After Eggfest Ontario, Oscar and I crossed into the Province of Quebec. The first thing we noticed is all the bilingual street signs, which had been English and French, changed. They became French only, hmmmmmmmmmmm.
French is the birth language of my mother, Helene LaForce, who was born in Quebec. Our quest on this leg of our journey was to connect with some cousins and look a bit into family history.
Cousins! Jean, Peter, Monique, and Andre'
(I also met Denise, Sylvie, and Jacinthe)
Jean, Monique and I took a trip to Upton, where my mother was born. Here, Oscar and I are in front of the home she was born in, in 1924. It's still in the family. (We got to go inside)
St Ephram's church, where mom was baptized, maintains a parish cemetery which holds some treasures.
Family plots may include many remains. Here is the resting place of my great grandparents Urbaine and Elmire, my grandparent Antonio and Rosa, along with numerous others.
While Oscar hung out with Raymond (Monique's husband) I perused a family genealogy that traced my family lineage back to 1585, to my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Pierre Pépin, of St Laurent de la Barriére, Saintonge France. His wife, Franciose Prieur, was born in1575.
My 7XGreat Grandfather, Guillaume Pepin was born in France in 1610 and buried in Trois Rivereéres, Quebec in 1697.
My family line is filled with prolific Catholics where having 15 or even 18 children was not unheard of . . . . I'm number 298 in line since Pierre Pépin. (whew)
And the journey continues . . .
