A New Start in a New Country

Migration is a factor in most, if not all, family trees. Whether moving from region to region, country to country, or continent to continent, the human family does not stay in one place across the decades, centuries, or millennia. My research found that my ancestors immigrated to the United States mostly in the 19th century. The following list summarized those immigrants I have identified to date.

Maternal Line

Edouard Alma Desjarlais, my 2nd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Québec, Canada in the 1870s. He was born in Canada around 1866, and married my 2nd great-grandmother Azama May Joubert, who was also born in Canada. Edouard worked in a variety of occupations. He was a worker in the cotton mills in Warwick, Rhode Island, in the 1880 census, a fruit peddler in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in the 1900 census, and a foundry laborer in North Adams, Massachusetts, in the 1910 census.

Joseph Varin, my 2nd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Canada in the late 1800s. He was born in Canada in the early 1860s and married my 2nd great-grandmother Georgiana Gagnon on 20 March 1885 in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Georgiana was also born in Canada in the 1860s.

Paternal Line

August William Boelter, my 2nd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Germany likely in the 1880s. He was born in Germany in 1879 and married Anna A Schmidt in Wisconsin around 1907. The censuses show he lived in Neenah, Wisconsin, for most of his life, working as a brewer (1910), a creamery deliveryman (1920), a sporting goods salesman (1930), and a lunch counter waiter (1940).

Franz Cziske, my 3rd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Prussia in 1866, passing through New York City on the way to Wisconsin. Born in Prussia in 1835, he immigrated with his wife Justina and their infant daughter Martha. Justina was born in Prussia around 1841. Franz was a farmer in Harrison township in Calumet County, Wisconsin.

John E Schubert, my 3rd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1845, passing through New York City. Likely born in Bavaria in 1840, he married Matilda Luscaine in Wisconsin in 1862. Matilda was born in Prussia around 1841, immigrating to the United States around 1855. John was variously employed as a mason, in the 1850 census, as a saloon keeper, in the 1860 census, as a moulder, in the 1870 census, and as "dealing drug and groceries," in the 1880 census.

John A Strelow, my 2nd great-grandfather, immigrated to the United States from Prussia around 1882. Born in Prussia in 1878, he married Minnie Schroeder around 1899. Minnie was probably born in Brandenburg, Germany, around 1884, and immigrated to the United States around 1887 with her father, John Schroeder, and mother, Marie. John was a dairy farmer.

As I continue to work back in time, I know I will find more international immigrants in my family. Documenting them and attempting to determine why they decided to uproot their lives and move to a new country across the sea is a wonderful research challenge.

Finding the Parents of Elodia Varin

Background

Elodia “Lydia” Varin is the wife of Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais and mother of Gilbert Leo Desjarlais, born 27 September 1928 in Burrilleville, Rhode Island.

Objective

Who are the parents of Elodia Varin, wife of Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais and mother of Gilbert Leo Desjarlais of Rhode Island?

Summary

Elodia Varin was married to Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais in Providence, Rhode Island, on 16 February 1915. By locating and examining sources related to her marriage and birth, Elodia’s parents are identified as Joseph Varin, born about 1862 in Canada, and Georgiana Gagnon, born about 1867 in Canada.

Marriage record for Elodia Varin and Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais (16 February 1915):

• Father: Joseph Varin
• Mother: Georgianna Gagnon

Birth registry entry for Elodia Varin (21 July 1898):

• Father: Joseph Varin
• Mother: Georgina Gagnon 

Research Notes

Elodia Varin married Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais on 16 February 1915 in Providence, Rhode Island. Elodia is recorded as sixteen years old, giving an approximate birth year of 1898-1899, while Eugene is seventeen years old, giving an approximate birth year of 1897-1898. The record names Elodia’s parents as Joseph and Georgianna Varin [1].

Elodia’s birth was registered in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Recorded in February 1899, the registry lists her birth date as 21 July 1898. Her parents are listed as Joseph Varin and Georgina Gagnon, who resided in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Joseph and Georgina are also noted as being born in Canada. Joseph’s occupation is listed as a mill operator [2].

Joseph Varin married Georgina Gagnon on 20 April 1885 in Southbridge, Massachusetts [3]. The marriage register for Southbridge, Massachusetts, records Joseph’s age as twenty-three, giving an approximate birth year of 1862, and Georgina’s age as eighteen giving an approximate birth year of 1867. Both Joseph and Georgina are recorded as born in Canada. Both are also recorded as employed as weavers residing in Southbridge. They were married in Notre Dame church in Southbridge.

Joseph’s parents are identified on the registry entry as Louis Varin and Joset Surprenent. Georgina’s parents are identified on the registry as Peter Gagnon and Rachelle Marcereaux.
Georgina died on 8 March 1900 in Southbridge, Massachusetts, of heart failure. Recorded in June 1900, the registry lists her maiden name, Gagnon, and also her spouse, Joseph Varin. Her parents are identified as Pierre Gagnon and Rochel Marsereau [4].

This death registry entry lists Georgina’s age at death as forty years old in 1900, which gives her an approximate birth year of 1860. This conflicts with her recorded age of eighteen in the marriage registry entry from fifteen years earlier in 1885. Additional research is needed to resolve this conflict.

Sources

1. “Rhode Island Town Marriages Index, 1639-1916,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 February 2017), entry for Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais and Elodia Varin, 16 February 1915; citing Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence; Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 411.
2. “Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 February 2017), entry for Elodia Varin, 21 July 1898; citing Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Archives, Boston, Births: v. 477 (1898). Suffolk - Worcester; FHL microfilm 1,843,706. 
3. “Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 February 2017), entry for Joseph Varin and Georgina Gagnon, 20 April 1885; citing Southbridge, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,415,221.
4. “Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 25 February 2017), entry for Georgina Gagnon, 8 March 1900; citing Southbridge, Massachusetts, 455-65, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,843,728.

Writing to Find the Gaps

Keeping track of my research on my personal family tree is an ongoing project in itself. It is very easy to get sidetracked (oooh, look at that document!) while trying to focus on a single individual and research question.

I spent much of the last year focusing on my Shelton ancestors. At the beginning of 2016, they were the family I knew the least about. I had the fewest documented facts about them. I could only go back one generation past my Shelton grandmother. A year makes quite a difference. My Shelton ancestors are now perhaps the best documented part of my tree.

And now I'm faced with the question: Do I continue working on the Shelton line or do I spend time on other branches of my ancestry? To help make up my mind, I decided to write a genealogical summary of what I have documented for each of my four major lines of research. The results of that effort show I definitely have gaps in my documentation.

The summary for the Shelton line contains three generations ending with my great-grandfather. The documentation includes census records, vital records, and court records.

1. Isaac Z Shelton (abt. 1847 - 1929) and Amanda Pruitt (abt. 1853 - 1940)
1. Isaac Denton Shelton (1892 - 1924) and Margaret Adelia Rice (abt. 1886 - 1972)
1. George Alvin Shelton (1907 - 1998) and Vesta Estelle Hudson (1912 - 1991)

The Desjarlais line also contains three generations ending with my great-grandfather, though the documentation is heavily reliant on just census records. The information I currently have in my database is sparse.

1. Jean-Baptiste Desjarlais (abt. 1842 - ?) and Eugenie (abt. 1845 - ?)
1. Edouard Alma Desjarlais (abt. 1866 - ?) and Azama May Joubert (abt. 1865 - ?)
1. Eugene Alphonse Desjarlais (abt. 1897 - ?) and Elodia Varin (1898 - ?)

My summary of the Ciske line is much like the Desjarlais line. It is heavily sourced from census records. There is a bit of flavor for Franz Cziske, my first direct line ancestor to immigrate to the United States, which is a step in the right direction.

1. Franz Cziske (1835 - before 1900) and Justina Malest (after 1839 - 1926)
1. John Ciske (1871 - 1876) and Christina Schubert (1865 - 1950)
1. Gerald Lawrence Ciske (1901 - 1990) and Leona Strelow (1906 - 1998)

Of my Ratzman ancestors, I know very little. I have traced back to my second great-grandfather, though I only have his and his wife's names. Perhaps they are my focus for the year so that I can catch them up to the others.

1. Edward T Ratzman (? - ?) and Alice Sailer (? - ?)
1. Gordon Edward Ratzman (abt. 1907 - ?) and Margaret Boelter (abt. 1908 - ?)

The act of formally writing a report, for my own files, summarizing what I know and have documented for each line, has given me new insight into possible research paths for the future. There are branches that are flowering, while others are a tad stunted.

photo credit: Andi Campbell-Jones Scottish Weather via photopin (license)