In honor of her birthday, I thought I would post some pictures of her childhood home, Chateaugay, NY, a tiny town near the Canadian border.
In 1986, and again in 1987 we took her back there. In one trip we went with my Aunt Esther and, I think, my Dad. In the other trip it was me, Paul, Nan, and my Aunt Dot.
I'm so glad we took her there before her eyesight got so bad.
The farmhouse was still there and the owner was working near the barn. He stopped to talk to us and then had his wife come out. My grandmother told them that she and her family lived there when she was young. I wish we had asked them if we could go in.
We also went to the cemetery in Malone, at Notre Dame church, where her parents are buried and also two baby girls who died in infancy.
We drove around the downtown area and Nan told us where one or two of her brothers worked. I wish I had taken notes because I have forgotten a lot of the things we saw.
We also met a member of her family who still lives in Chateaugay. We went to her house and talked with her but I can't remember who she was. I sure wish I was doing my blog then!
In looking through old pictures I found some pictures that Paul and I had taken in 1998. I had totally forgotten that we took a trip to Chateaugay then. And actually, I really don't remember much about that trip, but the pictures show more of the barn and farm area.
"Thomas Bessette married Marceline Martin and he had a brother, Francis Bessette, that married Lucie Martin. Marceline and Lucie were sisters. Frank and Thomas came to Malone in the mid 1880s and built houses just outside the Malone Fairgrounds. Those two houses are still there today."
I really want to go back there again some time soon. I want to find those houses. I want to see if they have a Historical Society in Chateaugay, or at least Malone (the nearest city). I want to see if the farm house is still there. Maybe I can go in this time!
No comments:
Post a Comment