The Gaouettes
The Belanger Family (My Great Grandfather William Belanger's Family)
Family Story
by Katie Gaouette
06/08/99
My family came to the United States from Canada. By interviewing and talking with my Mémère (my father's mother) we discovered theat her grandparents (my great-great grandparents) were the first people in our family history to come to America from another country. They were born in Farnum in the Province of Quebec. They came to the United States to settle in Lewiston, Maine in search of work. My Mémère's mother quit school at the age of fourteen and went to work in one of the many cotton/textile mills in New Bedford. (In those days it wasn't uncommon for children to drop out of school in order to go to work to support their families).
My great-great grandparents wanted to preserve their culture once they moved. There were many French schools in New Bedford, such as St. Anthony and St. Joseph set up primarily of the Roman Catholic religion. In those days, if you were to attned school and still wanted to preserve your culture, half a day would be taught in English and the other half in French. My Mémère's mother attended a French boarding school for all girls. Although my Mémère did not say what her mother did with her education, she did tell me that schools in those days consisted of all the grades in one classroom. She mentioned a school such as the one I have just described called the Cedar Grove school. My Mémère explained to me that many of the students did not know how to speak English and, therefore, dropped out of school at a young age. My Mémère's father is one of the few exceptions. He went to college on a baseball scholarship at a time when continuing school after the twelfth grade was very uncommon.
My Mémère has given me pictures of her father and his family dating back to the late 1800s to early 1900s. That is just one of the few photos that I have that is authentic to my ancestor's immigration to this country. My Mémère has also found photos of her mother and her grandmother. These pictures are very old and valuable to me in the search for my past.
I enjoyed doing this project very much because it opened my eyes to my past that I otherwise would never had made the effort to unveil. I now know how important my Mémère's culture was to her and her family. She told me that her grandmother would pretend she didn't know English when my Mémère (then just a child) tried to speak to her. My Mémère would be forced to speak in her native tongue, which is French. Although it is unfortunate that my Mémère does not carry any special traditions and customs with her today, the legacy of our past, which makes us related, will be carried with us forever.
By listening to my Mémère speak of her relatives, I discovered that culture was a very important part of their lives. In some instances, I believe that first immigrants to the United States were torn between old and new ways of life. However, many eagerly rose to the challenge of learning English and becoming citizens. A lot has changed since the early 1900s and I think if my ancestors knew that I was researching my past they would be proud to know that I am still enthusiastic and want to be aware of my heritage. Even though I was assigned this project as something that would be required of me, I could very well see myself wanting to learn and uncover new links to my past on my own.
William Belanger (Left) * My Mémère's Mother (Center) * My Great Grandfather Gaouette (Right)
Recipe for French Meat Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. " pork
3 med. white potatoes
1 tblsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. pepper
1 " salt
poultry seasoning to taste
Peel and boil potatoes. While potatoes are boiling, mix all other ingredients into browned meat. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir often, and taste. Add poultry seasoning, if desired.
Mash potatoes when done; add to meat mixture. Mix well. Place mixture in prepared crust. Cook until crust is well done; approxiamately 1 hour at 350 degrees F.