Family Reunions
Well, I've been back to work for a couple of weeks now and, I must say, vacation was better. 
July is almost over, but it was the month when we had those memorable family reunions - when Uncle Archie and family came from New Jersey. In my memory they happened every year, but that's probably not the case. In the Dube/Dubay book that was published for the Dube Family Reunion held in Madawaska in 1989, Mom submitted the picture (1952?) above and added a note that read "It wasn't really a big deal reunion....." but they seemed like a big deal to me. I remember that Grammy would cook a turkey and then grind up the meat to make turkey salad for finger sandwiches. I know that at least one year, I got to help with the grinding and thought it was great fun. I still love finger rolls with chicken or turkey salad and have even been known to grind the meat like Gram did, for old time sake. I was shocked when Mom said many years later that she thought they tasted like sawdust. All of the good cooks in the family would bring salads and desserts and it was all great. I was always a big fan of Aunt Mills Mac and Cheese, but I don't remember if she made it for the reunions or just at Christmas. I don't remember there being beer or other adult beverages, but I suspect there were some somewhere. I do remember there being a baseball game in the field behind the garage, but don't remember being old enough to play. I hope some of you can supplement my memory. How about you younger cousins - can you remember these parties?
Here is another photo from the way back machine. This is the family of Francis and Sophie (Soucie) Pelletier, the parents of DesAnge Pelletier Sirois, our grandfather Archie's mother. The children are Celia, Melvina, Mary DesAnge, Natalie and twin Hattie, Alexander, Joseph and John. I can't seem to put my hands on anything that gives their birth order, but I suspect that our great-grandmother is sitting to the left of her father (his right). I'll dig that info up and see if I can put name to faces.
Here's another great-great-grandfather, Jeremiah (Germain in French) Dubay, father of Charles and Grammy's grandfather. I've seen the original of this pic and it seems to be a real photo that was painted over, so looks like a drawing in some places. Jeremiah owned the store on French Island that became Shorty's, and Charles ran it for awhile, too.
On July 15th, I did a presentation at the Old Town Museum called "Exploring Davis Street Families: An Introduction to Genealogical Research." The crowd was small, but I think it went pretty well and it got me working on a project I've been thinking about for sometime - a genealogy of the families living on Davis St. while I was growing up. I'm not sure what will ever come of it or when I'll find time to work on it, but I've got a good start now, anyway.
July is almost over, but it was the month when we had those memorable family reunions - when Uncle Archie and family came from New Jersey. In my memory they happened every year, but that's probably not the case. In the Dube/Dubay book that was published for the Dube Family Reunion held in Madawaska in 1989, Mom submitted the picture (1952?) above and added a note that read "It wasn't really a big deal reunion....." but they seemed like a big deal to me. I remember that Grammy would cook a turkey and then grind up the meat to make turkey salad for finger sandwiches. I know that at least one year, I got to help with the grinding and thought it was great fun. I still love finger rolls with chicken or turkey salad and have even been known to grind the meat like Gram did, for old time sake. I was shocked when Mom said many years later that she thought they tasted like sawdust. All of the good cooks in the family would bring salads and desserts and it was all great. I was always a big fan of Aunt Mills Mac and Cheese, but I don't remember if she made it for the reunions or just at Christmas. I don't remember there being beer or other adult beverages, but I suspect there were some somewhere. I do remember there being a baseball game in the field behind the garage, but don't remember being old enough to play. I hope some of you can supplement my memory. How about you younger cousins - can you remember these parties?Here is another photo from the way back machine. This is the family of Francis and Sophie (Soucie) Pelletier, the parents of DesAnge Pelletier Sirois, our grandfather Archie's mother. The children are Celia, Melvina, Mary DesAnge, Natalie and twin Hattie, Alexander, Joseph and John. I can't seem to put my hands on anything that gives their birth order, but I suspect that our great-grandmother is sitting to the left of her father (his right). I'll dig that info up and see if I can put name to faces.Here's another great-great-grandfather, Jeremiah (Germain in French) Dubay, father of Charles and Grammy's grandfather. I've seen the original of this pic and it seems to be a real photo that was painted over, so looks like a drawing in some places. Jeremiah owned the store on French Island that became Shorty's, and Charles ran it for awhile, too.Paul is off fishing today, taking part in the annual Jeff Johnstone Memorial Outing. They have a fun day of fishing and raise money for a scholarship at the high school. I'm not sure which years Jeff taught at OTHS, but suspect some of you younger cousins had him and certainly some of our children did.
Well, that's it for today. Time to get the day started. For those of you who are just lurking here (like you, Fenway Frank :-), please take a minute to just click on comment and publish a "Hi" so that I can get an idea of who is reading. Just click on comment, type something in the big box - even just your name, hit the button next to anonymous and publish. Thanks.
I think I have to go make some turkey salad finger rolls now.
Love
Betsy
posted by Betsy at 2:28 PM
7 Comments:
Hey Betsy,
I hope you consider me part of the "younger" cousins. I remember, fondly, the family gatherings at Grammys. I looked forward to it every year. All of us together. We'd all be so excited that Uncle Archie and the cousins were coming for a visit. One year, I remember Scott taught me how to shuffle cards like the professionals do. I amaze everyone with my shuffling technique...thanks, Scott! I also remember playing (I thought it was wiffle ball) baseball behind Grammys. That was sooooo much fun and eating all the wonderful food. Especially Aunt Mil's Macaroni salad and the finger rolls. Listening to the Uncle's talk sports on the front porch and my dad yelling about the Red Sox. I also remember all the "older" cousins being nice and letting Terry and I hang around while you all talked. Oh, what fond memories. Thanks for reminding me, Betsy. Love, Sheila
Hi Betsy,
This is Aimee (Dana's oldest), I really like the blogs. I usually check them out when I'm bored at work or at my mom and dads. Sorry I haven't contributed before, I've been meaning to. Did my dad tell you that we're coming up to Maine in three weeks? I'm really excited about the visit. My sister and I will both be there and my boyfriend is coming too. Can't wait to see everyone!! love, aimee
Hi Betsy!
I love the photo from 1952. The Dubay/Sirois get togethers stared well before we moved out of Maine.
We moved to Virginia in 1954, summer I think. In this picture I was two and being held by my mother. Wayne was three.
I too remember the turkey sandwiches and grinding up all the turkey in the kitchen. She also used ham sometimes. There were off course adult beverages, It was a Sirois gathering after all! :) Do you remember the stash of bottles that grammy had in her bedroom closet? I can tell you that my brother and I also looked forward to coming to Maine with great excitement.
Dana
Yes, Sheila, you are one of the younger cousins, but you and Terry are the oldest of the younger cousins - in case you were feeling too good about that. :-) It was great to hear from you, Aimee. I'm glad you are coming, too. Peter and family will be here around the same time, so I think we'll be able to pull together a family gathering of some kind. Right now I'm looking at the 25th -will you all still be here then? I always need a good reason to do some cleaning and cooking.
Dana, I didn't realize that you didn't move until 54 and that you went first to Va. I do remember visiting you in NJ lots of times and one year leaving Wayne there and bringing Dale up to Maine with us. I thought that was a great trade-off, more time with Dale and less Wayne.
Betsy
Betsy,
Since I am 4 monthes younger than Sheila i would like it noted that Sheila is actually THE OLDEST of the younger cousins. Karen is visiting me & we are enjoying the pictures& reading about everyones memories. Did anyone else steal cookies from Grammy's buffet besides Sheila who roped me into going along with her fiendish plan ? Oh maybe it was my plan but those stale circus peanuts in the top drawer were hard to resist! If you did please let me know and help relieve some of this guilt I have been carrying around all these years. p.s I also took some chocolates sfter I stuck my thumb in the bottoms to see what kind they were. I hope I'm not going to HELL or if I am I hope someone besides Sheila will be there too. Terry
Terry,
I just read this comment and couldn't resist answering. I think I probably did "borrow" a cookie or two in my time, but the thing I remember sneaking the most were the Canada mints from Gram's bedroom. (She didn't fool me when she said they were medicine.) I think this will inspire a posting about the foods at Grammy's. I was actually thinking about that this morning and remembering having dinner there - Aunt Phoebe would make me cut my meat really small so I wouldn't choke, even when I was 12 or 13! yikes.
I just stumbled upon your family reunion page and can't help but think that you might be related to the biblical scholar, Celia Sirois who is quite famous within the Archdiocese of Boston. I know she grew up in Waterville, Maine and was,obviously, from a deeply religious family. The name appears in your records and I can't help but think that she was named after Athalie Celia Sirois. If you just google her name you will discover multiple pages about her work. She is brilliant and a gifted teacher. Good luck.
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