WW II Letter from Marvin Sanger

     [The following is transcribed from a transcript of a portion of a letter dated May 9, 1945.  While the last name is not on the faded and  yellowed transcript I have, I am fairly certain that it was from Marvin Sanger, mentioned in my March 15, 2011 post on Charles Fleury Taschereau as the husband of Maude Isobel (Taschereau).  He was a flight officer in the U. S. Army Air Forces Air Transport Command at the time.  This is from one of several family albums kept by my mother over the years, and was not part of the Ross Family Record.  Places in bold have linkes to Google Maps at the end of this transcript.]

From Marvin's letter of May 9, 1945

Now to give you a quick look at my journey, or should I say flight, into the South Pacific.   This trip has probably given me the most enjoyment of any that I've experienced as yet.  First because it is by far the longest, secondly it went into several foreign countries.  The size of the Pacific is beyond one's power of expression, it just goes on mile after mile, thousands of miles, after thousands of miles.  It's endless miles continue to get bluer and bluer, the nearer one gets to the equator.  'Till all the coral beaches stand out with a whiteness that is nearly blinding, when approaching for a landing.  Then there is the deep green of the jungle, which also stands out against all the other distinctive features of the great southwest Pacific.

As you know we had several days over, on our first stop at Honolulu.  From Honolulu we went to Christmas Island, which is just a pin point in the blue.  It used to be a penal island of the British, and proctor and Gamble raised coconuts using this prison labor to get the oil for their soap.  I collected some very nice specimens of shells, and did some swimming in the nude while there.  From Christmas our next stop was Canton in the Phoenix Group.  Canton is nothing but a coral reef just big enough for an air strip.  The only tree is one imported just for the sake of being able to say there is one on the island.  We captured a fair sized octopus while there.  Something a little different in the fishing business.  We used a short spear, and were scared to death.  However it does make a good story.

Our next stop was on Nadi, in the Fiji Islands.  This is the most beautiful place I've ever been in, by far.  It is in the same latitude south of the equator as the Hawaiians are north.  It is more or less the same kind of climate, but for some reason it appealed to me much more than did the Hawaiians.  The natives are the cleanest and the most intelligent of any of the native tribes we came across.  In fact they are considered the finest jungle fighters in the world.  The Japs are scared at even the thought of them.  I really fell in love with this place.  You have heard of the exotic tropical nights, well this place seems to have an unlimited supply of them.  From here we went to New Caledonia, which is another fascinating place, especially from a naturalist's, or a geologist's point of view.  I had quite a hike up the Tontouta river, from the evidence along this stream, there is quit a lot of mineral, and there should be quite a little free gold along it.  They mine chrome and nickel extensively in some parts of the island.  In fact, all of the islands, with exceptions of the coral reefs, are quite rich in minerals, including Australia.

From Tontuta, New Caladonia, we were just a little over three hours getting to Amberly Field, which is about thirty miles inland from Brisbane.  There we were given 24 hours rest.  Actually we were there almost three days the first time and nearly two days the last time.  So you see we had time enough to look around a little.

Our return journey took us up to Townsville, Aust., and from there to Finschhafen, New Guinea.  Here we stayed  over for two nights awaiting further transportation.  The next stop was on Manus in the Admiralties where Everett has been for so long,  Again we stayed overnight, which gave me time to look this place over a little.  Immediately upon arriving here, I set out to find Everett.  This turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the whole trip, as he had been shipped on out to the Philippines, leaving just thirty-six hours before I had arrived, by boat to Zamboanga on the Island of Mindanao.

From Manus we turned and headed for home, our next stop was Tarawa.  Both times we stopped there it was in the middle of the night, so didn't get to see much of the place.  There isn't so very much to see, as it isn't much larger than the airport I'm told.  From here, after an hour's rest and something to eat, we were on our way to Johnston Island.  Again we were given only enough time to eat, but it only took four more hours to put us into Hickam Field, Honolulu.

The first time we back to Hickam we were informed that we were going to have to take another ship to Australia.  So we laid over for three days getting ready to go back down under again, test hopping the ship and getting some rest.  We went right back over the same route, with no variations in stops.  This second trip really gave me the opportunity to look most of these places over fairly well, as it was a little easier to get around having been there once before.


link to Christmas Island at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Christmas+Island,+Poland,+Line+Islands,+Kiribati&aq=4&sll=-2.077334,-176.926575&sspn=0.916746,1.171417&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Poland,+Line+Islands,+Kiribati&ll=1.801461,-157.513733&spn=0.916895,1.171417&z=10


link to Canton, Phoenix Islands at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Canton,+Phoenix+Islands,+Kiribati&aq=0&sll=41.10793,-81.170055&sspn=2.706795,1.560059&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kanton+Island&ll=-2.815486,-171.608505&spn=0.443722,0.33783&z=11


link to Nadi, Fiji Islands at GoogleMaps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Nadi,+Fiji+Islands&aq=&sll=-2.815486,-171.608505&sspn=0.443722,0.33783&ie=UTF8&hq=Nadi,+Fiji+Islands&hnear=&radius=15000&ll=-17.523583,178.352051&spn=3.252603,3.999023&z=8


link to New Caledonia at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=New+Caledonia&aq=0&sll=-17.523583,178.352051&sspn=3.252603,3.999023&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=New+Caledonia&ll=-22.105999,166.025391&spn=6.572438,7.998047&z=7


link to Amberley, Queensland, Australia at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Amberley,+Queensland,+Australia&aq=0&sll=-27.554547,152.53006&sspn=0.787735,1.025848&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Amberley+Queensland,+Australia&ll=-27.507053,152.707214&spn=0.788076,1.025848&z=10


link to Townsville, Queensland, Australia at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Townsville,+Australia&aq=&sll=-27.620273,152.004089&sspn=1.603709,0.678406&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Townsville+Queensland,+Australia&ll=-19.273554,146.880341&spn=0.827048,0.961304&z=10


link to Finschhafen, New Guinea at GoogleMaps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Finschhafen,+New+Guinea&aq=&sll=-6.506357,148.326416&sspn=3.345171,3.845215&ie=UTF8&hq=Finschhafen,+New+Guinea&hnear=&ll=-6.604587,147.854004&spn=1.672427,1.922607&z=9


link to Manus in the Admiralties at GoogleMaps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Manus+in+the+Admiralties&aq=&sll=-6.604587,147.854004&sspn=1.672427,1.922607&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Manus+Island&ll=-2.152814,146.969604&spn=1.751014,1.922607&z=9


link to Tarawa at GoogleMaps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tarawa+Island,+Gilbert+Islands,+Kiribati&aq=1&sll=-6.571846,147.854004&sspn=1.672538,1.922607&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tarawa+Island&ll=1.438543,173.078785&spn=0.109485,0.120163&z=13


link to Johnston Island at GoogleMaps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Johnston+Island&aq=&sll=2.635789,-169.804687&sspn=97.553609,123.046875&ie=UTF8&hq=Johnston+Island&hnear=&ll=16.724331,-169.521618&spn=0.104887,0.120163&t=h&z=13

EDWARD EARNEST ROSS (Chart R-12 & Bio)

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ROSS INDEX

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Family Chart No. R-12                                 Parents - Chart No. R-6

     4th Generation                                             Ross/Young Family

EDWARD EARNEST ROSS
eldest son of HENRY and HARRIETT ANN (SAIT) ROSS
was born 27 September 1864 at Quebec City, Canada
died 16 November 1912 at Quebec City
buried at Quebec, 18 November 1912, in Mount Hermon Cemetery
Resided at Quebec all his life
Occupation: President, Parisian Corset Company, Quebec

He was the eldest of a family of five boys and eight girls.  His parents lived at Indian Lorette--later Loretteville, Quebec.  His obituary stated, "Cheerful of disposition and genial of manner, he has always ready and eager to do a good act. . ."

He married FLORENCE LAVINIA "VENIE" YOUNG
on 10 September 1887 at Chalmers Church, Quebec City.
She was born 18 January 1866 at Quebec City
and died 22 January 1934 at Quebec City
buried at Quebec, 24 January 1934, in Mount Hermon Cemetery
Survived by her brothers--Rev. William Young, Yakima, Washington, Rev. Henry Young, Hillsboro, Oregon, and J. A. Young, Quebec; and her three sisters--Mrs. George Meyers, Quebec, Mrs. Ernest Gilbert, Portland, Oregon, and Mrs. F. J. Bignall, Quebec.

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Children of ERNEST EDWARD and FLORENCE LAVINIA (YOUNG) ROSS

ERNEST EDWARD
     Born 5 Dec 1889 at Quebec City
     He died at Quebec 29 January 1970 in his 80th year
     Married 1. MARGARET HAZEL TAIT 20 June 1916.
          daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Chesley Tait of Shediac, N. B.
          she died 5 January 1964
          Children : MARGARET;  ERNEST PERCIVAL
     Married 2. ETHEL LOUISA (WIGGS) LINDSAY 5 February 1966

GORDON ALLAN
     Born 5 May 1890 at Quebec City
     He died at Quebec 18 December 1964
     Married ETHEL V. DAMPIER of Rochester, New York 10 September 1914
          Children: ERNESTINE;  JEAN;  GORDON DAMPIERRE

PERCIVAL ABERDEEN "PERCY"
     Born at Quebec City, Baptized 21 December 1893
     Killed in action 4 October 1916 at Albert, France, during the Great War (1914-1918)
     serving as Lieutenant, 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada, C. E. F.

WILLIAM HENRY
     Born 22 October 1896 at Quebec City
     He died 10 October 1948 at Quebec City.
     Married HARRIET ELIZABETH MITCHELL 10 September 1924
          daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Mitchell of Montreal, Quebec
     Children: FLORENCE;  JOAN;  WILLIAM MITCHELL

LAVINIA ISABEL
     Born 22 October 1896 (twin) at Quebec City, died an infant.

This record was compiled by Henry Ross Wiggs of Westmount Que.
12 August, 1970
Sources of data:  Miss Helen S. Ross, Loretteville, Que., Mrs. Gordon A. Ross, Que., and Mrs. William H. Ross, Toronto, Ont.

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EDWARD ERNEST ROSS (1864-1912)

     Edward Ernest Ross was born at Quebec City the 27th September 1864, the eldest son of Henry Ross and Harriett Ann Sait.  He was the founder of the Parisian Corset Company of Quebec, and through his enterprising and energetic efforts as president, it soon developed into one of the leading business establishments of the city.

     He married Lavinia (Venie) Young of Quebec in 1888 and resided on Aberdeen Street.  They had four sons.  In 1910 his health gave out and for two years he endeavoured to recover his strength, but following a serious illness, he died on the 16th November 1912, in his 49th year.  His obituary that appeared in the Quebec Daily Telegraph on the day he died showed how much he was esteemed by those who knew him:

          WELL KNOWN YOUNG QUEBECER DIED TODAY

               Mr. E. Ernest Ross, President of the Parisian Corset Company, and a prominent
          young business man, died this morning, following an illness of some duration, but during
          it all maintained a beautiful Christian fortitude despite the acute sufferings which he
          endured.
               In the death of the late Mr. Ross, the Ancient Capital loses an energetic and
          enterprising citizen, while in social life many will mourn a true and constant friend, who
          was always ready and eager to do a good act.  Cheerful of disposition and congenial of
          manner, he made friends with all who had the good fortune to come in contact with him.
               The late Mr. Ross was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ross, of Lorette, and is
          survived by his widow and four sons, Messrs. Ernest, Gordon, Percy and Willie.
          Besides his parents, two brothers and seven sisters also survive.  The former are
          Messrs. Charles and Percy Ross; the latter Mrs. W. H. Wiggs, Mrs. C. A. Sewell, Mrs.
          E. H. Sewell (Sherbrooke), Mrs. E. A. Verret, Mrs. W. C. Teakle, and the Misses Ella
          and Ethel Ross, to all of whom the Daily Telegraph begs to tender its sympathy in their
          sorrow.

     The Funeral service was held in Chalmers Church and was attended by his many friends and acquaintances, following which he was buried in Mount Hermon cemetery.

     His wife was a life-long member of Chalmers-Wesley Church and was interested in all its activities.  For many years she was a member of the Navy League, the Stadacons Chapter of the I.O.D.E., and she was a life member of the Red Cross.  She died on the 22nd January 1934, and following a funeral service in Chalmers-Wesley Church, she was buried beside her husband in Mount Hermon cemetery.

     Their two sons, Ernest and Gordon, had gone into the family business with their father, and after his death, Ernest, the eldest, became president of the Company.  He managed it successfully for a great many years until he retired in 1965.  The third son, Percy, was only eighteen when his father died.  Like his father, he possessed the same genial characteristics that made him a popular figure with his school mates.  They nicknamed him "Putty".  During the Great War of 1914-1918, he enlisted in the 42nd Battalion of the Black Watch Highlanders of Canada, C.E.F., and gained his commission as Lieutenant while overseas.  He was killed in action at Albert, France, in 1916.

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     Willie, the youngest son, was a born musician and at a very early age showed exceptional ability to play the piano, often repeating with ease a melody or composition that he had just listened to at a concert.  Later on, he studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass.  He was held in high esteem as one of the most accomplished amateur pianists of Canada.

     With the exception of Percy, who never married, all three sons were happily married, and were survived by their children who would be able to carry on the fine traditions established by their father, Edward Ernest Ross.

     It is interesting to note that at the time of writing this biography, seven generations of the Ross family have lived in Quebec.  J. William Ross, who emigrated from Scotland with his wife and family * around the beginning of the nineteenth century, settled in the City of Quebec and married Sarah Blow to establish the first generation.  His youngest son, Drummond, became head of the second generation.  He married Maria Jane Beamish and they had nine children.

     Henry Ross was one of these children and was the only one to live all his life in Quebec, while his brothers and sisters moved away to reside in other parts of Canada and the United States.  Consequently, he became the head of the third generation in Quebec.  He married Harriett Ann Sait by whom he had thirteen children, the eldest of which was Edward Ernest Ross, the subject of this biography, and he became the senior member of the fourth generation.  His eldest son, Ernest Edward Ross, was the senior member of the fifth generation, and he died at Quebec on the 29th of January, 1970, in his 80th year.

     The surviving sons and daughters of Ernest, Gordon, and Willie Ross, and their children, constitute the sixth and seventh generations of this branch of the Ross family which has been firmly established in the life of Quebec for a period of about one hundred and fifty years [as of about 1970].   It will be their privilege to carry on the traditions and achievements of a long line of forebears, of whom they can be justly proud.

* possible contradiction noted.

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ROSS INDEX

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     While Charles Fleury Taschereau's first wife, Minnie S. Pettet (1863-1894), who died in childbirth, and is buried next to her mother in Fairmont cemetery (lawn 14 sec 7c), might not ordinarily be of great interest in researching my family tree, her father, William Pettet (1818-1904), was a significant person in the history of Spokane, Washington.  Also, I have reason to believe that Charles Taschereau assisted in some way with settling his estate (possibly executor) after his death in 1904.  The following biography, which was written in 1912, does not mention Minnie, possibly because she had died 18 years earlier without offspring, and the biographer may not even have known about her.

William Pettet

      The life history of William Pettet if written in detail would furnish many a chapter of thrilling interest and in the plain statement of facts should serve to inspire and encourage others, giving indication of what may be accomplished when a high sense of duty is coupled with determined purpose, energy and intelligence. He came to Spokane as a pioneer of 1883. He was then sixty-five years of age, his birth having occurred in England in September, 1818. He was born of wealthy parents, pursued his education in the schools of his native land and in 1836, when about eighteen years of age, crossed the Atlantic to New York. Two years later he removed to the south, settling in Mobile, Alabama, where in connection with two practicing physicians he established a drug store. The following year, however, his partners and two other business associates succumbed to the yellow fever. He bravely faced this crisis in his affairs when it became necessary for him to close out the business and make a division of interests in behalf of those deceased, although he had scarcely entered upon manhood at that time. In 1841, then twenty-three years of age, he established a commission house in New York and in 1842 accompanied the Amon Kendall party as far as Galveston, Texas. On the 6th of May, 1846, he left Independence, Missouri, on the overland trip to San Francisco, whence he made his way to Yuba Bueno. When they passed through Kansas they experienced considerable trouble with the Indians and at different times had to reckon with the hostility of the red men, engaging with them in a severe fight on the Truckee river in order to recover stock driven away by them. When near Truckee lake they were overtaken by a snow storm at which time Mr. Pettet joined a party of six and started for the Sacramento valley, leaving behind their wagons and about sixty people who, refusing to proceed, camped near the lake. Mr. Pettet and his companions reached Sutter's Fort in safety, but those who remained all perished save four and these were insane when they finally secured assistance.
Mr. Pettet remained at Sutter's fort for the purpose of enlisting emigrants as they came in for the war that was then being waged in southern California. With quite a number of enlisted men he went to San Francisco where the troops were fitted out for service on the sloop of war Portsmouth. Returning to Yuba Bueno Mr. Pettet then organized the firm of Ellis & Pettet for the purpose of dealing with the Russians at Sitka, Alaska, and when he had disposed of his business interests in that country he returned to San Francisco, where he was elected to the office of city clerk. He was afterward appointed sheriff and at the close of his term in that position returned to New York. In 1851, however, he returned to San Francisco, sending around Cape Horn the material for the first iron building erected in that city---a structure destroyed by fire a few weeks after it completion. Ill health again compelled him to return to New York and while there he became interested in mercantile enterprises. In 1868 he went abroad with his family and spent five years in Europe, returning to United States in 1873. For some time he was a resident of St. Paul, where he was widely known.
      The year 1883 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Pettet in Spokane and believing that the city would enjoy rapid and substantial growth at a later day, he made considerable investments in real estate. The following year, in connection with F.R. Moore, now deceased, F. Chamberlin and William Nettleton, he secured the block on which the county courthouse now stands and at their own expense these gentlemen erected a building for the reception of the county records when they were brought from Cheney. In association with Messrs. Moore and Chamberlin Mr. Pettet also established permanent arc lights for the streets. From this partnership developed the present Edison Electric Light Company of Spokane. It was this company that purchased the lower falls of the river and the land on which the big power plant of the Washington Water Power Company now stands. He invested in considerable business property together with a large amount of north side residence property and with the growth of the city and demand for realty, his holdings grew in value, in time making him one of the wealthiest residents of Spokane.
      On the 7th of November, 1850, in Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, Mr. Pettet was united in marriage to Miss Caroline S. Dean, a daughter of Sylvester and Charlotte (Cutler) Dean, both representatives of old and well known Massachusetts families. The former was a son of Seth Dean, a soldier of the Revolutionary war. Sylvester Dean became a merchant of New York, where he long continued in business. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Pettet were born two children. The son George is now assistant secretary of the Spokane & Eastern Trust Company. The daughter, Grace, became the wife of J.P.M. Richards, president of the Spokane & Eastern Trust Company, and unto them were born five children: Grace, who is the wife of the Rev. E.P. Smith, of Boise Idaho, and who has two children, Dorothy and Cornelia; Caroline, the wife of Lieutenant Sherburne Whipple, of the United States army now stationed in the Philippines and by whom she has one son, Sherburne; and John Vanderpool, Josiah and William Pettet Richards. In the spring of 1889, three months before the great fire, Mr. Pettet was stricken with typhoid fever from which he never fully recovered. The latter years of his life were largely spent at his home, Glasgow Lodge, on the North boulevard, where he had a forty-acre tract of land within the city limits and a beautiful residence on the banks of the Spokane river, fitted up in English style. His eightieth birthday was celebrated by a garden party attended by over two hundred of his friends. It was said of him: "Mr. Pettet's benign influence has been very sensibly felt in Spokane, to the development of which he has contributed incalculably. He has always been a man of great energy and his superb business ability and keen foresight made him eminently successful in his various enterprises."
      In his political views Mr. Pettet was a republican during the early days of his residence in this country but in later life became a stanch democrat. He attended the Episcopal church until old age compelled him to remain away from the house of worship after which he always observed the Sabbath in services at home. He was a most congenial, entertaining man, of kindly nature and greatly enjoyed the companionship of young people. He died in November, 1904, in London. He and his wife three years before had left Spokane for an extended tour of the old country and were on their way home when both were taken ill in London. Mrs. Pettet improved but her husband gradually failed until the end came. He was then about eighty-six years of age. His had been a long, well-spent and honorable life, and it is said that no one who met him, even casually, would ever forget his frank personality. He was a remarkable and unique character and a most valuable citizen. He sought out his own ways of doing good but they were effective ways, productive of immediate and substantial results. He contributed much to the pioneer development of the city, giving impetus to its industrial and commercial interests in the era which preceded the fire and also in the period that followed the great conflagration. His wise judgment and clear insight were often used for the benefit of others as well as in the conduct of his own business affairs and he stood as a splendid type of the Anglo-Saxon race who finds or makes his opportunity and uses it to the best advantage.

Source:  Spokane and The Spokane Country - Pictorial and Biographical - Deluxe Supplement. Vol. II. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912. (No author listed.) pgs. 22-27.
Vol. I:   http://www.archive.org/details/spokanespokaneco01spok
Vol. II:  http://www.archive.org/details/spokanespokaneco02spok

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      The following paragraph makes reference to William Pettet's home in Spokane, and his association with the establishment of Washington Water Power Company.  For a complete view of this source, here is a link:

http://properties.historicspokane.org/_pdf/properties/property-1916.pdf

Spokane City/County Register of Historic Places Nomination Continuation Sheet
CHARLES & FRANCES RICHARDSON HOUSE        Section 8        Page 1

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Sherwood Addition
Before it was platted in 1889, the Sherwood addition was characterized by trees and shrubs that grew to the edge of a steep, rocky bluff.  Located about 1 1/2 miles northwest of downtown Spokane and the Spokane River, the area was remote and sheltered from the noise and relentless dust and dirt of the city by verdant stands of virgin pine and fir trees.  At that time, there were few roads, no electricity or water, and the land was sparsely populated.  Some of the earliest pioneer residents that began settling in the area included the Pettet, Sherwood, and Ralston families who were successful and prominent professionals that contributed to the early growth of Spokane.  William & Carolyn Pettet resided in a trapper's cottage called "Glasgow Lodge" (built in 1885) which was located at the north end of West Point Road.  John & Josephine Sherwood lived in a sprawling mansion (built in 1898) at 2941 West Summit Boulevard, and John & Mary Ralston dwelled in a tall house (built in 1900) custom-designed by Ralston that was sited on Mission Avenue between West Point Road and Summit Boulevard.  William Pettet and John Sherwood were associated with the establishment of Spokane's largest utility called the Washington Water Power Company, and were resident developers of Pettet's Addition and Sherwood's Addition.

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The following appeared in The Spokesman-Review on 8 Nov 2017:

Landmarks: WWP pioneer investor and his wife owned West Central home built in 1885

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      The following Email was received on 12/09/2011:

Dear Sam,

If you notice in the detailed biography posted on the web, it mentions that before moving to the west coast, the Pettet's lived in St. Paul, Minnesota.  According to the census records, the Pettet's had a daughter named "Minnesota" (Minnie) Pettet, but she was born, and named before their arrival here.

The beautiful house they rented while they lived here, (c.1874-1879) still stands on Summit Avenue, and is owned by a good friend of mine.  It is set on the edge of a high bluff, and commands a panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley.   The house was built in 1858, and is one of the oldest in the entire city of St. Paul.  The house had many interesting owners and residents over the years, including a mayor of St. Paul, and even the President of the United States, had lunch in the house, during a visit to the city. 

Please tell me more about your research project on the Pettet family.  I am most interested, because I have spent many years documenting the homes and families of St. Paul.   I have a special interest in the oldest homes of our city, and have worked hard to preserve many of them, through careful documentation and publication of their histories. 

Do you know if there are photographs of the Pettet family homes in Washington?

I would be happy to send you some photographs of the former Pettet home in St. Paul.

Attached, please find a copy of the 1875 Minnesota State Census page, which records the Pettet family in St. Paul.

With best regards,

Jim Sazevich
St. Paul, Minnesota

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Find A Grave includes some information on the Pettet Family:  William Pettet

Grave of Minnie S. Taschereau

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CHARLES FLEURY TASCHEREAU (Chart T-2 & exhibits)

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ROSS INDEX

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     [This chart is of particular interest to me {Cousin Sam}, as Charles Fleury is my grandfather.  Henry Ross Wiggs did not have a lot of information in this chart, so I am adding details and corrections in Italics.  I am also adding some exhibits, which Mr. Wiggs did not have.]


Family Chart No. T-2                                   Parents - Chart No. T-1

CHARLES FLEURY TASCHEREAU
son of HON. FLEURY and JANE (BEAMISH) TASCHEREAU
was born 24 May 1859 and baptized 4 September 1859 at Anglican Cathedral, Quebec City.
He died 27 December 1935 at Spokane, Washington.
buried at Riverside Cemetery, Spokane, Washington.
Resided at Pembina, North Dakota, with his parents, and later moved to Spokane, Washington


He was a half-brother to the children of DRUMMOND ROSS and MARIA JANE BEAMISH, his wife.  See Family Chart No. R-3.

He married three times, but his first and second wives both died at childbirth.

He married his first wife, MINNIE S. PETTET, 3 May 1894 in Spokane, Washington.
She was the daughter of WILLIAM and CAROLINE S. (DEAN) PETTET.
William Pettet was a co-founder of Washington Water Power, now known as Avista.

He married his second wife, HENRIETTA SHERMAN, 2 Aug 1897 in Pierce County, Washington.

He married ISOBEL ATKINSON, his third wife, 6 September 1899 at  St. Barnabas church, Victoria, British Columbia.

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Children of CHARLES and ISOBEL (ATKINSON) TASCHEREAU:

HENRY FLEURY  was born 12 July 1900 at Spokane, Washington.
     He married MARGARET IRENE SEATON  in 1939.
     They had one son, SAMUEL FLEURY  [Cousin Sam].
     Henry died in March, 1976 in a hospital at Soap Lake, Wash.  Margaret died 25 January 1996.
     They are both buried in Spring Canyon cemetery near Grand Coulee, Wash.

CHARLES SAMUEL  was born 24 may 1902 at Spokane, Washington.
     He married his half-cousin, MAUDE ISOBEL POSTON.
     She was daughter of ALBERT HENRY and CATHERINE (ROSS) POSTON of
     Spokane, Wash.  (See Family Chart No. R-9)
     They had one adopted son, CHARLES REGINALD.
     She died in April, 1986.  He died 19 May 1986.

CLIFFORD A.  was born 1904 at Spokane, Wash.
     He married AMANDA E. RIECHERS.
     They had one son, CHARLES, and one daughter, MARIE.
     He died 18 November 1981.  She died 11 August 1992.
     They are buried at Spokane Memorial Gardens.

REGINALD A.  was born 1906 at Spokane, Wash. and died 29 March 1943.
     He was never married and had no children.

THEODORE D.  was born 14 February 1908 at Spokane, Wash., and died 14 May 1945.
     He was married three times.

GEORGE G.  was born 14 September 1913 at Spokane, Wash.
     He married DOROTHY.  They had one son, REGINALD THEODORE.
     He was born 9 July 1940 and died 3 April 1960 in a farm accident.
     George died 23 August 1987 at Coulee City, Wash.
     Dorothy died in January 1995 at Spokane, Wash.
     They are buried at Spokane Memorial Gardens. 

MAUD FLEURY was born 1917 in Spokane, Wash.
     Married MARVIN SANGER of Northridge, California.
     They had one son, GREGORY, and two daughters, ISOBEL and MARGARET.

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     [The following is transcribed from the VICTORIA DAILY COLONIST THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 1899.   Note that Mr. Taschereau is not a nephew but a 1st cousin once removed of the Cardinal.  Here is a link to view the original:

https://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist18990907uvic/18990907#page/n1/mode/1up

The article begins about half way down the second column and describes two weddings; I am only concerned with the first.]

         TWO PRETTY WEDDINGS

Mr. Taschereau and Miss Atkinson Join-
          ed in Matrimony--Cusack-
                Luney Nuptials.

     At St. Barnabas church yesterday afternoon at 4, Mr. Charles Taschereau, of Spokane, was united in marriage by Rev. E. F. Miller to Miss Isabel Atkinson of this city. The groom is a leading merchant of the great mining city of Washington, and a nephew of the late Cardinal Taschereau, of Quebec, of which city Mr. Taschereau is a native. Miss Atkinson is the second daughter of Mrs. A. Harrison Atkinson, of Harrison street, and long and favorably known here as a hospital nurse.  Their wedding was one of the prettiest of the late summer season, the church being very charmingly decorated, and bride and groom standing under a beautiful bell of asters, while friends were out en masse to extend congratulations and good wishes.
     The bride, who was given away by Mr. F. S. Hussey, wore a handsome gown of white Swiss muslin, tastefully trimmed with Valenciennes lace and white satin ribbon; with an exquisite picture hat of white velvet and ostrich feathers, daintily tied with chiffon strings that were held in place by a magnificent diamond clasp, the gift of the groom. The bridal shower bouquet was of white roses and carnations, also the groom's gift.
     The sisters of the bride, the Misses Maud and Grace Atkinson, acted as bridesmaids. They were daintily costumed in dotted white Swiss, with large white silk sashes held in place by silver clasps, a souvenir present from the groom; and wore picture hats of white leghorn, trimmed with white chiffon and tips. Pretty shower bouquets of pink carnations completed their dainty toilettes.
     Dr. Robertson supported the groom.
     After the ceremony and the departure of the bridal party to the strains of Mendelssohn's immortal wedding march, a reception was held at the home of the bride's mother, which was prettily adorned with flags and flowers, and where numerous and very handsome gifts had been sent to await the coming of the bride by members of her large circle of personal friends.
     Mr. and Mrs. Taschereau left by the evening Victorian for Spokane, where they will reside.

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     The following appeared in a Spokane newspaper at the end of 1935 or the first of 1936.

TASCHEREAU, Charles Fleury -- Passed away Dec 27 [1935] at the home, N2518 Magnolia.  Age 74 years.  He had resided in Spokane 46 years.  Survived by his wife, Isobel, at the home; 1 daughter, Miss Maud Taschereau, 6 sons, Henry, Charles, Clifford, Theodore, George, and Reginald, all of Spokane, Wash.  His last services have been intrusted to the care of the SMITH FUNERAL HOME, W1224 Riverside ave.
__________________________________________________________________________


     The following appeared in a Spokane newspaper, either the Chronicle or the Spokesman-Review, in about 1962. The clipping lacks dates.

TASCHEREAU, Isobel -- A resident of N2518 Magnolia.  One daughter, Maud F. Sanger of Northridge, Calif.; 4 sons, C. A. Taschereau, Spokane; Henry F. Taschereau, Coulee City, Wn.; Charles S. Taschereau, Walla Walla, Wn.; George G. Taschereau, Wellpinit, Wn.; 7 grandchildren;  Mrs. Taschereau has lived here 66 years.  A member of Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.  She was a member of the Ivanhoe chapter No. 80 OES; Spokane Women's club.  Funeral services Thurs., Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. from the SMITH FUNERAL HOME, W1124 RIVERSIDE AVE.,  Very Rev. Richard Coombs officiating.  Interment Riverside Park cemetery.

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ROSS INDEX

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CATHERINE MARGARET (ROSS) POSTON (Chart R-9 & Bio)

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ROSS INDEX

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Family Chart No. R-9                                   Parents - Chart No. R-3

     3rd Generation                                                 Ross Family

ALBERT HENRY POSTON
son of CHARLES POSTON
was born in 1858 at Quebec City, Canada
died 26 October 1933 at Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.
buried at Spokane, Wash. in Riverside cemetery
Resided at Pembina, North Dakota.  About 1890 moved to Spokane, Washington.
Ocupation:  Farmer.  Stadacona Farms, Sunset Boulevard, Spokane,
     and from 1931, Waikiki Farms, Spokane.

He married CATHERINE MARGARET ROSS
on 5 July 1883 at Pembina, North Dakota.
She was youngest daughter of DRUMMOND and MARIA JANE (BEAMISH) ROSS.
She was born 2 Mar 1855 at Lake Beauport, Quebec,  Canada
baptized 25 Nov 1855 at Valcartier, Quebec, Canada (Church of England)
and died 2 January 1934 at Spokane, Wash.
buried at Spokane in Riverside cemetery.

When her mother died at Pembina, N. D., in 1889, she took in her sister, Sarah Ahern's 3 small daughters who had been living with their grandmother, and brought them along with her own children when she and husband moved to Spokane.

__________________________________________________________________________


Children of ALBERT and CATHERINE (ROSS) POSTON

CHARLES ALBERT  born at St. Vincent, Minn in 1885.
     Married GERTRUDE GORDON RENFREW of Quebec.
     children: VIVIAN & BARBARA (twins) b. 1930;  JOHN b. 1933

CHARLOTTE ELLA  born at St. Vincent, Minn. 16 May 1886
     died April 1958.  Buried at Okanagan Mission, British Columbia.
     Married ST. GEORGE PENTLAND BALDWIN of Toronto, Ont. in 1912
     children: WINIFRED CATHERINE b. 1914;  GORDON PENTLAND b. 1915,
     DOROTHY BEATRICE b. 1917;  YVONNE BARBARA b. 1921

CLARA ADELE  born at Spokane, Wash. in 1890.
     Married TREVOR WHITLA BRIDGES of Barrie, Ont. in 1924.  He died in 1962
     she died at Penticton, B. C. in 1961, buried in Riverside cemetery, Spokane.

CECIL AUGUSTUS  born at Spokane, Wash. in 1893
     Died in car collision 25 Oct 1962.  Buried at Spokane.
     Married MARTHA CONNELLY
     children:  MARGARET JEAN;  CHARI;  FRANCES;  ALBERT b. 1947

GERTRUDE AMY  born at Oakland, California, 14 May 1895.
     Married EDWIN NEAL of Calgary, Alberta, who died in 1942.
     Re-married Lt. Col. JAMES D. GEMMILL, English Army, 11 Oct 1952

RICHARD GORDON ROSS  born at Spokane, 1898
     Married I. LULU KELLER in 1931
     children:  CATHERINE LEE, JAMES KELLER, RICHARD ROSS
     2nd. wife BESS STUART.   3rd wife JANNEY HAWES

MAUDE ISOBEL born at Spokane in 1901
     Married CHARLES SAMUEL TASCHEREAU, half cousin
     adopted son: REGINALD


This record was compiled by Henry Ross Wiggs of Westmount Que.
25 August 1971
Sources of data:  Miss Helen S. Ross, Loretteville, Que., and Mrs. James D. Gemmill (Gertrude Poston), Kelowna, B. C.

__________________________________________________________________________


CATHERINE MARGARET (ROSS) POSTON (1855-1934)

     Catherine Margaret Ross, the youngest of the ten children of Drummond Ross and Maria Jane Beamish of Lake Beauport, Quebec, was born there on the 2nd March, 1855, and baptized at Valcartiar, Quebec (Church of England), on 25th November, 1855.  Her father died shortly after she was born, leaving her mother, still a young woman, to bring up her large family.  It was not long, however, before her mother married again, to the Hon. Fleury Taschereau of Quebec City, himself one of twelve children.

     When her mother and stepfather left Quebec around 1860 to settle in Pembina, North Dakota, she, along with some of her brothers and sisters, went with them.  She spent her girlhood there but we know nothing about it.  On the 5th July, 1883, she married Albert Henry Poston, who was born in Quebec in 1859, son of Charles Poston of Quebec.  They made their home in St. Vincent, Minnesota, close to Pembina, and two of their children were born there, Charles Albert in 1884, and Charlotte Ella in 1886.

     Her older sister, Sarah Harriet, who had married Patrick Ahern, also resided in St. Vincent, and had three children, but because she was not strong enough to withstand the severe weather of Minnesota and the Dakotas, she developed consumption while still a young woman and died on the 21st of April, 1889, leaving three motherless little girls, Bertha aged six, Blanche aged four, and Jennie two.  They were taken by their grandmother, Mrs. Jane Taschereau, to live with her, but only four months later, she died also, so Catherine Poston took the three little girls into her own home.

     Sometime in 1889 or 1890, the Poston family left St. Vincent to go farther west, taking the three small Ahern children along with them.  They settled at Stadacona Farms, Sunset Boulevard, Spokane, Washington, where Albert Poston operated a large farm, and had five more children: Clara Adele, born in 1890, Cecil Augustus, in 1893, Gertrude Amy, born at Oakland, California, in 1895, Richard Gordon Ross, in 1898, and Maude Isobel, in 1901.

     All of the seven Poston children eventually married, and so did the three Ahern girls.

     Charles Albert Poston, the eldest, married a Quebec girl, Gertrude Renfrew, whose father "was a son of Renfrew the furrier.  Her mother was from Quebec too, Miss Connie Piddington."  (taken from a letter written by Charles Albert Poston, Xmas 1944, to his cousin, Miss Ella Ross, Loretteville, Que.)  They had twin girls, Vivian and Barbara, born 1930, and a son, John, born 1933.  (In the same letter he wrote of his mother, "like your father [Henry Ross], she too was a wonderful character.")  In 1964, Charles Poston was living in Victoria, British Columbia.

     Charlotte Ella Poston, in 1912, married St. George Pentland Baldwin of Toronto, Ontario, a cousin, and they had four children:  Catherine Winnifred, born 1914; Gordon St. George, borne 1915; Dorothy Beatrice, born 1917; and Yvonne Barbara, born 1921; all of whom married.

     Clara Adele Poston, in 1924, married Trevor Whitla Bridges, born in Barrie, Ontario, who was a Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, British Navy, the wedding taking place at All Saints Cathedral, Spokane, with the Very Rev. H. G. Hennessy, Dean, officiating.  They resided at Penticton, British Columbia, and had no children.  She died there in 1961 and was buried at Riverside cemetery, Spokane.
Her husband died in 1962 and was buried in Barrie, Ontario.

__________________________________________________________________________


     Cecil Augustus Poston married Martha Connolly and they had four children: Margaret Jean, Chari, Frances, and Albert who was born in 1947.  Cecil Poston was a dairyman, and on the 25th October, 1962, he was killed in an automobile collision when an intoxicated driver ran into him.

     Gertrude Amy Poston, who was born at Oakland, California, on the 24th may, 1895, married Edwin Neal of Calgary in 1940, but he died two years later.  On the 11th October, 1952, she married Lt. Col. James D. Gemmill, who had served with the Royal Engineers, British Army, and had won the Military Cross twice during the First World War of 1914-1918.  He had also served in the North West Frontier in India.  They had no children.  As this biography is being written in 1971, they are residing at Kelowna, British Columbia, and I [Henry Ross Wiggs] am very grateful to her for giving me so much of the information about the Poston and the Ahern families which appears in this and other biographies.  Although she is of one generation older than mine, she and I were both born in the year 1895.

     Richard Gordon Ross Poston married Lulu Keller in 1931 and had three children: Richard Gordon, James and Catherine (named after his mother).  They are all married; Dick has three sons, Catherine has three daughters.  After his wife died, Gordon Poston married Elizabeth (Bess) Stuart, a widow with a son and daughter, and when she died, he married his high school sweetheart, Janey Hawes, who was also twice widowed.  She had an adopted daughter Carolyn, and he has an adopted son, Stuart Ross.  They live on the Singing River Ranch, Mead, Washington, and he is a realtor dealing in the sale of farms, cattle ranches and other acreage.  His family ride a lot.

     Judging from the tone of letters written by him to some of his relatives, he is evidently a congenial and jovial character with a keen sense of humour, resulting without doubt from the marriage of his Scotch grandfather, Drummond Ross, to his Irish grandmother, Maria Jane Beamish.  Other members of the Ross family possess the same amiable characteristic, and as Gordon Poston once wrote, "It's just hard to beat that good old Scotch-Irish combination."

     Maude Isobel Poston, the seventh and youngest of the Poston family, married her half-cousin, Charles Samuel Taschereau of Spokane, son of Charles Fleury Taschereau who was her mother's half-brother.  They are now residing in Walla Walla, Washington, and have an adopted son, Reginald.

[This was written in 1971 by Henry Ross Wiggs; correction and notes by Cousin Sam in Italics].

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ROSS INDEX

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JEFFERYS (Chart R-7)

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ROSS INDEX

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Family Chart No. R-7                                   Parents - Chart No. R-3

     3rd Generation                                                 Ross Family

CHARLES HOWARD JEFFERYS
was born 1851 at Quebec
died 7 June 1910 at Winnipeg, Manitoba
Occupation: Accountant

He married CLARISSA ANNE ROSS (CLARA)
on 7 May 1873 at Trinity Church, Quebec City.
She was eldest daughter of DRUMMOND and MARIA JANE (BEAMISH) ROSS.
She was born 22 September 1850 at Lake Beauport, Quebec
and died 26 February 1925 at Winnipeg, Manitoba
buried at Winnipeg in Elmwood Cemetery.

________________________

Children of CHARLES and CLARA (ROSS) JEFFERYS

ETHEL
     Born
     Married HARRY GOODMAN, Winnipeg, Manitoba
     No children

GEORGE M.

OTHERS.

This record was compiled by Henry Ross Wiggs of Westmount Que.
27 August 1971
Sources of data:  Civil Archives, Quebec City.

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link to St. Vincent, Minnesota at Google Maps:

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=St.+Vincent,+Minnesota&aq=&sll=37.028869,-94.943848&sspn=5.033706,3.944092&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=St+Vincent,+Kittson,+Minnesota&ll=48.987202,-97.175274&spn=0.064886,0.107975&z=13

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ROSS INDEX

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HENRY ROSS (Chart R-6, Bio, & Exhibits)

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ROSS INDEX

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Family Chart No. R-6                                   Parents - Chart No. R-3

     3rd Generation                                                 Ross/Sait Family

HENRY ROSS
son of DRUMMOND and MARIA JANE (BEAMISH) ROSS
was born 28th May, 1842 at lake Beauport, Quebec, Canada
was baptized in Anglican Church, Stoneham, Quebec 3 July 1842
died 31st May 1926 at Loretteville, Quebec
buried at Sillery, Quebec, 2 June 1926 in Mount Hermon Cemetery
Resided at Jeune (Indian) Lorette, changed to Loretteville, Quebec

Occupation: Operated a lumber mill and general store at St. Ambroise de la Jeune Lorette.  Was appointed Agent of Indian Affairs so moved to Indian Lorette where he opened a factory and employed Huron Indians from the Indian Reserve to manufacture canoes, snowshoes, moccasins and other Indian goods.
He was president of Henry Ross Limited, Loretteville.

He married HARRIETT ANN SAIT
on 23rd November 1863 at St. Matthews Church, Quebec City.
She was daughter of EDWARD and EMMA (MEERS) SAIT.
She was born 23rd October 1845 at 6 Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly, London, England.
and died 11th November 1916 at Loretteville.
buried at Sillery, Quebec, 13th November 1916, in Mount Hermon Cemetery

At the age of sixteen she came over from London with her mother on a sailing ship, taking five weeks to cross.  Her father arrived first, having been sent over as Manager of a large dry goods store, now known as Simons' in Quebec.

She had 3 sisters - ELIZABETH EMMA (BESSIE) who married WILLIAM MacWILLIAM of Quebec City, KATE and NELL, neither of whom ever married, and two brothers--EDWARD and CHARLES.
__________________________________________________________________________


Children of HENRY and HARRIETT (SAIT) ROSS

EDWARD ERNEST  born 27 September 1864 at Quebec City.
     Married LAVINIA YOUNG
     children: 4 boys and a girl (twin)
     died 16 November 1912

PERCY DRUMMOND  born 30 march 1866 at Quebec City
     Married IDA BILLING 25 September 1899
     children: 5 girls
     died 4 April 1938

HENRY  born 6 February 1868 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     died of smallpox 12 February 1875

EMMA CLARA  born 19 December 1869 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married WILLIAM HENRY WIGGS 2 September 1891
     children: 4 boys and 4 girls
     died 20 September 1959

EVA JANE  born 25 July 1872 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married CHARLES ALBERT SEWELL 22 June 1896
     children: 2 boys and 2 girls
     died 22 February 1939

BESSIE  born 22 Dec 1873 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     died of smallpox 8 February 1875

MABEL JESSIE  born 18 December 1875 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married  EDWARD HAMILTON SEWELL 4 May 1899
     died 12 December 1960

CHARLES FLEURY  born 25 July 1877 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married EVELYN (EVA) O'CONNOR 12 April 1903
     children: one boy and one girl
     died 13 September 1930

ELLA MAGGIE  born 8 March 1879 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     died 21 May 1948

ALBERT  born 12 December 1880 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     died 29 January 1881

LEONORA FLORENCE  born 19 September 1883 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married WILLIAM CAXTON TEAKLE 9 June 1909
     children:  one boy and 3 girls
     died 9 December 1965

HARRIETT MAUD  born 25 October 1886 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married ELZEAR A. VERRET  8 June 1910
     died 23 March 1950

ETHEL TASCHEREAU  born 4 April 1889 at St. Ambroise de la Jeune, Lorette, Quebec
     Married JOHN DEDMOND FITZGERALD  26 September 1914
     children: 2 boys and 6 girls
     died 29 June 1969


This record was compiled by Henry Ross Wiggs of Westmount Que.
10th July 1970
Sources of data:  Henry Ross family Bible, newspaper clippings, tombstones, and my intimate family relationships with all of the above.

__________________________________________________________________________


HENRY ROSS  (1842 - 1926)

     Henry Ross was born in the Seigneury of Lake Beauport in the County and District of Quebec on the 28th of May, 1842, the grandson of J. William Ross, in his lifetime Deputy Assistant Commissary General to His Majesty's forces at Quebec, and Sarah Blow Ross of Quebec, and son of Drummond Ross and Maria Jane Beamish) Ross of Lake Beauport.  He was baptized on the 3rd of July, 1842, in the Church of England church at Lake Beauport by the Rev. Henry D. Sewell in the presence of his parents and with John Beamish and Richard Beamish as sponsors.

     At the age of twenty-one he eloped with Harriett Ann Sait, aged eighteen, daughter of Edward and Emma (Meers) Sait of the city of Quebec, and they were married in St. Matthews Church, Quebec, on the 23rd of November, 1863.

     Harriett Ann Sait was born on the 23rd of October, 1945, at No. 6 Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly, London, England, where her father dealt in fine lace, some of which was purchased by Queen Victoria.  Later, he was appointed manager of a large dry goods store in Quebec City, now known as Simons', and sailed to Quebec without his wife and family because, at the time, his wife had just given birth to a baby girl (Kate) and could not make such a long sea voyage with a young infant.  In 1861, when Harriett was a girl of sixteen, she came to Canada with her mother in a sailing vessel, taking five weeks for the voyage.

     Henry and Harriett Ross first resided on St. John Street, Quebec City, where their first child, Edward Ernest, was born on the 27th of September, 1864.  They moved to St. George Street where a second son, Percy Drummond, was born on Good Friday, 30th March, 1866.

     A year or so later, they moved away from the city to make their home in St. Ambroise de la Jeune Lorette, a small village about nine miles to the north-west of Quebec City, and they lived there for the next twenty-three years.  During that time, they had eleven more children, three of whom died in infancy.  Of the remaining eight children, one was a boy, Charles Fleury, and seven were girls - Emma Clara, Eva Jane, Mabel Jessie, Ella Maggie, Leonora Florence, Harriett Maude, and Ethel Taschereau.  The seven sisters were inseparable, and when the time came for all but one of them to get married and have families of their own, they continued to keep in close touch with each other for the rest of their lives.  They were a very congenial group.

     While living at St. Ambroise, Henry Ross operated a lumber mill and a general store, as well as the local post office.  In 1890, he was appointed Agent of Indian Affairs, so the family moved to the town of Jeune Lorette in which there was a Reservation for the Indians of the Huron tribe.  there, he opened a factory and employed the Indians to manufacture canoes, snowshoes, moccasins and other Indian goods.  He also opened and operated a general store for the community.

     The house in which he and his family lived in Lorette was a three storied stone building that had been the home of an Indian chief.  The ground floor served as a store, and the two upper floors provided ample living quarters for his large family.  By the side of the house was a factory with two floors, where the Indians, sitting in groups, made snowshoes, weaving the prepared gut strings on the hardwood snowshoe frames.  they worked with great speed and were fascinating to watch.  When finished, the snowshoes were hung in the sun to dry.  Other Indians, some of them women,worked at making moccasins, beaded slippers, mitts and other articles.  In another building beyond a large kitchen garden at the rear of the house, the tanning of the raw pelts and the dressing of the skins was carried out.  By giving work to many Indians and by producing merchandise of a high quality, the factory proved to be a very successful venture, and the name of Henry Ross Limited, of which he was President, became well known across Canada.

__________________________________________________________________________


     Henry Ross was a man of high integrity and honesty in business, made evident by the important industry which he built up.  he was respected by all who knew him, regardless of creed or nationality, and he was always ready to help anyone in distress.  However, being of an unostentatious nature, only those whom he helped knew of his kindly acts.  His wife was a kind, amiable person and a devoted wife and mother, whose genial disposition made their home a very pleasant and happy one.

     On the 23rd of November, 1913, Henry and Harriett Ross celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and the members of their family and many intimate friends gathered at their home to join in the celebration and to present them with a handsome roll-top desk and chair, a beautiful set of bone china with special gold markings, and other gifts appropriate for the occasion.

     Three years later, Harriett Ann Ross died on the 11th of November, 1916, at the age of 71 years, and was survived by her husband, two sons and seven daughters.  Her death brought great grief to her family who had always been so devoted to her.  Henry Ross continued to devote himself to his business but time was catching up with him and he was forced to give it up.  His daughter, Ella, who had never left home, had for many years looked after the running of the family household, and she now took good care of her aging father until, at the venerable age of 84, he died on the 31st of May, 1926.

     His funeral was an impressive one, taking place from his residence and with an exceptionally large cortege following the remains into the city and to St. Michael's Church, Bergerville, located at the entrance to Mount Hermon cemetery.  Included in the mourners were leading residents and friends of the surrounding municipalities and the city.  The service at St. Michael's was conducted by the rector, Rev. Canon Fothergill, assisted by Rev. Dean Kelly and Rev. J. H. Barnes, rector of Trinity Church, Quebec.  His Lordship the Bishop of Quebec was present in the sanctuary and also participated in the service by reading the lesson.  At the conclusion of the service, the remains were transferred to Mount Hermon cemetery and there laid to rest in the family plot beside those of his wife who had predeceased him.

     Surviving him were his two sons, Percy Drummond Ross of Loretteville, and Charles Fleury Ross of Toronto, and his seven daughters, Emma Clara (Mrs. W. H. Wiggs), Eva (Mrs. C. A. Sewell),  Mabel (Mrs. E. H. Sewell), Miss Ella Ross, Leonore (Mrs. W. C. Teakle), Maud (Mrs. E. A. Verret), and Ethel (Mrs. J. D. Fitzgerald).  He was also survived by his sister Catherine, Mrs. Albert Poston, residing at Spokane, Washington.  She was the youngest and last surviving member of Henry Ross' immediate family.

                                                                        Henry Ross Wiggs

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      [The following is a transcript of the obituary that appeared in a Quebec paper, the Chronicle-Telegraph, on Monday, 31 May 1926]

DEATH CLAIMS MR. HENRY ROSS

Prominent Citizen of Loretteville Passes Away at Patriarchal Age

     Death has claimed an outstanding figure in the life of Lorette and surrounding districts in the passing away at his residence in Loretteville this morning of Mr. Henry Ross, President of the Henry Ross Company, Limited, at the patriarchal age of eighty-five years.  The late Mr. Ross had been in ill-health for some considerable time and due to his advanced years his demise was not altogether unexpected, but he put up a valiant fight against the grim reaper, which showed the wonderful vitality he possessed.
     The Late Mr. Ross, who was a son of the late Mr. Drummond Ross and grandson of the late William Ross, in his lifetime Assistant Commissary-General to His Majesty's forces at Quebec, came of a well-known and prominent family of which the deceased gentleman proved himself a worthy successor.  A man of catholic views he was respected by all who knew him, regardless of creed or nationality, and of a benevolent disposition he succored many in distress, but this phase of his life was never prominent because of his unostentatious manner; in fact, he was one of those believers in not letting the left hand know that the right hand did.  It is only those who had occasion to benefit of his kindly acts that are able to fully appreciate the value of them.  The late Mr. Ross was noted for his integrity and honesty in business and this was made manifest by the important industry which he built up and conducted practically to the last.
     Surviving him, his wife having predeceased him several years ago, are two sons, Messrs. Percey Ross, of Loretteville, and Charles F. Ross of Toronto, and six daughters.  [see below]  The latter are Mrs. W. H. Wiggs, Mrs. E. H. Sewell, Mrs. W. C. Teakle, Mrs E. A. Verret, Mrs. J. D. Fitzgerald and Miss Ella Ross.
     The requiem service for the late Mr. Ross will be held in St. Michael's Church, Bergerville, at 2:30 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, the body arriving in the city from Loretteville and proceeding direct to the church.  The interment will be made in Mount Hermon Cemetery.
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      [The following is a transcript of the notice that appeared on Tuesday, June 1, 1926]

ROSS--At Loretteville, on May
   31st, Henry Ross, in his 85th year,
   son of the late Drummond Ross
   and grand-son of the late William
   Ross, Assistant Commissary Gen-
   eral to His Majesty's Forces at
   Quebec.
The funeral will leave his late resi-
   dence at Loretteville on Wednes-
   day, June 2nd,  at 1:00 P.M.  Fun-
   eral services to be held at St.
   Michael's church, Bergerville at
   2:30 P.M.   Interment in Mount
   Hermon cemetery.
Kindly omit flowers.
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      [The following is a transcript of an article that appeared in a Quebec paper, the Chronicle-Telegraph, on Thursday, 3 June 1926]

FUNERAL OF LATE MR. HENRY ROSS

Impressive Tribute Paid to Memory of Well-Known Business Man

     An impressive tribute was paid to the memory of the late Mr. Henry Ross when his funeral took place from his residence at Loretteville yesterday afternoon to St. Michael's Church, Bergerville.  An esceptionally large cortege followed the remains in automobiles from Loretteville to the city and included in the mourners were leading residents of the surrounding municipalities and the city.  The solemn service of requiem at the church was conducted by Rev. Canon Fathergill, Rector of Bergerville, assisted by Rev. Rural Dean Kelly and Rev. J. H. Barnes.  His Lordship the Bishop was present in the sanctuary and also participated in the service by reading the lesson.  Mr. Sidney Martin, organist of St. Matthew's Church, presided over the musical portion and during the obseques the hymns "For Ever With the Lord," "Now the Laborer's Task is O'er" and "On the Resurrection Morn" were feelingly rendered by the choir.
     On the conclusion of the service the remains were transferred to Mount Hermon Cemetery and there laid to rest in the family plot besides those of his wife, who predeceased him several years ago.  The service at the graveside was conducted by Rev. J. Prout, incumbent of Valcartier, assisted by Ven. Archdeacon Scott.  An affecting tribute was here paid, when, as the body had been lowered into the grave and covered over with mother earth, Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, former Lieutenant-Governor of the province and a close and lifelong friend of deceased, personally deposited a wreath upon his grave.
     The chief mourners were the son of deceased, Mr. Charles M. Ross, of Toronto, and Messrs. W. H. Wiggs, Chas. A. Sewell, E. A. Verrett, J. D. Fitz-Gerald and W. C. Teakle, sons-in-law, while the pall-bearers were six of his grand-children, W. Wiggs, E. A. Wiggs, Lorne Wiggs, Ernie Ross, Gordon Ross and Harold Sewell.
     The floral tributes, mute expressions of the esteem in which the deceased had been held by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, were both numerous and beautiful.
     In the obituary of the late Mr. Henry Ross, published in monday's Chronicle-Telegraph,  [see above] the name of one of his daughters, Mrs. C. A. Sewell, was inadvertently omitted.  The deceased is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Albert Poston, now residing in Spokane, Washn.  She is the youngest and last surviving member of the lat Mr. Ross' immediate family.

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ROSS INDEX

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personal update - Timor Mortis

As I post this, my wife's oldest brother (of four) lies near the end from cancer (the doctor says
24 hours).    [update: he passed 8 Mar 2011 at 4:10 am]    I probably won't be able to devote as much time in the next week as I would like to this blog or to researching my family trees.  Her second oldest brother died only last September, also from cancer.  Her youngest brother, who has been at least partially disabled since a logging accident when he was 17, has coronary stents.  Last year, a few weeks after receiving those, he was feeling so much better that he drove a four wheeler to his younger sister's home, and while returning to his home, the throttle stuck, flipping over and pinning him, resulting in numerous fractures and other injuries.  He is finally recovering after undergoing lung surgery in November because of clotting that was a result of those injuries.  We nearly lost him.  It has been a difficult time for my wife (the older of three sisters), who has also recently had cataract surgery, but she can now see better than she has in some time. 

An anonymous poem from the 15th century comes to mind:

               Timor Mortis

            In what estate so ever I be
            Timor mortis conturbat me.*

       As I went on a merry morning,
       I heard a bird both weep and sing.
 5    This was the tenor of her talking:
            "Timor mortis conturbat me."

       I asked that bird what she meant.
       "I am a musket* both fair and gent;*
       For dread of death I am all shent.:*
10         Timor mortis conturbat me.

       "When I shall die, I know no day;
       What country or place I cannot say;
       Wherefore this song sing I may:
           Timor mortis conturbat me.

15    "Jesu Christ, when he should die,
       To his Father he gan say,
       'Father,' he said, 'in Trinity,
           Timor mortis conturbat me.' 

       "All Christian people, behold and see:
20    This world is but a vanity
       And replete with necessity.
            Timor mortis conturbat me.

       "Wake I or sleep, eate or drink,
       When I on my last end do think,
25     For greate fear my soul do shrink:
            Timor mortis conturbat me.

       "God grant us grace him for to serve,
       And be our end when we sterve,*
       And from the feind he us preserve.
30          Timor mortis conturbat me.


Notes:   The title phrase comes from the office of the dead: "Peccantem me quotidie et non poenitentem timor mortis conturbat me.  Quia in inferno null est redemptio misere mei Deus et salva me."  (Since I have been sinning daily and repenting not, the fear of death confoundeth me.  Since in hell there is no redemption, have pity one me, God, and save me.)
line 8:  musket: male sparrowhawk   gent: gentle
line 9:  shent: ruined
line 28:  sterve: die


James 1:27 - 2:5  (King James Version)

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken , my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?