Some of you may recall Emily, my paternal grandmother, as I have mentioned her many times during the Family History Writing Challenge 2013. She was a widowed mother raising seven children (seven boys and a daughter) during and after World War II.
I’ll bet, most of you know her better by her nickname: “Gramma Rabbit!”
Long before Gram married Papa John, she lived with her large family in a mid-northern Ontario community called Penetanguishene.
Now, when I say “large family,” I mean just that! Many people that live in “Penetang” have a connection with The MOREAUs!
Emily’s paternal grandfather was named William MOREAU. He was the 5th son of Joseph MOREAU and the former Rosalie ST. CYR, and the 13th out of 17 children!
(Does it make sense to you now why I refer to my ancestors as rabbits?).
William was born 04 FEB 1838 in Tiny Township, Canada East. Canada East was one of the two names Ontario was called before it became Ontario.
Before his 30th birthday, William took a wife. On the 11th of January 1858, in Penetanguishene, William married the former Marie-Appoline MOREAU (born 13 FEB 1838 in Batiscan, Champlain, Quebec.), the 5th daughter of Alexis MOREAU and the former Marguerite HAMELIN. Marie-Appoline was the 9th of 13th children.
William and Marie-Appoline were second cousins. Yes, their grandfathers were brothers!
They had ten children within the first 20 years of their 37-year marriage — the youngest child was named Constant (pronounced “Conston”). He would grow up to be my great-grandfather.
As outlined above, they were married for only 37years.
Marie-Appoline died on the 24th of April 1895; and it would be another 22years later before they would be reunited again, when William died on the 16th of January 1917.
They were both buried in the St. Anne Roman Catholic Cemetery in Penetanguishene.