s/o: Edmond Godbout & Adelia Bussiere
Rosaire was a 5'6", hard working, quiet, gentle man. His daughter Ida wrote, "He weighed 140 lbs when he was fat." He had a beautiful singing voice and also loved to dance.
He was born to Edmond Godbout, mason, a deaf/mute (term used at that time for a hearing impaired person) of St. Henri, Quebec, and Adelia Bussiere.
His mother died in 1905 when he was only 4. He witnessed the death of three more siblings, Phileas in 1902, Joseph Edmond in 1909 and Marie Rose in 1912. His one half brother Romeo was the only sibling to live beyond childhood.
At age 14 he ran away from home. (His paternal grandparents both died in the same year, 1915, making one wonder if that was the year/reason he set out on his own.) No information is available for where/who he went to work for. Only story told by family is that he was taken in by an old man who was extremely cruel. In fact, it is said that Rosaire had to 'escape' from him. He was starved to the point of having to steal food and also beaten and tied up when he tried to leave. At the age of 16 he finally escaped.
Rosaire crossed the border into the U.S. His eldest daughter says he simply walked across. In the town of Fort Kent, ME, he met Leonard Kelly, a resident of Allagash, ME, and his future father-in-law. Leonard offered Rosaire a job and a place to stay. Rosaire was accepted into the family and treated very kindly due to the fact that Leonard threatened his sons with a beating if they mistreated him in any way. It was here that he met his future wife Sally.
Rosaire and Sally married in 1927 and remained in Allagash, ME, until the early 1960s. He then moved to Connecticut, where he remained for the rest of his life.
In 1946, Rosaire's grandmother Marie-Delima Beland died and in her will she left the family farm to Rosaire under the condition that he move back to Canada. Rosaire chose to remain in the U.S. and the farm reverted to someone else.
Generational members of Rosiare's family were masons. He continued that trade until later years when, after retirement, he worked as a groundskeeper for a family of doctors. When he died, these doctors made a large donation in Rosaire's name to the hospital they worked in.
I'd love any information that could be provided as to the doctors he worked for and the hospital they worked at.
Rosaire was a 5'6", hard working, quiet, gentle man. His daughter Ida wrote, "He weighed 140 lbs when he was fat." He had a beautiful singing voice and also loved to dance.
He was born to Edmond Godbout, mason, a deaf/mute (term used at that time for a hearing impaired person) of St. Henri, Quebec, and Adelia Bussiere.
His mother died in 1905 when he was only 4. He witnessed the death of three more siblings, Phileas in 1902, Joseph Edmond in 1909 and Marie Rose in 1912. His one half brother Romeo was the only sibling to live beyond childhood.
At age 14 he ran away from home. (His paternal grandparents both died in the same year, 1915, making one wonder if that was the year/reason he set out on his own.) No information is available for where/who he went to work for. Only story told by family is that he was taken in by an old man who was extremely cruel. In fact, it is said that Rosaire had to 'escape' from him. He was starved to the point of having to steal food and also beaten and tied up when he tried to leave. At the age of 16 he finally escaped.
Rosaire crossed the border into the U.S. His eldest daughter says he simply walked across. In the town of Fort Kent, ME, he met Leonard Kelly, a resident of Allagash, ME, and his future father-in-law. Leonard offered Rosaire a job and a place to stay. Rosaire was accepted into the family and treated very kindly due to the fact that Leonard threatened his sons with a beating if they mistreated him in any way. It was here that he met his future wife Sally.
Rosaire and Sally married in 1927 and remained in Allagash, ME, until the early 1960s. He then moved to Connecticut, where he remained for the rest of his life.
In 1946, Rosaire's grandmother Marie-Delima Beland died and in her will she left the family farm to Rosaire under the condition that he move back to Canada. Rosaire chose to remain in the U.S. and the farm reverted to someone else.
Generational members of Rosiare's family were masons. He continued that trade until later years when, after retirement, he worked as a groundskeeper for a family of doctors. When he died, these doctors made a large donation in Rosaire's name to the hospital they worked in.
I'd love any information that could be provided as to the doctors he worked for and the hospital they worked at.
s/o: Edmond Godbout & Adelia Bussiere
Rosaire was a 5'6", hard working, quiet, gentle man. His daughter Ida wrote, "He weighed 140 lbs when he was fat." He had a beautiful singing voice and also loved to dance.
He was born to Edmond Godbout, mason, a deaf/mute (term used at that time for a hearing impaired person) of St. Henri, Quebec, and Adelia Bussiere.
His mother died in 1905 when he was only 4. He witnessed the death of three more siblings, Phileas in 1902, Joseph Edmond in 1909 and Marie Rose in 1912. His one half brother Romeo was the only sibling to live beyond childhood.
At age 14 he ran away from home. (His paternal grandparents both died in the same year, 1915, making one wonder if that was the year/reason he set out on his own.) No information is available for where/who he went to work for. Only story told by family is that he was taken in by an old man who was extremely cruel. In fact, it is said that Rosaire had to 'escape' from him. He was starved to the point of having to steal food and also beaten and tied up when he tried to leave. At the age of 16 he finally escaped.
Rosaire crossed the border into the U.S. His eldest daughter says he simply walked across. In the town of Fort Kent, ME, he met Leonard Kelly, a resident of Allagash, ME, and his future father-in-law. Leonard offered Rosaire a job and a place to stay. Rosaire was accepted into the family and treated very kindly due to the fact that Leonard threatened his sons with a beating if they mistreated him in any way. It was here that he met his future wife Sally.
Rosaire and Sally married in 1927 and remained in Allagash, ME, until the early 1960s. He then moved to Connecticut, where he remained for the rest of his life.
In 1946, Rosaire's grandmother Marie-Delima Beland died and in her will she left the family farm to Rosaire under the condition that he move back to Canada. Rosaire chose to remain in the U.S. and the farm reverted to someone else.
Generational members of Rosiare's family were masons. He continued that trade until later years when, after retirement, he worked as a groundskeeper for a family of doctors. When he died, these doctors made a large donation in Rosaire's name to the hospital they worked in.
I'd love any information that could be provided as to the doctors he worked for and the hospital they worked at.
Rosaire was a 5'6", hard working, quiet, gentle man. His daughter Ida wrote, "He weighed 140 lbs when he was fat." He had a beautiful singing voice and also loved to dance.
He was born to Edmond Godbout, mason, a deaf/mute (term used at that time for a hearing impaired person) of St. Henri, Quebec, and Adelia Bussiere.
His mother died in 1905 when he was only 4. He witnessed the death of three more siblings, Phileas in 1902, Joseph Edmond in 1909 and Marie Rose in 1912. His one half brother Romeo was the only sibling to live beyond childhood.
At age 14 he ran away from home. (His paternal grandparents both died in the same year, 1915, making one wonder if that was the year/reason he set out on his own.) No information is available for where/who he went to work for. Only story told by family is that he was taken in by an old man who was extremely cruel. In fact, it is said that Rosaire had to 'escape' from him. He was starved to the point of having to steal food and also beaten and tied up when he tried to leave. At the age of 16 he finally escaped.
Rosaire crossed the border into the U.S. His eldest daughter says he simply walked across. In the town of Fort Kent, ME, he met Leonard Kelly, a resident of Allagash, ME, and his future father-in-law. Leonard offered Rosaire a job and a place to stay. Rosaire was accepted into the family and treated very kindly due to the fact that Leonard threatened his sons with a beating if they mistreated him in any way. It was here that he met his future wife Sally.
Rosaire and Sally married in 1927 and remained in Allagash, ME, until the early 1960s. He then moved to Connecticut, where he remained for the rest of his life.
In 1946, Rosaire's grandmother Marie-Delima Beland died and in her will she left the family farm to Rosaire under the condition that he move back to Canada. Rosaire chose to remain in the U.S. and the farm reverted to someone else.
Generational members of Rosiare's family were masons. He continued that trade until later years when, after retirement, he worked as a groundskeeper for a family of doctors. When he died, these doctors made a large donation in Rosaire's name to the hospital they worked in.
I'd love any information that could be provided as to the doctors he worked for and the hospital they worked at.
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