Along with a few photos there is a document at the end of this page that includes a detailed Lafrance family history.
(click on the following photos to enlarge)
Click here to view the first family tree picture.
Click here to view the second family tree picture.
LAFRANCE FAMILY HISTORY
By
Albert La France
Originally
published in:
Dreams become Realities:
A History of Lafond and Surrounding Area, 1981
Joseph
Lafrance (1892-1980) and Marie Lafrance (1895-1976)
THE
ARRIVAL
It
was a crisp winter’s day back in December 1925, sometime between Christmas
and the New Year. The sun had begun to set behind the leafless treetops when
Joseph Lafrance, his wife Marie, and their four children began to settle into
their new home in Lafond, Alberta. They had been travelling all day over icy
roads and snowy fields, but Joseph and Marie did not feel the weariness of the
day, for they had a feeling that at last their dream would come true – a
dream they had nurtured together for the past few years, ever since they had
left their native Québec.
THE ORIGIN
Joseph
Epiphane Lafrance was born in Saint Epiphane, Québec on July 17, 1892.
He was the eighth in a family of nine children born to Henri Lafrance
(1857-1941) and Joséphine Dionne (1856-1926). He, his three brothers and five
sisters were the tenth generation in a long line of descendants of a certain
Nicholas Pinel of La Rochelle, France, who had set foot in New France around
1645. (The name “dit Lafrance” was added to the name Pinel in the 18th
century and adopted as the family name in the 19th century).
Grandfather Henri was a farmer in the lower lands of Québec south of
the St Lawrence, between Rivére-du-Loups and Rimouski. However, farms were
small in this region and farmland rather poor. Times were hard at the turn of
the century and in order to make ends meet grandfather would travel south to
the United States, sometimes with his entire family, and everyone that could,
would work there. When they had earned enough money, they would return to
their farm in Québec.
By 1914, Jos Lafrance (as he was known) had purchased a small farm in
Saint Honoré not far from his native town. He married Marianna Beaulieu in
April of that year. However, grief struck early in his life; less than two
years later his wife died leaving him an infant daughter who also passed away
at the age of four, in 1918.
In 1916, Father was fortunate to meet Marie Alphéda Rosanna Lafrance,
the beautiful twenty-one-year-old daughter of Louis Lafrance (1869-1929) and
Marie Claudia Turcotte (1871-1914). She was born in L’Isle-Verte, Québec
and spent much of her youth working in various factories in the United States
to help support the family. She was the second eldest in a family of ten
children. Joseph and Marie were
married in Saint Cyprien, Québec on July 3, 1917.
They made their home in Saint Honoré and their first daughter Gertrude
was born there on November 30, 1918. This kind of life however, working on a
small farm and then out to lumber camps or to the United States to make ends
meet, was not Father’s idea of successful farming.
The visions of vast and rich farmlands in the West haunted him, and
when he saw people around him begin to leave their land and head for the West,
his visions became a dream. He
shared that dream with his wife Marie. Moreover her health was not the best
and they thought the drier climate might be good for her. In the spring of
1921, they had reached a decision. He leased his farm in Saint Honoré, packed
some belongings and started for Montreal where he met his brother Cyrice
Lafrance. Together with their wives and children, they boarded the Canadian
National train for Alberta.
The newcomers arrived in St. Paul by train in the middle of March 1921.
They were greeted at the station by their uncle, Emile Lafrance who had moved
from the East the previous year. They rode back to Uncle Emile’s farm in a
horse-drawn sleigh and stayed there for several weeks. By the beginning of
April Father had rented a quarter-section of land from Mr. Georges Pommerleau
some three-and-a-half miles southwest of St. Edouard, and moved there soon
after. The Pommerleau farm was modest but afforded them with a good start a
mixed-farming. There was a small house with some furniture, a stable, four
horses, several cows, some pigs and a few farm implements. They lived there
for three years adding two new members to their family: Yvette, born July 1,
1922 and Léo-Paul, on September 14, 1923. They were poor but they worked
hard, harvesting three annual crops, tending to the animals and starting a
modest stock of their own.
In the spring of 1924, Jos Lafrance purchased his first piece of
farmland in the West. By that time, he and his wife had decided to stay in
Alberta and he had arranged to sell his farm in Québec. Through a Real Estate
agent in Smoky Lake, he bought Mr. Brunnette’s quarter-section (N.W. 31 TP
58 R 8) some seven-and-a-half miles northeast of St. Edouard.
He moved there that year. There
was less in terms of facilities and machinery, but it was their own. They
harvested two crops on that property and saw the birth of a fourth child, Ida,
born Oct 7, 1925.
It was that year (1925), that Father heard from his uncle Emile that
the latter’s brother-in-law David Charron had a farm for sale in Lafond. Dad
acted swiftly. By the end of that year he had sold his farm in St. Edouard,
closed a deal on a half-section of land near Lafond, and moved his family to a
new and better farm. On New Year’s Day 1926, Jos Lafrance could stand
proudly in his new home and, tracing the sign of the Cross with his right
hand, solemnly bless his wife and children like he did every New Year’s
morning in keeping with the tradition of his venerable forefathers.
A new life was about to begin, a dream was about to come true.
THE
EARLY YEARS (1926-1929)
The land that Jos Lafrance could now call his own was a step forward
from what they had before. Not only did he now own two quarter-sections (S.E.
¼ 16 TP57 R10 and S.W. ¼ 15 TP57 R10), but also a sturdy house, a good
stable, a shop where he installed his forge and blacksmith equipment, a
granary and a small shed. In the
spring of that first year, he held an auction sale of things he could dispense
with, in order to have enough cash for a payment on the farm.
The crop he put in that year was not as big as he would have liked, for
there was still much clearing and breaking of land to be done. However, the
harvest was good and this allowed some progress.
It
soon became apparent that if he was to succeed in farming, Father would have
to do two things, first clear and break more land so as to make use of the
rich soil, and second, expand his livestock in the form of cattle, hogs and
poultry, for market as well as for his own sustenance.
This of course, would entail getting the necessary equipment to do the
job and expanding the actual facilities of the farm.
The
task at hand therefore, lay clear before him, and there was no time to lose.
These first years would be years of expansion. In 1927, he bought a share in a
tractor, a Ford Major 26, in partnership with Joe Coté and Omer Coté, his
neighbors. In the spring of the following year, he sold his share in that
tractor to Omer Coté and bought his own. His first tractor was a McCormick
1530 on steel wheels. He cultivated and sowed his land with it that year, but
he was also anxious to clear and break more land. Newly arrived immegrés
who were looking for work were hired and Father broke the rest of his land
with his new tractor.
Cooperation
among farmers was common and often necessary in those days. In that respect,
Jos was often a leader. In 1927, for example, the year he bought his tractor,
his brother Cyrice (who by that time had also left St. Edouard and bought a
farm some ten miles north of Lafond) purchased a threshing machine. In the
fall of that year and for many years to come, they harvested each other’s
crops and that of many of their neighbors. Father also owned a grain-mill,
which he operated with his tractor, and often he would make “chop” for
surrounding farmers, charging so much per foot of grain in a wagonload. It was
also in these years that he started to break land for farmers in Lafond and
district, a practice he would continue throughout his farming years.
During
these initial years, he also acquired his first car, a 1921 Model-T Ford.
It soon proved to be less practical than a truck, so in 1929 he changed
it for a 1928 Chevrolet truck, which he bought secondhand and for which he
built a small wooden box. This truck saw many good years of service on the
farm and around the community, for Jos and his truck were often in demand to
perform taxi, ambulance and transport services. It even served as a hearse
once, when it carried the remains of Mr. Léo Paul Jean.
These
expansion years were not limited to the farm and its implements; the family
was also growing rapidly. Annette was the first to be born in Lafond on July
4, 1927. Robert followed on September 3, 1928 and
Thérèse arrived on December 21, 1929. With the enlarged family, more
space than what the cramped little house could afford was soon required. An
extension on the west side of the house was built to house a kitchen, a
bedroom, a living-room area, and a pantry. (A
photo of the original farm in Lafond can be found on the main page {http://lafrance
reunion.tripod.com/}as a backdrop to our reunion invitation – the addition
to the west side of the house can be seen).
THE
DEPRESSION YEARS (1930-1935)
In October of 1929, the New York stock market crashed, setting off the
Great Depression. The economy of
the country came to a standstill, there were no jobs, and money became
extremely rare. The effect of the great depression was felt the world over; no
one was spared, not even Jos and Marie Lafrance and countless other farmers in
the remote community of Lafond. In the spring of 1930, the older children in
our family remember walking to school, for there was no money to buy gasoline
for the tractor, and the horse that brought them to school every day was
needed to till and sow the land. Times were hard indeed; some farmers had to
give up their land. Mother used to say “At least we always had something to
eat; we can be thankful for that”. In
fact, it was much through their inventiveness and industriousness that Father
and Mother were able to survive the depression.
Cooperation among farmers became a necessity more than ever. Since
there was practically no currency, people exchanged time and labour instead of
money. One year in the early 30’s for example, Father broke some land for
Mr. Jean Henley, who in returned sawed logs into lumber for him. This lumber
was then used to build a long annex to the barn, with the assistance of Mr.
Laframboise. This annex was needed to shelter the ever-increasing number of
cows Dad owned.
In
fact, when the depression struck in 1930, Jos Lafrance had managed to enlarge
his livestock of cattle, hogs, and poultry. But the market for hogs was
discouragingly low. He is remembered driving with his truck to Two-Hills to
sell his hogs for $2.50 each, instead of St. Paul where he could only get
$2.00 per head. One of the redeeming factors that helped us recover from the
depression was the large number of cows that Father and Mother, with the help
of the children, milked everyday. There was a time when thirty-two cows were
milked every morning and evening, seven days a week, and by hand if you
please! Needless to say that this
soon produced quantities of milk and cream that exceeded by far what the
market in St. Paul could bear. This is when Mother began to exercise her
talents at butter making.
Marie
Lafrance made extraordinarily good butter, a skill she had developed over the
years. At first, she made it in small quantities by hand, enough for the
family. However, with the depression, she began to make more and sold it door
to door in St. Paul. It sold remarkably well.
Though money was rare, people managed to pay .25 cents for two pounds
of butter. As the volume of cream increased with the number of cows that were
milked, so did the demand for Mother’s butter. It soon became impossible to
make all this butter by hand. So Father, rising to the occasion as he always
did, came up with a device (une patente)
for producing butter mechanically. Using the motor of our Maytag washing
machine as power, he devised a system of pulleys – with shafts turning on
wooden bearings – that operated the churn mechanically.
The production and sale of butter in this manner extended through the
remaining years of the 30’s and well into the 40’s.
In spite of the depression, the sun rose every morning and life ran
it’s course in the Lafrance household. Luc was born in Lac LaBiche on
October 29, 1931 and Denise in Lafond on October 9, 1933. The number of
children had grown to nine now, and with a family of that size washing by hand
was an ordeal which Mother could do without. Consequently, in the early 30’s
Mom and Dad invested in a brand-new Maytag washing machine that was operated
by a small gasoline motor, that also spun the churn in making butter as we
have just seen.
The circumstances of childbirth were somewhat different then, from what
they are today. For one, children were born in the homes and not in
hospitals. Often doctors were not
available so women of the community acted as midwives. They were called upon
when the time had come and after assisting in the child’s birth, they would
stay in the home with the mother for awhile. Mrs. Laframboise and Mrs.
Laboucane will be remembered as dedicated midwives in Lafond in the earlier
days. As for our family we were privileged to have Mrs. Fréchette, our good
neighbour, who assisted in every childbirth that occurred in our home in
Lafond.
RECOVERING
FROM THE DEPRESSION (1935-1939)
In 1935 and during the last years of the decade, Canada was slowly
recovering from the depression. This was felt in Lafond by some modest signs
of prosperity that returned to the community. In our family, these five years
were marked by a renewed burst of activities and events.
In
May 1935, Father and Mother returned to the East by train to pay a visit to
friends and relatives they had not seen in fourteen years. On August 4, 1935,
Henri was born. In 1937, with the help of Mr. Jérémie Faucher, Dad built a
long extension to his barn, which was needed to store hay. He sold his truck
that year and bought a brand-new car: a 1937 Willys. In addition, that year
Mother gave birth to her eleventh and last child, Albert, born August 27,1937,
and Father led his eldest daughter to the altar; Gertrude married Napoléon
Tremblay on November 3, 1937, in Lafond.
In 1938, Mom and Dad, uncle Cyrice and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hector
Dupuis all traveled to Calgary with the agronomist Mr. J.M. Fontaine, where
Father purchased a purebred Aberdeen-Angus bull. The older children in the
family remember that it was also about this time that Dad took them to the
Exhibition in Edmonton, a rather rare and coveted event in those days. Finally
in the fall of 1938, Father harvested his crop with his own McCormick-Deering
threshing machine that he had bought that summer. This was a significant
achievement, for not only was it a certain sign of prosperity for a farmer to
own his own threshing outfit, but it meant assuming a certain leadership and
responsibility, since he would be expected to harvest the crops of his
surrounding neighbours. This he did very efficiently for the next eight years
or so.
THE
WAR YEARS (1939-1945)
On September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.
At the beginning of the 40’s the gloomy cloud of War was hanging over
Europe, and with the fall of France in 1940, Canada found itself to be, after
England, the second most powerful adversary of Nazi Germany. Though the role
of Canada remained supply, rather than combat forces, a number of young men
from Lafond volunteered or were called upon to serve their country in the
armed forces. Families such as the Lamoureux, Pigeon, Couillard and others,
saw their sons leave home to become soldiers. The war effort however, had one
redeeming factor for everyone; it speeded up the economy of the country, a
measure that was so desperately needed after the hard years of the depression.
Consequently, in spite of certain restrictions such as food rationing
inflicted by the War, farmers in Lafond in general knew a period of relative
prosperity during the early forties.
As for Jos and Marie Lafrance, they soon came to realize during those
years, that they had reached the midway of their lives together. They had
finished bringing their children into the world, they saw the older ones leave
home to get started on their own, and they began to greet with joy the arrival
of their first grandchildren. In fact, on October 6, 1938 Gertrude gave birth
to Raymond, Mom and Dad’s first grandchild, and on November 14, 1939 Yvette
was married to Antoine Tremblay. In July 1942, Father and Mother celebrated
their 25th wedding anniversary, while on August 15 of that year, Ida entered
the Congregation of Les Soeurs de l’Assomption de Nicolet.
Also that year, Father Maurice Lafrance, O.M.I., Uncle Emile’s son,
was ordained to the priesthood. All these events called for festive gatherings
of friends and relatives at the family home in Lafond.
Unfortunately, not all the events of those years called for rejoicing.
In January 1941, Grandfather Henri passed away in Québec at the age of
eighty-four. Grandmother Josephine had died several years before, as had
grandfather Louis and Grandmother Claudia, many year before him (1917). At the
end of August that year, a hailstorm swept away completely (100%) what
promised to be a record crop. On July 14, 1943, after giving birth to her
second daughter, Yvette was overcome by an illness that eventually led to her
becoming an invalid. Mother took the newborn daughter Angèle into her care.
She grew up in our midst and ever since has been part of our family. Gertrude
took Yvette’s older daughter Solange into her home.
The
early forties were a period of renewed development on the Lafrance farm. By
1940, Father had acquired a new quarter section of land (N.W. ¼ 9 TP57 R10)
and a ninety-acre homestead (S.E. ¼ 14 TP57 R10). That year he also bought a
new International Diesel Caterpillar TD-6. This new tractor and the added land
(he purchased another quarter in 1944 -S.E. ¼ 14 TP57 R10) were soon to spur
the inventive imagination and mechanical practicality of Jos Lafrance.
It stood to reason that now that he had the power of his Cat, he would
save time, fuel and energy if he could pull larger and more efficient
implements. But unfortunately these larger implements did not yet exist, or if
they did, they were not available around Lafond. So Dad went ahead and built
his own. Using his skills as a blacksmith – a trade he had learned from one
of his uncles back in Québec – he designed and built, for example, a seven
moldboard plow by assembling two plows together. He also put together twelve
sections of spike tooth harrows, three drills and two binders, all of which he
pulled quite easily with his Cat. Thus he tilled and sowed his land and reaped
his crop more efficiently. Needless to say that hooking all of these together
so that everything would turn and operate properly required skill and
imagination.
A part from cultivating and harvesting, the Caterpillar saw many other
uses around the farm and the community, many of which entailed Father’s
creative innovations. Some readers might recall the V-shaped snowplow he built
in the early forties. After heavy snowfalls he would push this remarkable
device with his Cat, opening roads for his neighbours and himself.
In the winter of 1944, the Cat was used for skidding logs at Mr.
Boutin’s sawmill north of Rich Lake, with special heavy-duty sleighs that
Dad had built. In 1948 he designed and built a “brush-cutter” which he
used to clear his homestead. The Cat of course, was then used to break the
land, that became the site of Crestview Developments. But Father will be
remembered best for the many acres of land he broke for farmers in the Lafond
area during the 40’s and 50’s.
It
was also during these war years that Mother bought her first Singer sewing
machine and followed a course in sewing that was given in the Lafond Parish
Hall, in the basement of the church. In previous years all the sewing and
mending was done by hand and the girls were taught to sew, knit and embroider.
In the late twenties knitting was done with pure wool that was homemade; raw
wool was bought from Mr. Brazil Jean, and then washed, carded, and spun into
yarn, all by hand – a very long and tedious process. Later, yarn was ordered
from the catalog, but mittens, stockings, scarfs, etc., were for a long time
all knitted at home. During long winter days, Mother tried her hand at weaving
with a handloom she had bought. She soon turned out various interestingly
designed fabrics, which she converted, into towels, mats, and various other
things. Her ambition and skills
induced her into braiding rugs and sewing quilts and blankets out of remnants,
a practice she kept up as a hobby after retiring.
THE
POSTWAR YEARS (1945-1950)
In the spring of 1945, the War ended in Europe and the soldiers came
home. Jubilation was in the air and welcome-home parties were given. Like the
sunshine returning after the storm, the next few years were to prepare the
country for an economic growth like it had never known – the boom of the
50’s and 60’s. For the farmer, this would result in better and larger farm
implements, better prices for grain, livestock, and farm products, and more
advanced agricultural technology.
It was at this time that the combine replaced the standard threshing
machine, and Jos Lafrance was not one to drag his feet when it came to
improved farm machinery. In fact, he has been recognized as the first, in the
district of St. Paul, to have purchased a self propelled Massey-Harris combine
in 1945. He also needed a more versatile and faster tractor then his Cat could
afford, so in the spring of 1946, he bought a McCormick WD-9 at Johnny
Brosseau’s auction sale. That fall, the days when he would get up in the middle of the
night in winter to keep the fire going in the wood furnace down stairs, came
to an end. Propane gas was purchased and installed to heat and light the
family home.
In the summer of 1947, farmers in the mid-western States were
advertising for help to harvest what promised to be an unusually good crop.
Father decided to accept this challenge.
He bought a three-ton truck on which he loaded his combine, pulling the
header behind on a “bennet”, and left for the States on June 22, 1947.
His oldest son, Paul and his son-in-law Antoine Tremblay went with him.
Driving as far south as Kansas, they “combined” their way up through
Colorado, the Dakotas and Montana.
Meanwhile back in Lafond, the usual tasks of picking stones, making
hay, and other daily chores were accomplished by the older children with
Mother’s help and guidance. In
mid-August Mother purchased a second combine, for fear the Dad would not be
back in time for harvest.
The combining trip to the States was a complete success, lasting all of
July and August, but it was marred by the untimely death of Antoine. When they
had reached Wolf Point, Montana, he took ill, was taken to hospital and passed
away on August 19, 1947. His remains were sent home by train and found their
resting-place in the cemetery near the church in Lafond, on August 25, 1947.
He was only thirty years old.
In the spring of 1948, there was cause for celebration in the Lafrance
household; the two oldest sons were getting married. On May 10, in a double
wedding arrangement, Robert took Marie Fontaine as his wife, in Lafond, and
later that same morning, Paul espoused Madeleine Dumaine in Lacorey. In those
days, Paul was operating a garage in Lafond, while Robert was working on the
farm with Dad.
THE
SEMI-RETIREMENT YEARS (1948-1960)
Robert’s
interest in farming incited Father and Mother to begin living in
semi-retirement. In the Fall of 1948, after harvesting was done, they moved to
St. Paul. Luke, Denise, Albert and Angèle followed and all went to school
there, while Henri preferred staying on the farm with Robert. Though they had
moved, all the land was still theirs except for a quarter section, which was
Robert's, and Dad continued to farm his land every year until 1960.
Furthermore, during these semi-retired years, they erected a new house, helped
the rest of the children get started in life, and took pride in seeing their
grandchildren multiply.
In the spring of 1949, Dad began constructing his new home in St. Paul
with the help of Mr. Jérémie Faucher. It was just about finished when Thérèse
married Xavier Lavoie on October 26, of that year. The marriage was blessed in
St. Paul, but the wedding was celebrated in St. Albert, Xavier’s hometown.
Late in November, the house was completed and soon occupied.
In the summer of 1950, Father and Mother were invited to join Luke and
Father Léo Thibault, Pastor of St. Edouard and a good friend of the family,
who had decided to travel by car to Québec and New England. They accepted the
invitation and visited relatives and friends they had not seen in fifteen
years. This was their second trip since 1921. In the summer of 1954, they
decided to motor down East themselves with their new 1954 Chevrolet. Annette,
Denise, uncle Emile and his wife were also part of the travelling party. Dad
drove eleven thousand miles by himself that summer. Relatives and friends in
Québec and the Eastern States enjoyed their visit a few more times over the
years, but Mother and Father also visited Western Canada and the Pacific Coast
during those years.
Wedding bells were resounding in our family in 1955, for three others
got married. Luke and Agnes
Kieller exchanged vows in Edmonton, on July 2, while on August 15, Denise and
Eugène
Joly performed their marriage at the Cathedral in St. Paul.
On October 17, Annette and Henri-Paul Blanchette, of Girouxville, stood
before the altar in St. Paul’s Cathedral, but wedding celebrations were also
held in Girouxville later. The last to be married in that decade was Henri,
who took Marie Chiasson as his wife on November 21, 1957, in St. Paul.
THE
LAST YEARS (1960-1980)
Jos and Marie Lafrance were still members of the Lafond community by
virtue of the land they owned there, but it was inevitable that by taking
residency in St. Paul, their lives would soon gravitate around that community.
In 1960, Father was sixty-eight years old and Mother turned sixty-five.
After thirty-nine years of successful farming in Alberta, thirty-four
of which were spent in Lafond, time had come for them to take a well deserved
retirement. That they did that year, when they sold their farm to their son
Robert and his wife Marie. The farm became known as the Crestview Limousin
Farm.
Father and Mother were blessed with many good years of retirement
together. Generally in good health, they enjoyed spending time together in
their home near the Cathedral where they would often go to pray and attend
Services. Dad enjoyed fishing and Mom, the quietness and fresh air of the
lakeside. But most of all, they enjoyed visiting their children, taking a
genuine interest in their accomplishments, rejoicing in their successes, and
always ready to comfort and guide them in moments of grief.
Soon after retirement, all the children had left home; Albert was
pursuing his studies and Angèle was attending University. On July 6, 1966 she
married Ken MacLeod in Edmonton, while exactly one month later, Albert married
Irene Henley, in Girouxville.
One of the highlights of these years of retirement took place in St.
Paul on July 1, 1967, when Father and Mother, surrounded by their children,
grand-children, great-grandchildren, friends and relatives, celebrated their
Golden Wedding Anniversary. Dressed in apparels of the 1910’s, they were
driven to church in a horse-and-buggy, where they renewed their marriage vows
and attended Mass. Celebrations that night were held in the St. Paul Community
Centre where many old-timers from Lafond gathered to celebrate the occasion.
However, a celebration of their Diamond Jubilee would be denied them
and this by a matter of months. Mother went to her eternal rest on October 14,
1976, a few days before her eighty-first birthday.
Father survived her by three and a half years.
He was living by himself in his St. Paul home, quite capable of taking
care of himself and still driving his car occasionally, when he was called to
join his beloved Marie on April 20, 1980. He was eighty-seven years old.
And when they laid him to rest beside Mother in the church cemetery,
eleven surviving children, seventy-three grand-children, and fifty-six
great-grandchildren could lay flowers on their graves and be proudly counted
among the descendents of these valiant and venerable pioneers from Lafond.
PORTRAITS
It would be somewhat presumptuous to believe that one could paint in a
few words a just portrait of these two exceptional people we had the good
fortune of calling Mother and Father. However
there are certain features in their personalities, their children will always
remember them by and as a conclusion to this short history, it might be
appropriate to recall a few of them briefly.
Joseph and Marie Lafrance were devout Catholics and firm believers in
the Divine Providence. This Faith guided their lives and saw them through many
hardships. We will remember them of course, by the family prayers we used to
say together every evening, the many Rosaries mother murmured, and the daily
Masses they often attended during their retirement. But they will be
remembered mainly by the way their faith was a living force in their lives. It
came as no surprise in those days to see Mother cross herself and murmur a
short prayer before starting a fresh batch of bread; nor seeing Father make
the sign of the Cross upon entering a field with his tractor. Then there was
their respect for Sunday, the Day of the Lord. It was understood that no major
work was done that day and that Mass was attended regularly.
Even on the last Sunday in August 1941, when hail had just completely
destroyed the crops, Mass was attended as usual. “The Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away,” they believed, and Father and Mother were not about to
question His ways.
Reference was made earlier to Father and Mother’s industriousness.
Both were very hard working people indeed. It was greatly their love of
farming, their love for the land, that kindled their ambition to succeed and
their drive to progress. They came from Québec with a dream and they were
determined to see it come true. Dad put in many long hours of hard work every
day. Often in summer he would
rise with the sun and retire only after it had set. He was a man of great
self-discipline, but he would not expect of others what he himself did not
accomplish; his keen sense of justice and fairness would not allow otherwise.
Enterprising and foregoing he often assumed a role of leadership in the
community without being too aware of it, because of his modesty. Mother was
equally a giant of a worker. In spite of all the housework that a large family
demanded of her, she always found the time and the energy to undertake milking
cows, picking stones and roots, making hay, not to mention gardening,
wild-berry picking, canning and endless other tasks. She was seen more than
once making hay or simply working outside, the day before one of us was born.
Ultimately, we will probably remember them best by their love for their
children and for one another. Open display of emotions and affection was not a
common practice in our family, but love was there always, genuine, warm and
authentically expressed more often through deeds rather than words. Mention
was made how Father would not let his family get up to a cold house in the
morning, getting up to stoke the furnace during long winter nights. Likewise,
Mother is remembered saying: “I never had to get up for the children in the
middle of the night; if someone was crying, or ill, he was always up tending
to them.” Dad was an
exceptional Father. His authoritarian personality demanded prompt obedience
and induced respect, but if his children approached him with their problems,
they found a compassionate and understanding father, who sometimes displayed a
tenderness that was disconcerting. This however, did not deter him from
expounding firmly what he believed to be right and just. He was a man of
principles and he abided by them. For us he will remain a shining example of a
man of indisputable integrity. Mother
was the personification of kindness and generosity. She had a heart of gold it
seemed, so willing was she to help, to care, to see to the well being and
happiness of her husband and her children, each and everyone. We will remember
how on Sunday mornings, she would do her utmost to keep us quiet, so Dad could
rest. She always spoke well of him to us but scolded him sometimes because she
felt he worked too hard. Though she dished out a good measure of discipline
towards her children when necessary, she always managed to make them
understand that it was for their own good and not out of lack of love. In
fact, her disposition was such that, no matter what happened, we could always
go to her for comfort, warmth and security. Mother loved to see her children
and grandchildren at Christmas and the New Year. These were always special
family gatherings and for as long as she was able to, she prepared and gave
the most sumptuous meals on these occasions. Giving was her way of expressing
her love. It was in fact her way of life, since all of her life she gave of
herself.
Many other of their qualities could be mentioned and anecdotes to
illustrate them recounted, but this must suffice. Joseph and Marie Lafrance
led good, fruitful and fulfilling lives together as Christians, as farmers,
and as loving parents. May they be remembered for their contribution to the
rich mosaic of so many other lives that constitute the history of Lafond.
As of November 2000, the
descendants of Joseph and Marie Lafrance numbered
as follows:
7 surviving children;
4 deceased
children:
Henri – Born
August 4, 1935 in Lafond, Alberta, passed
away April 23, 1993
in Edmonton, AB at age 57;
Yvette – Born July
1,1922 in St Edouard Alberta,, passed away August 26, 1997
in St. Albert, AB at age
75;
Luc – Born October 27,
1931 in Lac la Biche, Alberta, passed
away June 7, 1998 in St. Albert,
AB at age 66;
Léo-Paul – Born
September 14, 1923, in St.
Edouard, Alberta, passed away
March 30, 1999 in Vancouver, BC at age 75.
75 grandchildren
184 great grandchildren
48 great-great grandchildren
for a total of 318 descendents.
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