k b. 6 Jun 1822, d. 21 Dec 1910
Son of Joseph Charles Boissoneau and Marguerite Guilmond
Joseph Boissoneau Jr. was the
first born child of Joseph Charles Boissoneau, the progenitor of all the
Boissoneau's and Bussineau's in the Sault Ste Marie area, and Marguerite
Guilmond, ½ Native American. His birth 6 June 1822, was noted on
his parent's marriage record that was deposited at Ste. Ann's Catholic
Church in Detroit, Michigan. Francis Vincent Badin, a missionary priest,
was sent out by the Catholic Church to distribute the sacraments to parishes
out of the area, but under it's jurisdiction: L'Anse Croche, Foot of
the Rapids, Green Bay, Mackinac, Prairie du Chien, St. Clair River, Salt
River, and Sault Ste. Marie.
Joseph Jr. married Marie Ross nie Boyer, circa 1841. Their first son Joseph was born and baptized in 1842. Kathryne Belden Ashley notes in the book Islands of the Manitou, that Marie Ross married Joseph Boissonneau on St. Joseph's Island. No record has been found of this marriage.
The following information is speculation without documentation about Marie Ross's roots: Marie Ross born circa 1826, was the daughter of Michael Ross and Marie Louise Jessop. It is though her father was ½ Scotch. When Michael Ross died, her mother Marie Louise Jessop Ross married Frank Boyer, 26 June 1840 in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Young Marie was taken into the Boyer family, hence Marie Ross nie Boyer.
In The Vidal Survey, 1846, a list of settlers names on the North Bank of the St. Mary's River, we find Joseph Jr. claiming a part of his father's property that had been in the possession of the Boissoneau family for 20 years. Click here to see a copy of the Vidal Survey, 1846. Click here to view Early Sault Maps that show the location of the homes of Joseph Sr., Joseph Jr., and Leon Boissoneau.
Joseph and Marie lived most
of their married lives in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, where eleven of their
children were born and baptized. It was noted in a newspaper article titled
"Pioneer Papers of Sault Ste Marie" by James Bassingthwaighte,
that Marie's home had been in Penetanguishene and she always wanted to
go back there. However, the only work Joseph could get in Penetanguishene
was farm work at 75 cents a day and dinner, so they returned
to the Sault and Joseph worked at carpenter work. A daughter Helen was
baptized at St. Ann's Memorial Church, Penetanguishene, Ontario, on 25
July 1858.
The boom time of iron mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan occurred during the years 1848-1898. Joseph and Marie lived briefly in Marquette, Michigan, where their youngest son David was born 10 February1871. We also note that Joseph's and Marie's 3rd child, Marguerite married Maurice Mercier dit DuFort (Morris Ford), at St. Peter's Cathedral, Marquette, 24 August 1864, ( my great grandparents).
An 1891 area census from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Garden
River, Algoma, Ontario shows Marie and Joseph with son David, 19 years,
back in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, living on Sugar Island. Also living
on Sugar Island are daughter Marguerite, her husband Maurice Mercier,
and sons Joseph Jr. and Pierre, daughter Sophie and her husband Noel McKay.
Joseph Boissoneau's death took place on 21 December 1910. His age was recorded as 92 years, 6 months and 25 days. Cause of death was old age. We have no record of Marie Ross's death.
Joseph and Marie endured many hardships, but in spite of many obstacles, they managed to raise their large family and raise them well.
Click here to see pictures of the first Boissoneau/Bussineau Family reunion given so graciously by Judy and Gary Boissoneau, 4 Aug 2001. Many members from the Marie Ross and Joseph Boissoneau Jr. family branch were present.
13 KNOWN CHILDREN OF JOSEPH BOISSONEAU JR. AND MARIE ROSS
1. Joseph Boissoneau b. Oct.
1842, SSM, ON
2. Philomena Boissoneau b. Oct 1844, SSM, ON
3. Marguerite Boissoneau b. 24 Feb. 1845, SSM, ON
4. Henri Boissoneau b. 8 Oct. 1847, SSM, ON
5. Francis Boissoneau b. 23 Sept. 1849, SSM, ON
6. Esther Boissoneau b. 8 Apr. 1851, SSM, ON
7. Jacques Phidias Boissoneau b. 3 Feb.1853, SSM, ON
8. Marie Boissoneau b. 30 Jan. 1855, SSM, ON
9. Helen Boissoneau b. 5 Jul. 1858, Penetanguishene, ON
10. Pierre Boissoneau b. unknown
11. Theophile Boissoneau b. unknown
12. Sophie Boissoneau b. unknown
13. David Boissoneau b. 10 Feb 1871, Marquette, MI
Delphine's
Family Tree Navigation
Joseph Boissoneau | Marguerite
Boissonneau | Jacques Mercier |
James Cletus Ford | Delphine
Pearl Ford