Charlie Louzon was born in Comber, Ontario, but was a US citizen from birth. He was the oldest child of Gilbert & Josephine Louzon. His First Nations heritage showed in his face. He had two sisters and a brother that lived to adulthood, plus a sibling who died in infancy. Dora is not listed in the links below because her burial location is currently unknown. She married first Edward McPherson; second, Edward Miksell; and third Gerry H. Collins. Barbara married Fred Sutton.

Charlie's parents divorced in about 1899 and he spent some of his childhood in St. Francis Home for Boys in Detroit. By 1910 his mother had remarried and was able to have her children with her again. In July, 1911 he married Marie Elena (Lena) Gagnon in River Rouge, Wayne County, Michigan, immediately south of Detroit.

Charles V. and Lena Louzon were the parents of eleven children:
James Charles born 1912
Josephine Selina born 1914
Dorothy Josephine born 1915
Jeremiah Edward born 1918
Margaret Laura born 1919
Viola Louise born 1921
Robert Raymond born 1923
June Roseanna born 1926
Lawrence Richard born 1928
Edward Arthur born 1930
Shirley Jean born 1933 died in 2020 but no known memorial in March 2021

In 1910 River Rouge was a bustling enclave of prosperity with a close-knit community of French-Canadian residents. We think Charlie settled down there because it was the home of the Great Lakes Shipyard where, later on, the ship Edmund Fitzgerald, was built. Charlie knew the electrician's trade and worked at the shipyards until the Great Depression, as did his brother and many members of his wife's family. Then, came the hard times.

By 1929 Charlie had seven children; the two eldest had already had to leave school to help support the family. Their son, Jimmy, recalled that he used to walk the train tracks near their home looking for stray pieces of coal that fell off the cars, to help heat the house. The shipyards let many men go, including Charlie. Their house was foreclosed; Charlie and Lena never owned another, living in rented quarters for the rest of their lives.

Charlie loved fishing and trapping, skills derived from his French heritage. They had a big place in his life, throughout his life. There are many family stories about fish, muskrat and turtles. During The Depression he and his boys did a lot of fishing and muskrat pelts brought $7 each. They ate the muskrat and sold the pelts. It helped to keep the family fed.

In retirement, Charlie and Lena spent summers in Algonac. We have photos of Charlie with a sturgeon he caught in Lake St. Clair that was only three inches shorter than his height of 5'7". He caught it with 40 pound line; it took over 3 hours to land it. Everyone ate fish that time. He built and stocked a live box at the end of his dock, not just to keep the fish until he needed them, but so that his little granddaughter would always catch a fish because she cried when she didn't catch one.

Eventually, Charlie found work as a patrolman for the local police department, where he remained until he retired. In 1961 their children threw them a grand bash to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary following Mass to re-solemnize their vows. In 1964 Lena's heart gave out. He spent a lot of time in Florida visiting family during the next four years doing guess what? Fishing! He also made jewelry from shells for his granddaughters. He joined Lena in death in 1968. I still have my jewelry.