Family of Édéas Messier
and Marie-Marguerite Granger
and Hélène Fournier
The Messier family is established in the region of Stanbridge-Station since six generations. Indeed, registers indicate that Edouard Messier married Delphine Juaire on January 11th, 1853 in Notre-Dame de Stanbridge. Of this marriage is born, among others, a boy named Jean-Baptiste, who got married to Octavie Benoit on September 10th, 1881, in St-Armand, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Benoit and Marie Jetté.
On March 1st, 1891, they adopted two boys : Aldéi Racine, born on February 3rd, 1891 and his brother Hormidas (Armidas) Racine, born on December 14th, 1889. After trying to conceive for several years, Octavie gave birth to Édéas on May 5th, 1894 in St. Armand West.
They took up residence on a farm in St-Armand, that they have sold a few years later, to settle down on another farm, in Fall River, Mass. In 1908, they came back in Stanbridge-Station, on the farm which was transmitted from father to son afterwards. After commercial studies to the « Collège de Farnham », Édéas took over the farm in 1915.
Marie-Marguerite Granger and Édéas Messier
Left photo : Édouard Messier and Delphine Juaire, grandparents of Édéas.
Right photo: Jean-Baptiste Messier and Octavie Benoit. The children are, from left to right,
Edeas Messier and two adopted children: Hormidas / Armidas and Aldei Racine.
Photo taken on September 19th, 1898
Family home built in Stanbridge-Station between 1914 and 1917
On January 22nd, 1918, Édéas married, in Notre-Dame de Stanbridge, Marie Marguerite Granger, daughter of Joseph and Victoria Roy, born on July 1st, 1896. Of this union were born 6 children :
Adrien
– born on October 15, 1918, died on March 10, 1999,
– On June 28, 1947, married firstly to Adrienne Racine (June 23, 1926-July 19, 1948), 1 child : Michel,
– and secondly to Noëlla Noël (May 20, 1927-November 11, 1979), 6 children : Mario, Gabriel, Diane, Luc, Linda and Stéphane.
At her wedding, Noëlla had a child from her previous marriage to Doris Létourneau : Doris.
– 17 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren.
Lucien
– born on Octobre 29, 1919, died on January 17, 2011,
– On June 23, 1945, married to Rhéa Forgues (January 24, 1924-February 20, 1993),
– 7 children : Gilles-André, Pierre, Daniel, Réal, Jean-Guy, Céline and Sylvain,
– 21 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Rolland
– born on Novembre 24, 1920, died on June 17, 2019,
– On June 19, 1948, married to Ghislaine Forgues (February 2, 1927-July 11, 2015),
– 7 children : René, Réjean, Micheline, Jacques, Ginette, Gaétan and Sylvie,
– 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchidren.
Édéas jr
Born and died on October 26, 1921.
Cécile
– born on May 20, 1923, died on May 11, 2010,
– On September 3, 1949, married to Albert Melaven (April 11, 1922-Décember 1, 2017),
– 7 children : Réjeanne, Murielle, Robert, Yvon, Lise, Marcel and François,
– 16 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren.
Marie Rita
– born on June 22, 1925, died on February 3, 1972,
– On June 14, 1952, married to Paul-Abel Rhéaume (March 3, 1918-February 28, 2002),
– 10 children : Yves, Jacques, Normand, Nicole, Denise, Guy, Gérald, Michel, a daughter who died at birth and Réal,
– 15 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren.
As several women of her time, Marie Marguerite passed away after complications arose during her last childbirth on June 27th, 1925. Besides, to take care his farm, Édéas worked on contract on surrounding farms as to make plowings, pressing or threshing. He worked many years on an upright hay baler and sixteen years on a hay baler in a prone position.
About ten years after the death of his wife, Édéas had an affair with Hélène Fournier, a neighbor and good friend, with whom, we will learn in 2025, he had two children.
Hélène Fournier and Édéas Messier
André
– born on March 20, 1937, died on February 9, 1999,
– married to Léona Brooks,
– 2 children : Lyne et Mario.
René
– born on March 23, 1940, died on April 28, 2014,
– married to Jeanne Brooks,
– 2 children : Carole et Johanne.
Today, thanks to DNA, secrets that were well hidden at the time are being revealed. This is why, André and René will bear the surname of Hélène’s husband. For the rest of their life, they will therefore be known as André Bessette and René Bessette.
Involved in his community, Édéas was a local councillor, then a secretary and treasurer for the municipality for 25 years, school commissionner, director of « La Société d’agriculture » and director of « La Laiterie Saint-Antoine (from 1939 to 1956).
During Fall 1945, pouring rains beat down on the region. It seems that the only way of getting back the corn from the fields will be to cut it by hand. Édéas appeals to the German prisoners of the Camp of Farnham to help him. Thus, for several weeks, 12 German prisoners found themselves on the farm to participate in the harvest. Four of them will spend all winter in Stanbridge-Station to assist Édéas and his family with their duties.
Édéas was the only owner of his farm until his death, which came too early, on March 25th, 1956.
Réjean Messier (12)
grandson
