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.