Great Grandma Jane Leprade

I went out to the FHC in Stevensville as planned last Tuesday. All the way out there I imagined all the things that could go wrong: no internet service because of the snow storm, the computers might all be in use, Noel Hunt, who said she would help me, might not be there, etc., etc. Luckily, none of those things transpired; so, we began our search for Jane Leprade. We searched for Jane (Jeanne, Marie Jeanne) Leprade (Leprad, Leprat, Laprade, Lepr***) and every other way that we could think of. We did exact searches and ranked searches and soundex searches -- nothing. I came away thinking she probably is not ready, even yet, to be found. . . . But as I said before, I am ever hopeful. I decided to look her up in the Loiselle Index and the Tanguay Dictionary. This will take a little more time, but I've been looking for Jane for so long, it's become a habit I can't break.

Aunt Jean described her grandmother as a "petite, fine-boned" woman. She was Catholic, French Canadian, born in Quebec. I often wonder how she met Great grandfather George Elliott, what attracted them to each other in spite of their different religions -- which at that time, and in their circumstances were great differences. He was a Protestant, an Orangeman, born in Ireland. Aunt Jean said she believed Jane must have been disowned by her family when she married. George never allowed a Catholic priest in the house, but he let her go to Mass once a year at Easter. When Jane died in 1912, she was living in the village of Elzevir, her neighbors were French and Catholic.

As you can see, I'm fascinated by Jane Leprade. Someday, I'll find out more about her. Maybe, someday I'll meet her.