Biography Cyr Anna-Annie
Anna is the daughter of Michel Cyr and Dosithée Ouellet and she was born in Van Buren, Maine, in March 1880 (1) ; she was most probably baptised at St.Bruno's church. She had at least 11 brothers and sisters (2). Between 1884 and 1886, she moved with her family to Massachusetts (3). In 1900, Anna lived with her family in Salem, Mass. and she worked in a cotton mill (4). At that time, one of the family’s neighbors was André Imbeault (5), her future husband. Anna and André were married in 1903. They had at least 4 children from 1904 to 1910 (6).
Anna married George Gaucher (Goucher) around 1929; George was 51 and single. Anna already knew George since he was the brother of her sister in law (her brother Laurent Cyr was married to Sophronie Gaucher, sister of George) (7). In 1930, Anna and George lived at 37 Ward Street in Salem, Mass. with 3 children of Anna (8). Anna was still alive in 1958 (9).
By the way, Van Buren, Aroostook County, is located in the northern part of Maine, at the frontier of New Brunswick, Canada. Acadian and Canadian families settled in this area from the end of the 1700s, when it was still part of Canada (it will become part of Maine in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty). St. Bruno’s chapel was built in 1826 and it will be replaced by a church 50 years later. Township Letter L, just south of Van Buren, started its development in the mid-1800s; it will be renamed later “Plantation Cyr” after the many Acadian “Cyr” families who lived there. This excellent article will tell you more about the history Van Buren: https://www.acadian.org/culture/madawaska-territory/acadian-story-france-cyr-plantation/
Anna’s parents
Anna’s father, Michel Cyr, was born or baptized on June 1, 1847 in St. Bruno’s parish in Van Buren, Maine, as Michel Cyr, son of Larie Cyr and Rose Thibodeau (10). In 1860, Michel was living with his parents, brothers and sisters in Township “Letter L” in Aroostook County, Maine (11).
Anna’s mother, Dosithée Ouellet, was born in March 1849 in Ste. Luce Parish, (Frenchville), Aroostook County, Maine; Dosithée’s parents were Alexandre Ouellet and Marie Priscille Charette (Charest) (12). Dosithée’s parents were married on February 18, 1828 in Kamouraska, Quebec, Canada (13). They emigrated eventually to Frenchville. Dosithée’s mother, Marie-Priscille, died in 1852 and was inhumated in St. Luce’s cemetery, Frenchville, Aroostook county, Maine (14).
Michel and Dosithée were married around 1869 (15). They will raise at least 12 children from 1870 to 1896: Sophie, Vitaline, Aimé, Joseph, Catherine, Anna, Lawrence, Lena, Arthur, Rosa, Omer and Marie-Ida (16).
In 1870, Michel and Dosithée were living on their farm at Cyr Plantation, Aroostook County, Maine, with their baby girl (17).
In 1872, Michel, Dosithée and their 2 children lived on Aroostook road and they were part of the St.Bruno Parish (18).
In 1880, Michel and Dosithée (« Ozithe ») lived with their 6 children on their farm in Cyr Plantation in Aroostook County, Maine; Michel’s parents (« Hiltaire » and Rose Cyr) lived nearby (19).
Between 1880 and 1884, the family moved to Massachusetts (20).
In 1900, the family was living in an apartment building located at 27 Pingree Street in The Point neig.hbourhood (the “Little Canada”) in Salem, Mass. The household comprised 7 children aged 3 to 20 and Dosithée’s sister, Vitaline Ouellet, a widow. Michel was a laborer for the rail road. Dosithée declared having given birth to 12 children, still all alive (21).
In 1910, the family lived at 24 East Gardiner Street, Salem, Mass., and comprised 3 children and Vitaline Ouellet, Dosithée’s sister (22).
Michel died on August 15, 1917 in Danvers, Mass. (23) and was burried in St. Mary’s cemetery in Salem, Mass. (24).
Dosithée was still alive in 1930: she lived with her daughter Vitaline (wife of Joseph Voyer) in Salem, Mass. (25)
NOTES
Note 1: location and name of parents are from Anna’s wedding inscription in the marriage register https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-65T9-5VV?i=830&cc=1469062&lang=fr . Date is from the 1880 Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBM-93KN?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMF3F-2L4&action=view&cc=1417683&lang=fr
Note 2: details follow in the text
Note 3: based on the children’s birth locations as per the 1900 Census (see link in note 4)
Note 4: 1900 US Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QMG-Z3?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM9RD-8N7&action=view&cc=1325221&lang=fr
Note 5: see line 79 on the same page
Note 6: as per Massachusetts births index, 1910 Salem Census and Salem City Directories
Note 7: sources: 1930 Census (see link in note 8)
Note 8: 1930 Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RHQ-C2H?view=index&action=view&cc=1810731&lang=fr
Note 9: marriage of one of her children
Note 10: Maine births and christenings https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4CM-2Q2?lang=fr
Note 11: 1860 Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBS3-TF3?view=index&action=view&cc=1473181&lang=fr
Note 12: Location of birth and name of parents as per the 1872 St.Bruno Parish Census https://www.upperstjohn.com/1872/stbruno5.htm Date is from the 1900 Census (see link in note 4)
Note 13: Marriage act https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/4421308?docref=THOXYs_-XaOxM9p2yhoe_A They are identified as Alexandre Ouellet, son of Alexandre Ouellet and Marie-Anne Labourière dite Laplante of this parish, and Marie Priscille Charette, daughter of Michel Charette and Marie-Louise Boucher of this parish.
Note 14: Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178839814/marie-ouellet
Note 15: in the 1900 US Census, they declare having been married for 31 years. Link in note 4.
Note 16: as per 1870 Census (link in note 17), 1872 Census (link in note 18), 1880 Census (link in note 19) and 1900 Census (link in note 21).
Note 17: 1870 Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-67X9-4JY?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM6D8-C9J&action=view&cc=1438024&lang=en
Note 18: 1872 St.Bruno Parish Census https://www.upperstjohn.com/1872/stbruno5.htm
Note 19: 1880 US Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBM-93KN?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMF3F-2L4&action=view&cc=1417683&lang=fr
Note 20: based on the birth locations of the children as per the 1900 Census (link in note 4)
Note 21: 1900 US Census. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QMG-Z3?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM9RD-8N7&action=view&cc=1325221&lang=fr
Note 22: 1910 US Census. Let’s note that Ida Cyr and Vitaline Ouellet are registered below, after the Dandurand family. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRV4-KF7?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM2JV-HTB&action=view&cc=1727033&lang=fr
Note 23: Death certificate of Michael Cyr, Salem resident, 70 years old, son of Laurier Cyr from Maine and Rose Tibault from Maine. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T4N-TTG?wc=M6SS-B66%3A223963801%2C224383401%26cc%3D1928860&cc=1928860&lang=fr&i=205 (image no 206).
Note 24: Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184737990/michael-cyr
Note 25: 1930 US Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRHQ-DHJ?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXQGM-PNC&action=view&cc=1810731&lang=fr
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