In 2004, Acadian descendants visited Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia. Our ancestors had been deported from their lands in 1755. Many of our ancestors who lived here were also buried here. Sitting near the old willows planted by our ancestors and reflecting on their lives, a cool breeze suddenly blew through the willows. At that moment we felt the spirit of our ancestors. This blog is dedicated to their memory.


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Wednesdays Child - George Dumais/Goodrich

George Dumais/Goodrich 
was born circa 1915 in Cuba.  
He was the son of Napoleon Dumais aka
William Goodrich and Raquel Del Castillo.
George was named after his grandfather
George Dumais whose wife was Sara Demers.
We have no birth record for little George but according
to the 1917 passenger list when his mother Raquel 
and siblings sailed for Lawrence, Massachusetts
he was born in 1915.  It is believed he died at the 
age of two though his death record has not yet been 
found. I think he looks a bit older than two in the 
above photo. What we do know is that he was
not in the Federal Census of 1920. 
 
George is my first cousin once removed,
son of my great uncle who was my grandmother
Arthemise Dumais Levesque's brother.

All Rights Reserved
Whispers Through The Willows
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
2011 - Present

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Holy Cross Cemetery, Londonderry, New Hampshire - May 5, 1924 Death Record for Napoleon Dumais aka Goodrich


Napoleon Dumais aka William Goodrich 
died 05 May 1925 in Pembroke, New Hampshire.
No one knew when or where Napoleon had died.
What was known is that a few years earlier, his wife
Raquel Del Castillo left for Cuba with their five children.
I had been searching in Massachusetts to find his death record.
I went to familysearch.org and did not enter a state.
Immediately Napoleon's death record appeared.
He was at the Pembroke Sanatorium having died from tuberculosis.
This has put to rest an old family tale that attributed his death to something
other tuberlosis and the belief that he had died three years earlier.

The record states that he is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Derry, New Hampshire.
Holy Cross Cemetery is actually located in Londonderry, New Hampshire but it is quite
possible that at one time the whole area was simply called Derry.  

All Rights Reserved
Whispers Through The Willows
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
2011 - Present


Sunday, January 23, 2011

St.Roch Cemetery, Oxford, Massachusetts - Mary Celina Poirier White

Death Record for Mary (Marie-Céline/Celina) Poirier LeBlanc/White

For years I have been unable to find what became of my father's half brother, uncle Thomas LeBlanc. He was from my grandfather Damien LeBlanc's first marriage to Marie-Geneviève Arsenault. He and many of his siblings changed their names to White.

This week there was a huge break through and I found that Uncle Thomas married twice.  Once in 1903 to Mary  (Marie-Céline/Celina) Poirier White and then in 1906 to Alexina Poirier.  Suspecting his first wife had died, today I went on a search and eventually found the above death record.  The primary cause of her death was child birth.  I have found the birth record for Mary Celia Poirier (LeBlanc) White and I suspect she died shortly after birth.

Mary Celia Poirier (LeBlanc) White was born 10 October 1873 in Grande-Digue, New Brunswick to Amand Poirier and Judith Bourgeois.  According to the death record, she died 24 May 1904 in Oxford, Massachusetts five days following the birth of her daughter.

UPDATE:  a great granddaughter of Thomas LeBlanc and Mary Celine Poirier contacted me on November 12, 2017 after reading my blog.  Mary's daughter lived and married Joseph Abel LeBlanc.  Debra who contacted me last evening descends from this marriage.  How exciting to connect with a long lost cousin!

All Rights Reserved
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Whispers Through The Willows