Even though this is week 4 of the 52 Ancestors challenge this is only my second post.
Victor Pitre (1861-1930)
This week I have chosen to write about Victor Pitre who is my Great Grandfather on my mother’s side. He
was born Feb 1, 1861 in Beresford, New Brunswick to Hilaire Pitre and Tharsile
Bourdo (Boudreau). He was baptised at
Ste. Famille Parish and his older brother (Alexander) and sister (Tharsile)
were his sponsors.
Victor must have had a close family that valued education as
Victor lived his whole life in Beresford surrounded by family all who were able
to read and write (except for his two oldest siblings). He lived next door to
his parents and several siblings his entire life (according to census records
from 1871-1921).
Victor was a farmer and carpenter like his father and
several of his male siblings. The
carpentry trade must have been passed along from father to son. Victor must have become quite good at carpentry. In 1902 a new church in Beresford was built under his direction and on
the 1911 census, he is listed as a carpenter who builds houses.
Victor married Margarerite Leblanc on August 7, 1883 at St.
Polycarpe Parish in Petit Rocher. Victor and Margarerite had 5 children. Their last child, Helen Pitre, died when only 4
days old. It must have been a difficult
birth as Margarerite died 13 days after childbirth. What a difficult time this must have been for
Victor to lose a child and a wife so close together and have 4 young children
aged 6, 4, 3 and 1 to look after.
Victor re-married 6 months after the death of his first wife
and infant daughter to Anne Godin on June 21, 1892 at St. Polycarpe Parish in
Petit Rocher. Victor was 29 years old and Anne was 18 years old. Was this a marriage just to have a mother for
his 4 young children? Maybe, we will never know. Victor died June 30, 1930 of old age still living in Beresford at the time of his death. He
fathered 5 children with Margarerite and
16 children with Anne Godin. I have a lot
more work ahead of me to find out what happened to these 21 offspring of
Victors.
This is Victor and Anne in an undated picture.
