Funeral Card Friday: Yvonne Fournier

Front of card

This funeral card is in memory of Yvonne (Belair) Fournier, my Dad’s cousin. The card measures 11.5 cm x 6.5 cm (approximately 4 ½” x 2 ½”). It was sent to my parents in March 1989, who weren’t able to attend Yvonne’s funeral.


Back of card


Yvonne was born on 24 December 1926 in Ste-Cécile-de-Masham, Gatineau County, Quebec. She was baptised there the following day, with her maternal grandparents present as her godparents. Yvonne was the third, but eldest surviving child of Joseph and Corinne (Gingras) Belair, having four younger sisters (one of whom died young) and one brother. Her father Joseph was my grandfather Fred’s younger half-brother.

A few months before turning 22, Yvonne married Aldoria Fournier on 26 August 1948 at the parish church in Masham. They were the parents of seven children, six boys and one girl.

Yvonne died on 11 February 1989 in Hull (Gatineau), about 34 km (about 21 miles) south-east of Masham.

Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Sunday’s Obituary: John A. Demosky

John, my father-in-law Bill’s cousin, was the youngest child of Alex and Annie (Dorofaeff) Demosky. His parents, who were Russian Doukhobors, immigrated to Canada in 1899 and settled in Saskatchewan. John died on 13 March 1968 and was buried two days later in Riverview Cemetery, Kamsack, Saskatchewan.


John A. Demosky funeral notice, 1968


Source:

“John A. Demosky”, funeral notice, undated clipping [March 1968], from unidentified newspaper; Demoskoff Family Papers, privately held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2013. Yvonne acquired an assortment of family memorabilia (including John’s funeral notice) in January 2012 from her father-in-law William (Bill) Demoskoff.


Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.

Amanuensis Monday: In the Matter of …

An amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.



Statutory Declaration (cover), 1959


In October 1959, Joseph Philippe made a statutory declaration about Fred Belair’s name.¹ I suspect it had to do with my grandfather wanting to collect his Canadian federal pension. (Joe was Fred’s nephew, being the son of his late sister Angélina.) My grandfather Fred would turn 70 years old in a couple of months, the age at which he could begin receiving his Old Age Security pension. Since he was baptised “Jean-Baptiste Ménésippe” in December 1889, but used “Fred” (or “Frederick”) most of his adult life, he probably had to prove who he was to the federal government before he could collect his $40 per month.


Statutory Declaration (text), 1959

(Note: Preprinted portions of the declaration are in plain text, while the filled-in typewritten portions are shown underlined.)

Dominion of Canada
Province of Ontario

In the Matter of JEAN BAPTISTE MINISIPPE BELAIR, also known as FREDERICK BELAIR

TO WIT

I, Joseph Alfred Philippe
of the Town of Timmins in the
District of Cochrane, Miner,

Do Solemnly Declare that 1. I have known JEAN BAPTISTE MINISIPPE BELAIR, also known as FREDERICK BELAIR, for the last 43 years.

2. THAT when I first knew Mr. Belair, he was known under the name of MINISIPPE BELAIR or FRED BELAIR

3. THAT JEAN BAPTISTE MINISIPPE BELAIR and FREDERICK BELAIR is the one and same person.

And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath, and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.

DECLARED before me at the Town
of Timmins
in the District
of Cochrane
this 6th day of October
1959.

[Signed] Joseph Philippe

Source:

1. “In the Matter of Jean Baptiste Minisippe Belair also known as Frederick Belair”, statutory declaration, dated 6 October 1959; Demoskoff Family Papers, photocopy held by Yvonne (Belair) Demoskoff, British Columbia, 2013.

Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.