Almeric 1864-1927

Almeric was born April 13, 1864 in the town of St-Jean-Baptiste, province of Quebec, Canada. His parents were Guillaume Saurette and Elmire Jourdain-Lafrance. Take a look at the baptismal entry from the church. It is hard to read and in French, but it is, without a doubt, the birth notice of Almeric. His given name is something really odd – looks like Armorique, but it is my Almeric.

He married Alida Morier September 3, 1887 in St-Damase, Quebec, Canada. You can view the actual parish register here. It still needs to be translated, however.

View Almeric’s family report here.

View the death certificate for Almeric.

View the Saurette tombstone. The family burial plot is located in the Notre-Dame Cemetery of South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Almeric is first known to me by the Canadian Census of 1881. He is listed, however, as Ulderic. I know it is he since the age is correct and Ulderic is living with the correct Saurette family in St-Jean-Baptiste. It is in the 1891 Canadian Census, where we find Almeric marrried and living with his young family at St-Jean-Baptiste. Be sure to check out that census page and image.

Almeric and his family are listed in the Canadian Census of 1901 as living in St-Jean-Baptiste. Almeric’s parents, Guillaume and Elmire were also living with his family at this time.

He and his family came into Vermont in December of 1907. Take a look at this photo of his Declaration of Intention for Naturalization.

I have also unearthed a copy of this form: List or Manifest of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission to the United States from Foreign Contiguous Territory – December 1907 at the port of Swanton, Vermont. The entire family of Almeric is listed – providing some nice information about he and his family. Here’s the document.

Almeric is listed in both the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Federal Census as living in Holyoke, Massachusetts. By 1930, however, his wife, Alida, is living in Chicopee, and she is listed as a widow in the U.S. Federal Census of 1930. What happened?

A trip to the Holyoke Public Library actually helped clear things up for me. They have city directories for Holyoke, Chicopee and South Hadley that go back to the late 1800s. During the mid-1920s Almeric disappears from the Holyoke directory. I didn’t have a long time to search every year, but basically, it appears that he and his wife moved to Chicopee in the 1920s.

Almeric died January 15, 1927 in Willimansett, Massachusetts (was part of Chicopee). I have a death announcement (in French) and a picture of Almeric. Here’s where to check that out.

His wife, Alida died in Chicopee in 1933. Please take a look at Alida Saurette’s death certificate.

There is a Saurette family burial plot in Notre Dame Cemetery, South Hadley, Massachusetts. According to the rectory that I called, there are 9 people buried there.