ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
3051 UNIVERSITY AVENUE STOP 9000
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202-9000
COLLECTION: OGL# 1519
ACQUISITION: The Initiatives in French Midwest Heritage Collection was established by Dr. Virgil Benoit and the Chester Fritz Library to document the French presence in the Midwest .
ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.
PROVENANCE
The collection was formally established on April 27, 2007, on the occasion of the first annual meeting of IF Midwest. This meeting took place on the campus of the University of North Dakota, at both the Chester Fritz Library and the International Centre.
Individual Accessions to the Collection:
Chez Nous is the newsletter of La Sociétè Canadienne-Française, which was created by John Rivard in April 1980. The purpose of the newsletter and of the society was to “gather in assembly and rejoice in French-Canadian heritage.” This publication ran from April 1980 to November 2001. Typical articles found in this periodical included childhood memories recalled by members of the society, views on the French-Catholic church, remembrances of past members, photographs of subscribers to the newsletter as well as authentic French recipes. This material was donated by Dick Bernard, editor of Chez Nous, Woodbury, Minnesota, in December 2006. (Acc.# 2007-2891). Emily Rousu, a student working under the direction of Dr. Virgil Benoit, and the staff of Special Collections created an index to this publication.
Bernard also donated several issues of the Nouvelles Villes Jumelles, the monthly newsletter of La Sociétè Canadienne Française Du Minnesota and the Quebec Update, a bi-weekly newsletter sent out by the Quebec Government Office in Chicago, Illinois. Indices were created for both Nouvelles Villes Jumelles and the Quebec Update.
Box-Folder
1-1 Index to Chez Nous – 1980-2001
1-2 Chez Nous – Organizing Letters: 1979
1-3 Chez Nous – 1980
1-4 Chez Nous – 1981
1-5 Chez Nous – 1982
1-6 Chez Nous – 1983
1-7 Chez Nous – 1984
1-8 Chez Nous – 1985
1-9 Chez Nous – 1986
1-10 Chez Nous – 1987
1-11 Chez Nous – 1988
1-12 Chez Nous – 1989
1-13 Chez Nous – 1990
1-14 Chez Nous – 1991
1-15 Chez Nous – 1992
1-16 Chez Nous – 1993
1-17 Chez Nous – 1994
1-18 Chez Nous – 1995
1-19 Chez Nous – 1996
1-20 Chez Nous – 1997
1-21 Chez Nous – 1998
1-22 Chez Nous – 1999
1-23 Chez Nous – 2000
1-24 Chez Nous – 2001
1-25 Index to Nouvelles Villes Jumelles and Quebec Update
1-26 Nouvelles Villes Jumelles – 1986
1-27 Nouvelles Villes Jumelles – 1987
1-28 Nouvelles Villes Jumelles – 1990
1-29 Nouvelles Villes Jumelles – 1991
1-30 Nouvelles Villes Jumelles – 1992
1-31 Quebec Update - 1986
The Emard and Boucher families both originated from France and immigrated to Canada and the United States. This collection chronicles the families, most specifically the Emards, through photographs, letters, and genealogy.
Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families was a three ring binder put together by Therese Emard and Laura Munski to fulfill “a strong desire to preserve [their] family history.” The contents were divided into nine folders based on individual chapters predetermined by Emard and Munski, and were kept in their original order. The contents begin with individual Emard and Boucher (pronounced Bushee) ancestry dating back to 1581, and is then connected through a separate index of marriages and resulting children. The collection follows the family to Red Lake Falls , Minnesota , and is more specifically directed towards Pierre Joseph Emard (1892 – 1944), as most information and artifacts are supplied for him.
The majority of this collection is from Pierre Emard's World War I experience, ranging from draft cards, exemption denials, letters home, medals and patches. Emard was unable to avoid the draft and was eventually sent to military bases in Iowa, Georgia , and New York before being sent to France in 1919.
Two binders, the first primary documents, the second transcriptions, document Emard's journey through World War I. After the war, Emard married Ida May Boucher. Eight years later Ida May passed away. Pierre Emard had to raise his family alone and due to mustard gas in the war, received subsidiary checks from the government. The family lived off these until Emard's death in 1944.
Joseph “Eddy” Emard, (September 21, 1925 – March 20, 2001) Pierre Emard's oldest son, is documented through photographs. After the death of Pierre Emard, Eddy took over supporting the family by working for the railroad.
Therese Marie (Emard) Thompson was a daughter of Pierre Emard, and sister of “Eddy” Emard, and also is documented through photographs. She kept and maintained the family's records and passed them down to her daughter, Laura Munski.
To further specify genealogical ties found in Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families , two published family histories, Our French Ancestry in Huron County 1631-1976 , and Our French Canadian Ancestry 1631-1982, were included in the collection. The books document a number of families including the Denomme, Durand, Ducharme (relation to Emard), Masse, LaPorte, and Geoffroi.
An oversize folder was placed in the Oversize File Cabinets and contains a family photo of Pierre Emard (Pierre Joseph Emard's father) with his siblings, as well as the 1976 Red Lake Falls centennial newspaper, The Gazette. The newspaper shares stories pertaining specifically to the Emard family, as well as additional history on Red Lake Falls .
George Thompson, brother to Laura Munski, put together seven different genealogical charts and each covers a section of the Emard or Boucher families. They are entitled, Descendents of Pierre Emard (3 copies), Descendents of Joseph Boucher, Ole Hovet, Descendents of Ida May Boucher, Ancestors of Pierre Emard, Descendents of George Thompson , and the last chart entitled Ancestors of George Bennet Thompson Jr. combines all the ancestry into one over- arching chart. The charts are bundled into six poster tubes placed adjacent to the collection on the shelves.
The material was donated by Laura Munski, Grand Forks, North Dakota, on January 19, 2007 (Acc.#2007-2894).
Box-Folder
1-32 Purpose
1-33 Emard Family (From: Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families )
1-34 Boushee Family East Grand Forks (From: Family Heritage of the Emard and
Boucher Families )
1-35 Marriages (From: Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families )
1-36 East Grand Forks Courier, Fosston Newspaper, Crookston Times, Thirteen Towns ,
Grand Forks Herald 1890-1900. Crookston Times 1885-1887 (From: Family
Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families )
1-37 History of Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, Historical Context to the family (From:
Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher Families )
1-38 Our French Ancestry in Huron County 1631-1976 (From: Family Heritage of the
Emard and Boucher Families )
1-39 Our French Canadian Ancestry 1631-1982 (From: Family Heritage of the Emard
and Boucher Families )
1-40 Denomme and Emard Common Ancestry (From: Family Heritage of the Emard
and Boucher Families )
1-41 Emard Family Photographs (From: Family Heritage of the Emard and Boucher
Families )
1-42 Pierre Joseph Emard 1892-1944 World War I Experience
1-43 World War I Artifacts of Pierre Emard
1-44 Pierre Joseph Emard WWI medals and patches
1-45 Joseph “Eddy” Emard Family Photographs
1-46 Therese Emard Family Photographs
1-47 Our French Ancestry in Huron County 1631-1976 T.W. DENOMME
1-48 Our French Canadian Ancestry 1631-1982 T.W. DENOMME
1-49 Historical Atlas/Portion of Hay Township
Genealogy Charts in Poster Tubes
1 – Descendents of Pierre Emard (3 copies)
2 – Descendents of Joseph Boucher
3 – Ole Hovet
4 – Descendents of Ida May Boucher
5 – Ancestors of Pierre Emard
6 – Descendents of George Thompson; Ancestors of George Bennet Thompson Jr.
Oversize File Folder #1
A larger folder kept in the large file cabinet contains a family photograph of Pierre Emard (Pierre Joseph Emard's father) with his siblings, as well as an original 1976 Red Lake Falls centennial newspaper, The Gazette . The newspaper shares stories pertaining specifically to the Emard family, as well as additional history on Red Lake Falls.
The DuBord family was located in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Specifically mentioned were the towns of Homer, Horace, and Wild Rice, all in North Dakota . This material was donated by Richard DuBord of Dent, Minnesota on April 27, 2007 . (Acc.# 2007-2895) Richard DuBord is the son of Beatrice Marie DuBord and Armand “Pete” DuBord. Beatrice (1917-2006) and Armand (1914-1988) were married June 15, 1939 in Wild Rice, North Dakota . This collection mainly documents the life of Beatrice Marie DuBord. Other family members mentioned prominently include Lumina Rheault DuBord (1885-1957), mother of Armand DuBord. She was married to Arthur DuBord (1887-1952) on November 18, 1913 in Wild Rice, North Dakota . Eusebe DuBord (1850-1930) was the father of Arthur DuBord.
The first folder contains a four generation genealogical chart created by Richard DuBord.
The first scrapbook was made by Beatrice Marie DuBord, and consists of newspaper clippings, invitations, and photographs, and dates from 1908-2005. There are many clippings about priest ordinations, priest deaths, St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo , North Dakota , and several other churches. Several pages of obituaries, weddings, anniversaries, and births are located in this scrapbook, including Beatrice Marie DuBord and Armand Dubord's wedding, Armand's obituary, and Arthur and Lumina Dubord's obituaries.
The high school diplomas of Beatrice and Armand are also in this scrapbook. A few pages contain articles of soldiers going off to the armed forces in World War II, as well as, newspaper clippings of missing or killed soldiers. Miscellaneous photographs are also included.
Within the first scrapbook are several loose items, which include postcards, graduation, wedding, birth, and funeral announcements. The loose items were placed in a folder following the scrapbook.
The second scrapbook is held in an Our Family three-ring binder, and consists mostly of postcards from the Dubord family travels. It dates from 1973-2003. In some cases, along with the post card, there are newspaper clippings about tourist sites for that city. There are photographs of the family's trip to Hawaii and also some photographs from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo , North Dakota . Other than the postcards, this scrapbook contained articles on weather in the Fargo-Moorhead area, Stations of the Cross clippings, various awards and invitations to Beatrice DuBord, and a few articles on the ordination of Bishop Samuel Aquila.
Also included, is a prayer book, Manuel De Sainte Anne- Règlements ET Prières A Lusage Des Dames De La Congrégation De Saint Anne . It is dated 1930 and published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This prayer book belonged to Lumina DuBord. There is also an “immigrant cross” that first belonged to Eusebe Dubord, who passed it on to Armand DuBord. When he passed away, it was left to his wife Beatrice, who then gave it to Richard Dubord. It is a black wooden cross that sits in a stand and depicts Jesus Christ nailed to the cross. The letters INRI are written above Jesus' head.
Box-Folder
1-50 Genealogical Chart
2-1 Scrapbook 1- folder 1
2-2 S crapbook 1- folder 2
2-3 Scrapbook 1- loose items
2-4 Scrapbook 2
2-5 Prayer Book
3-1 Immigrant Cross
“A Volume of Treasures” is a photocopied scrapbook documenting the Martineau family of St. John , North Dakota . The family traces its roots to Fortunat Martineau and Marie Cedule Plante, who were married in Quebec City on February 20, 1882 . The couple moved to St. John in 1883, where the Martineaus operated a general store and merchandising business. The couple had twelve children, including Emma, who created the scrapbook.
The scrapbook dates from 1882-1968, and contains family photographs, documents, and newspaper clippings. All of the photographs are identified, and a majority of them are dated. The scrapbook was given to Dr. Virgil Benoit by Becky Leonard, Rolla , North Dakota on April 27, 2007 . Dr. Benoit then deposited it with Special Collections on November 14, 2007 (Acc.#2008-2921). Special Collections staff added material regarding the Martineau family from various genealogical sources.
Box-Folder
2-6 “A Volume of Treasures”: photocopied scrapbook, 1882-1968
2-7 Martineau Family Genealogical Information
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