Jean Jacques Stehelin and Catherine Thibodeau


...Jean Jacques Stehelin was born at Bitschwiller, Alsace, France,
23 April 1871 and died at Hampton, Kings Co., New Brunswick, 12 December 1925.

At St.-Bernard, Digby Co., Nova Scotia, 24 July 1893, Jean Jacques Stehelin married Catherine Thibodeau. I should point out that the official Provincial Records indicate that "both" Jean Jacques and Catherine are indicated as being from Weymouth Bridge, today Weymouth, Digby Co., Nova Scotia and that Jean Jacques indicated that he had been born in Versailles, France. Both are indicated as being 24 years of age...

... Catherine Thibodeau dit "Katie" was born 16 August 1867 at Church Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia, the daughter of Jovite Thibodeau and Marcelline Saulnier.

Please note: The picture indicated from my information is of Katie... however...I am not as yet convinced to my own satisfaction. The picture is from a Stehelin family group picture taken at what appears to be New France which I have the original in my private collection. One individual in the picture was cut out and I was never able to get an answer as to why. Tante Germain who is in the picture along with Simone could not...or would not tell me who it was that was missing. All the remaining individuals can be indentified...

On a personal note...Katie has always had a very special place in my heart. I often thought about her as I would go throught some of the old records. She was just a simple Acadian girl not educated and polished like the Stehelins...but she had something her husband lacked...sincerity and honest pride based on who she was...not based on what the family had...



... The couple were married by Rev. Alphonse B. Parker and the witnesses were Isaac Thibodeau... Katie's brother and Francoise Bourneuf...daughter of Philippe Bourneuf and Elizabeth Melanson of Grosses Coques, Digby Co., Nova Scotia.

Alphonse Parker was born in Ireland 01 July 1859. He studied in his native country of Ireland as well as in France...in England and in Canada. He was ordained priest 16 July 1883 in Halifax, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia and immediately began his religious duties in 1883 as parish priest at Saint-Michel parish in Wedgeport, Yarmouth Co., Nova Scotia. Later he was appointed to different curates including the parishes of Saint-Bernard, Digby Co., Nova Scotia...Church Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia and Sainte-Croix, Digby Co., Nova Scotia. In 1888 he initiated the project Memorial Sigogne in hope of realizing Father Jean-Marie Sigogne's wish to teach the Acadians to read and write in their mother tongue.



... Louis A. Melanson, the local merchant and Postmaster of Chruch Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia who introduced himself to Jean Jacques with an extended hand....a smile and the words... "Bienvenue Icite"...

Photo kindly provided by Leona d'Entremont-Doucette from her private collection



...

Louis A. Melanson's store in Chruch Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia. This was the store where Jean Jacques Stehelin met Louis Melanson...

Original postcard in my private collection



...

College Ste.-Anne, Church Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia where Jean Jacques was reunited with Father Morin...his old latin professor at l'Ecole St. Jean, in Paris, France... now Superior of the newly founded College Ste.-Anne and Parish Priest...



... Gustave Blanche was born in 1848 in Brittany. After the Franco-Prussian war he was disbanded from the army and studied law before entering the noviciate. Archbishop O'Brien asked Gustave Blanche to come to Church Point (Pointe-de-l'Eglise), Digby Co., Nova Scotia where he arrived in September 1890.

Father Blanche was the Superior at College Sainte-Anne ( Ste.-Anne University )for nine years (1890-1899) after which time he returned to France. Later in 1905 he became bishop and Vicar Apostolic of the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence.



... Father Aimé Morin