Jean Baptiste Bernard

My maternal great-grandfather, Jean Baptiste Bernard was born in St. Hyacinthe in 1863 to Jean Baptiste Bernard and Lucie Royer. He married Delia Gadbois in 1882, they had a son, Joseph who died in 1884 along with his mother, Delia.

Jean Baptiste went on to marry Delia's sister Rosanna, they subsequently had 10 children, Omer, Henri, Amelia, Evelina, Adrienna, Donat, Delia, William, Rita, and Anita. Omer and Henri both died in infancy.

Not long after his second marriage, my grandfather and grandmother were part of the Great Migration from Canada to the United States to find work and a better life. They settled in Nashua, New Hampshire. Jean Baptiste was a day laborer in most probably the textile mills which were abundant in that area.

Sometime between 1900 and 1903 the family moved back to St. Hyacinthe where my grandfather Ovila was born, along with the last two siblings, Rita and Anita.

In 1917, Delia Bernard passed away.

Rosanna passed away in 1922. Jean Baptiste lived to the age of 90 living with and being cared for by his remaining living daughters, Rita and Anita.

I've been told there were fun times of all night monopoly games which took on serious tones as everyone was there to win and long nights of talking politics.

Jean Baptiste Bernard passed away in 1953, peacefully.

St. Hyacinthe (Our Lady Of The Rosary)

 The church where all the Bernard sisters were married.

Paroisse Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire
City: Saint-Hyacinthe
MRC / Territory equivalent: The Maskoutains
Diocese: Saint-Hyacinthe
Opening records: 14 December 1777

History:
County and diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe. It is in the town of that name. The records of this parish open in the year 1777. Its territory includes the area 5, which is the oldest part of the city of Saint-Hyacinthe, and the municipality of the parish of Notre-Dame-de- Saint-Hyacinthe, and the village of Providence. Canonical erection: June 2, 1832. Civil erection: July 11, 1835. In 1852 the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Hyacinthe was divided in half to form the parish of St. Hyacinthe the Confessor . This is when the oldest part took the name of "Our Lady of the Rosary." The municipality of the parish has retained the old name. 

Bernard Women

Bernard Sisters

I've been gifted a photograph by a second cousin of 5 women who I think are the Bernard sisters. It had to have been taken between 1913 and 1937. In no particular order they might be Amelia, Evelina, Adrienna, Rita, and Anita. There was a 6th Bernard sister, Delia, who died in 1917. I know the second women from the left is Evelina (Bernard) Mailhot.

The sister seated on the far left is Rita (Bernard) St. Jean, the sister seated on the far right is Anita (Bernard) Blanchette. That means the two sisters in the center, one standing and one seated have to be Amelia and Adrienna.