspaper article from that October—a
bad one and one to remember for sure! Thanks Gary!
Dick
 “Hello Gary. After I read your post to Mom, she asked me to let you know that she will no longer be doing the Dunseith news. She doesn’t know who or if anybody will take it on.”
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