Brossoit branch - part 1

In the Centennial book of St Rose of Lima Church, Argyle, Minnesota 1879-1979, it is written "Basil Grvais (Jarvais) and his son, Pierre, who had come from the province of Quebec, Canada ventured to Marshall County in 1877 where the virgin soil of the valley held its promise of the future.  When Pierre Gervais filed his homestead claim (the first in township) for the Southwest Quarter of Section 10 Middle River Township, Marshall County, on May 25, 1878, many other names soon appeared.  The ox cart trail(Pembina) and the Red River were the basic routes of travel.  In a short time, numerous families had migrated to this area and filed Homestead claims."

 My great-grandfather, Alexander Brossoit, was born in Montreal, Canada in 1856. When Alexander was 20 years old he emigrated to Minnesota and homesteaded property in northern Minnesota in 1879. Two years later he went back to Canada where he married Sophie Trepanier, and moved her to their home in Argyle.  

Wilfred Brossoit

Alexander and Sophie had nine children, seven who grew into adulthood.  The oldest was Wilfred Brossoit, who was born in November of 1882.  Wilfred married Stephanie Landreville (also born in Argyle) in 1914 and they had three children, Simone, Elie and Fidelis.

Next born was Virgina in 1884.  She married Wilfred Morin and they had 9 children, eight of them girls and one son, Adrian, who would be a few years younger than Virgina's youngest brother, Omer.  Adrian and Omer spent much time together, as there are lots of pictures of the two of them when they were young men.

Caroline Brossoit

Third born, in 1886, was Caroline.  Caroline didn't get married until later in life.  In the 1920 census, she is living at home and working as a self-employed dressmaker.  She married Clarence Remme and had her only child, Orella, when she was 43 years old.

Emma Kleinvachter (r)

George Brossoit was next child born in Feb 1888.  George was a broad chested man who started off as a rural mail carrier in Stephen but this only lasted for one season from July 1918 to November 1918.  He owned the local pool hall -"George Brossoit called his billiards parlor 'The Club.'"  (As recorded in the Marshall County Leader and Stephen Messenger in 1920.)  He also gained notoriaty as a local wrestler in town.  In June of 1920 he married his sweetie, Emma Laura Kleinvachter, from Vienna, Austria.  They had five children, Elizabeth, Jean, Lori and twins, Donald and Donna.