{"id":6601,"date":"2026-05-25T10:55:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T14:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp268347.wpdns.ca\/?page_id=6601"},"modified":"2026-06-12T09:11:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:11:25","slug":"edward-francis-messier-e","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/edward-francis-messier-e","title":{"rendered":"Edward Francis Messier &#8211; E"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6601\" class=\"elementor elementor-6601\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e466194 e-flex e-con-boxed jltma-glass-effect-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5e466194\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fb3ae69 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4fb3ae69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Edward Francis Messier and C\u00e9lina Touchette<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1663f6fb jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1663f6fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">A Vermont family<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-465c129e e-flex e-con-boxed jltma-glass-effect-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"465c129e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d33fa1 e-con-full e-flex jltma-glass-effect-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1d33fa1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49533a42 e-grid e-con-full jltma-glass-effect-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"49533a42\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3261a4b4 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3261a4b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Michael Messier and his uncle Jacques Messier came to Nouvelle France in 1651. A year early, came Martine Messier and her husband, Antoine Primot, and a future cousin, Catherine Thierry, who was adopted by the family Primot. My ancestor, Jacques Messier, came to settle down in 1660. He was the brother of Michael Messier. They all came from St-Denis-le-Tiboult, Rouen, Normandie, France. All the Messier settled down in the Richelieu Valley, when they arrived in Montreal. Because of the lack of land, and the number of children, they did not want to go in the Eastern Counties there was rocky land, and because it was a Loyalist part of Quebec given by the Canadian Government when these loyalists, who wanted to be faithful to the king of England, moved from the United States.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-425becb2 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"425becb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"416\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Francois-Messier.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1765\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Francois-Messier.jpg 416w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Francois-Messier-300x278.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 416px) 100vw, 416px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71b8953 e-con-full e-flex jltma-glass-effect-no e-con e-child\" data-id=\"71b8953\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d9fc8b jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d9fc8b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Lucie Leblanc said White and Fran\u00e7ois Messier<\/p><p>Edward Francis Messier&rsquo;s parents<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66888e4b jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66888e4b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">The Edward Messier family can be traced back to a small farm at the base of Jay Peak in Montgomery, VT and on to the Fairfield area. As I compiled this information on my great grandfather, I stopped and asked myself, \u00ab\u00a0who was this man, what was this man really like, what were his beliefs, and was he a family man?\u00a0\u00bb To better get to know him, I found a paper written some years ago by his granddaughter Arlene (Jordan) Martell. The following is Arlene\u2019s view of her grandfather as she had written.<\/p><p class=\"font_2 wixui-rich-text__text\">Gale Messier<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c1f0f8c jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2c1f0f8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"987\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4660-Copie.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1763\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4660-Copie.jpg 987w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4660-Copie-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4660-Copie-768x598.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79c634a0 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79c634a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8\"><strong>Left to right, first row: \u00c9va Messier (Jordan), Edward Messier et C\u00e9lina Touchette<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font_8\">Second row, left to right: Edward Messier Jr, Alma Messier (Pilon), Jos\u00e9phine Messier (Labelle), Nellie Messier (Nolan) et Frank Messier.<\/p><p class=\"font_8\">Picture taken in the early 1920&rsquo;s<\/p><p class=\"font_8\">Great grand-parents of Gale Messier<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64dbf1bc jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"64dbf1bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Edward (Ed) and Celina Touchette<\/span><\/strong> moved from their family farm at the foot of Jay Peak in Montgomery, VT, when their children started entering their teens. They operated the Doane farm at Fairfield Center for three years and lived near the bridge just east of the village.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">In the winter, Frank and his sister, Eva, did a lot of skating on the pond near the bridge. They always talked about their racing days when they got together. He had made some custom made racing skates just for her, with long runners. Sleigh rides were also among their favorite memories. They always had a lot of bells on their team so everyone in town knew they were coming.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Ed <\/span>and <span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Celina<\/span><\/strong> then bought the family farm in East Fairfield, one mile above the Lapland school on the Howrigan Road where they spent the rest of their lives. The farm was located at the foot of Fletcher Mountain and ran up to what was called Pine Ridge. It consisted of two hundred acres with a brook running through the total width of the farm and another coming down the hill by the barns emptying into the main brook. This created the old swimming pool. There was a large sugar bush on the farm with a sugarhouse about a thousand feet from the house. There was also a large blacksmith shop that was above the road toward the mountain with the stream running directly behind it. The hen house and hog pen were above that along with extra hay barn with the turkey roost built up the side of it. The hay barn backed up to an apple orchard in the hill with the back left open so that the heifers could feed through out the winter day. They were several deers always wintered there with the heifers. One could always find a family of guinea hens around the shop or haymow. They were probably the family mascots for neighbors could never remember not seeing guinea hens around. The main dairy barn was located across the road. The garage that housed the old Pontiac car that Ed prized so much was between the house and barn on a circle drive way. Along one wall of the garage could be found a long workbench with a lot of interesting tools.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Frank and Edward Jr. ran the blacksmith shop until Edward Jr. left home. They also had a portable sawmill that kept them busy sawing woodpiles.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">When Frank married, he lived in East Fairfield Village but still ran the blacksmith shop with his father for a few years until he purchased his own farm. He also made and repaired wagon wheels. One of his specialties was designing scooters or so called jack jumpers. This was a narrow ski with a steel runner with a seat mounted on it. In the winter when conditions were right, he could mount his scooter from half way up Wells hill and ride all the way to East Fairfield, which was three miles. He would ride like the wind down the long hills building up momentum to make the next grade. His own personal design was one of perfection, with just the right balance. The only traffic on the roads at that time was logging teams and they were long gone home by chore time. He rode with such skill that the population along the road watched for him to go flying by with his head bent against the wind. He went faster than any vehicle had ever traveled across Fitzgerald flats. On a bad day the most he had to walk was the last two hundred or three hundred feet over Morey hill.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Edward Sr was a self-educated man having taught himself to read and write. He spent a lot of time reading the Burlington Press and his bible. Every year, he put on a barn dance to raise money for the Lapland school. He felt every child should be educated in order to have a better life. He always said that anyone that couldn\u2019t read or write could be made a fool of.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">He was a carpenter and had a great understanding of gasoline motors. Grandsons Ronald and Norbert spent all their extra time in the blacksmith shop designing home made cars. By the time they were teenagers, they both had cars that ran.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Edward Sr. was blessed with a great ear for music. He made all kind of crude musical instruments, carved some out of wood like a piccolo and made some with strings. He always carried a harmonica in his pocket. The organ was the most important piece of furniture in the home and everyone had learned to play it when they were very young. He thought that everyone was born with this talent and had very little patience with anyone who didn\u2019t play music or dance. His sons Frank and Edward always carried a Jew\u2019s harp in their pockets as well as a harmonica when they went into the woods to cut wood with their father. During rest periods they would have a little jam session. The boys weren\u2019t always appreciating of this tradition but went along anyhow. Their father would tell them that playing good music would keep their mind clear and their souls clean. This tradition went back to their family and Canadian culture and to the Messier\u2019s lumber camps in Montgomery, VT. There was always fiddling and dancing the jig in the evening and at mealtime. Edward used to talk about his father Francis and his brother Joseph fiddling together and making those fiddles sing. His sister Rose also played the violin. These great gifts of craftsmanship and musical abilities have been inherited by many of his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Before electricity became a household word in the mountain areas of East Fairfield, the Messier family had electric lamps. Ed had invented a generator that he mounted onto the roof of the house with paddles run by the wind. He wired it to pull down lamp and when the wind blew there were electric light at the dinner table. It worked so well that he built one for his neighbor.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">He always kept his rife over the kitchen door and his shotgun in the the corner of the dinning room. The ammunition was always lined up on the top shelf of his writing desk. He had a special cartrage made up just for thieves for you were your own law enforcement agent in that part of the county. It consisted of rock salt and pellets. He always told a story of the man of little ambition that tried to rob him of his small tools on one moonlit night. When the old collie dog growled he got up and put on his pants, then grabbed his shotgun with a special load. He had carved a special groove on one of the veranda pillars to steady his aim. As the thief came out of the garage with his bag of tools, Ed was waiting for him. When the thief turned his back to the road, he took aim and fired, hitting him in the backside. He went screaming up the road. Ed then went to the barn, got on his horse and followed him. By the time he caught up to him he had reached his home and was lying across the kitchen table with his old mother tweezing out buckshots. Ed went right in and confronted him and that was the last of his thieving in those parts.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">A brook well stocked with trout ran by the house about a hundred feet from the front door. Every morning about five thirty before chores, Ed would throw in his line off the bridge and catch a couple of trouts for his breakfast. If a grandchild happens to be there that was their job. He said: \u00ab\u00a0God had put them there for him to eat\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">There was always a large garden behind the house. Canning days were when all his daughter\u2019s came home to can tomatoes, beets, corn, and other vegetables. Then there was pickle days when they all made pickles for the winter. They used the vinegar that he had made from cider the year before. Cider days came when the apples were ready. The best apples were placed into the apple bins in the cellar and the rest went into the press. This was hand turned and everyone had a turn. The juice went into the three big wooden barrels in the cellar until it turned into cider.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Grandpa always planted popcorn to pop during the winter evenings. This was hung to dry. In the evening this was shucked and put into jars.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">When neighbor needed a new water source, they usually came to see grandpa, for he was truly a dowser and could find water if there was any to be found.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">As he grew older, his carrot red, curly hair turned snow white but his beard stayed bright red. Every fall he let it grow, as did all lumbermen to protect their faces from the cold winters. The day after sugaring season he shaved it off. His piercing blue eyes always remained the same. When he said: \u00ab\u00a0Now young lady\u00a0\u00bb you stood at attention and knew that you had displeased him. His large structure was overwhelming to a child anyhow.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Life could be interesting at Grandpa\u2019s house. Occasionally he had turn at a neighborhood social. The women all sat in the dining room making quilts as they exchanged conversation, while the men sat in the kitchen playing cards and drinking cider. Grandpa was always asked to play a tune or two and tell a story.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Story telling was another one of his talents. He could either scare the wits out of you with his haunted house stories, or make you laugh till your insides hurt telling of funny things that had happened in his lifetime.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Having been brought up in the French and Indian cultures, he was always teaching survival tactics to his grandchildren. He would walk them through the woods pointing out what was poison and what was not, which flowers that we could pick and the ones that were deadly. He would cut off some Spruce gum for us to chew and be sure that we could identify a spruce tree. We would pick cowslip for greens and other wild greens. We weren\u2019t allowed to pick that very special flower, just look at it and draw a picture of it but on the way home we always picked pussy willows.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">He had a poultice for every kind of illness made from bark, roots, and herbs. Every spring he fed us sulfur and molasses every night for a week. This was to clean out your system.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Grandpa was a religious man and always carried a crucifix. He said, \u00ab\u00a0that the devil still walked the earth and that was his protection from him.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">He always said that his kids cut their eyeteeth at the end of a crosscut saw and knew what a days work was by the time they were knee high to a grasshopper. As a nine year old facing him at the other end of a crosscut saw, I didn\u2019t dispute that statement one little bit.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">In those days one never wasted a minute. There was no time for children to play for there was too much work to be done. Children picked strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. On rainy days, you cracked butternuts for cooking and candies and piled wood in neat rows in the woodshed.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Occasionally, we drove to town to Chase\u2019s wheelwright shop where he taught me to cut puzzles with the jigsaw.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">When grandpa married his second wife I had gone to live with them. We called her aunt Louise, a sweet little lady from Littleton, NH. Before that, I had lived about a mile and a half down the road from Grandpa.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">My sister and I often walked up to his house bringing him fresh loaves of bread and doughnuts and spending the day with him since he live alone most of the time since Grandma had died in 1930. The last year that I live there, was difficult for Grandpa, had became ill. He mourned his brother Joseph, who had died the year before in New Hampshire. The doctor said that he had to slow down for his heart was very enlarged.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">This led to a trip to Hardwick to get a teenage grandson to help carry the load. Lewis (Sam) Messier came in the summer of 1938 and stayed until Grandpa died in 1940. I was sent back to my family in Milton, VT, the summer before he died having had the very good fortune to have gotten to know him, a man of many talents who had developed every facet of his abilities.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Aunt Mary and Aunt Rose came from Massachusetts to the funeral. They were both very lovely ladies. Aunt Rose was shorter and looked just like her brother Edward. Her red hair was a bit faded then but she had that twinkle in her eye and a spontaneous laugh.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Arlene Martell<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fe0805f jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5fe0805f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1766\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2.jpg 699w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2-300x32.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2890f71b jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2890f71b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">After reading Arlene\u2019s view of her Grandpa. I can better picture this man. I wish that I could have known him myself. I would like to thank Arlene for writing this history paper about her Grandpa. She gave us all a close look at the man himself, Edward Messier.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Gale Messier<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-104d2804 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"104d2804\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1766\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2.jpg 699w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-2-300x32.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6646f1dc jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6646f1dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4666-noir-et-blanc.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1764\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4666-noir-et-blanc.jpg 970w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4666-noir-et-blanc-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_4666-noir-et-blanc-768x608.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2aa64779 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2aa64779\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8\"><strong>In front: Joseph Messier and Edward Messier<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font_8\"><strong>Second row: Estelle Messier (Desautel), Rose Messier, Mary Messier<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font_8\"><strong>Photo taken after 1930 in St. Albans, VT<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65aff309 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"65aff309\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"817\" height=\"65\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1731\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1.jpg 817w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1-300x24.jpg 300w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1-768x61.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-257b56f8 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"257b56f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Fran\u00e7ois Messier and Lucie Leblanc\/White family<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-474959ef jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"474959ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Fran\u00e7ois Messier<\/span><\/strong> born on January 4, 1832 in Marieville, QC, son of Pierre Messier and Esther Poyer\/Lapintade married <strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Lucie Leblanc\/White<\/span><\/strong> born June 23, 1838 in St-Pie-de-Bagot, QC, daughter of Michel Leblanc\/White and Victoire Henry-PiedBlanc\/Whitefoot.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Date and place of marriage are unknown. Lucie Leblanc\/White died in Swanton, VT, on August 9, 1904. Francois Messier, died in Linwood, Northbridge, MA, on December 18, 1908. The date of burial is the day after at\u00a0the St. Patrick&rsquo;s\u00a0cemetery of Northbridge, MA.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">They have 5 children<\/span>:<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Esther<\/span><\/strong>, born January 6, 1859 in Enosburg Falls, VT, married Pierre Arel in Enosburg, VT, on September 10, 1871.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Mary<\/span><\/strong>, born on September 21, 1861 in Enosburg Falls, VT, married John Ashton in Montgomery, VT, on June 15, 1891.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Joseph<\/span><\/strong>, born July 29 1864 in Enosburg Falls, VT, Alice Centerbar, on Marsh 10, 1890 in Enosburg Falls, VT and Clara Allard.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Rosilla<\/span><\/strong>, born June 10, 1867 in Enosburg Falls, VT, married Willie O. Casey on January 16, 1883 in Bakersfield, VT and Lewis Dezaotelle\/Desautels, in Westfield, VT, on November 4, 1889.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Edward<\/span><\/strong>, born May 16, 1869 in Enosburg Falls, VT married Celina Leda Touchette in Montgomery, VT on January 20, 1890 and Louise Allard in Fairfield, VT, on August 17, 1936. Edward died on September 28, 1940 and Celina on December 19, 1930 in Fairfield. They are in the Bakersfield cemetery, VT.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-473be39c jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"473be39c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Edward Francis Messier and C\u00e9lina Touchette family<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47f2fa3b jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"47f2fa3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"817\" height=\"65\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1731\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1.jpg 817w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1-300x24.jpg 300w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Separateur-1-768x61.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7663cbb5 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7663cbb5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8\"><strong>Edward Francis Messier<\/strong>, son of Fran\u00e7ois and Lucie Leblanc\/White, born on May 16, 1869 in Enosburg Falls, VT. He married <strong>C\u00e9lina Touchette<\/strong>, on January 20, 1890 in Montgomery, VT. She was born on August 4, 1871 in Westfield, VT, daughter of Louis Touchette and Jos\u00e9phine Dusseau.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8\">Edward Francis died on September 28, 1940 and C\u00e9lina Touchette on December 19, 1930 in Fairfield, VT. They are buried in Bakersfield, VT<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><div id=\"WRchTxt6-1c2y\" class=\"UwkEpO _v6ohL ZS_qLz PO9MfV WRchTxt6-1c2y wixui-rich-text\" data-testid=\"richTextElement\"><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">They have 7 children<\/span>:<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Josephine Lucy<\/span><\/strong>, born November 7, 1890 in Montgomery, VT, married Charles Labelle \u00a0 on November 27, 1905 in Montgomery, VT. Charles was born October 9, 1883. He died July 1974. Josephine died March 26, 1964. They are both buried in Milton, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">8 children: Charles Edward (1906-1967), Glaydes Moe (1908-1973), Cassie Eleonor (1910), Ethel (1912), Maurice (1914-1991), Oliver John (1916-1960), Rose Celina (1921) and Nancy Mary (1922).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Francis Frank<\/span><\/strong>, born January 11, 1893 in Montgomery, VT, married Lillian Valley, on September 18, 1913 in Enosburg Falls, VT. Lillian was born September 13, 1891, died \u00a0\u00a0 March 5, 1974. Frank died September 10, 1956. They are both buried in East Franklin, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">3 children: Ronald (1917-1964), Norbert (1919-1969) and Wilma (1922).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Edward Lewis<\/span><\/strong>, born December 4, 1897 in Westfield, VT, married Bertha Blanche Sorrell on November 20, 1920 in Fairfield, VT. Bertha was born October 20, 1903 in Georgia Plains, VT. She died on May 26, 1993 in St. Albans and is buried in Holly Cross Cemetery in St. Albans, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">3 children: Lucille Bertha (1921), Louis Edward (1923) and Thamas James (1925-1996).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Married Juliette Chartier in Burke, VT on May 26, 1931. She is born in Granby, QC, on September 27, 1911 and she died on May 26, 1970 in Northfield, VT. Edward died on\u00a0\u00a0 September 26, 1964 in Northfield and is buried in Northfield, VT, with his wife.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">13 children: Rachel Janet (1933), Raymond Roger (1934), Louise Florina (1935-1990), Carmen (1936-1999), Vivian (1937), Yvonne (1940), Marcel (1941), Paul (1942-1956), Edward (1943), Alice Irene (1945), Yvette (1946), Laurette\/Kitty (1953), Denise (1948).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Nellie<\/span><\/strong>; born March 11, 1901 in Westfield, Vermont Married Arthur Nolan on September 2, 1918 in Fairfield, VT. Arthur was born May 25, 1896 in Swanton, VT and died August 27, 1991.\u00a0 Nellie died March 25, 1980 and they are both buried in Holly Family Cemetery in Essex, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">3 children: Ila (1922-2002), Arlon (1927-1999) and Alice (1944).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Eva Hattie<\/span><\/strong>; born January 31, 1903 in Montgomery, VT, married Edward William Jordan on May \u00a0 21, 1921 in Bakersfield, VT. Edward was born on July 7, 1894 and died January \u00a0\u00a0 31, 1967.\u00a0 Eva died April 10, 1994. They are both buried together in St. George Cemetery in Bakersfield, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">6 children: Eleanor Mary (1923), Arlene Catherine (1926), Ann Frances (1928), Andrew Julius (1932), Tersa Rosa (1936) and Judith Catrol (1944).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Alma Jane<\/span><\/strong>, born November 10, 1905 in Westfield, VT, married Joseph Pilon on November 27, 1922 in Fairfield. Joe was born on June\u00a0 24, 1889 in St-Lazare de Vaudreuil, QC, Canada, son of Jean-Baptiste and Anastasia Castonguay. He died on July 1, 1979. Alma died on February 12, 1986. They are both buried together in St. George Cemetery in Bakersfield, VT.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">6 children:\u00a0 Arthur (1919-1921), Edward (1926), Cecile (1927), Yvonne (1930), Arthur (1932), Joseph Paul (1937) and Josephine (1943).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">3 stepchildren of Alma Messier: Alma (1913), Emile (1914) and Hank (1916-1977).<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\"><strong><span class=\"wixui-rich-text__text\">Baby Girl<\/span><\/strong>, born February 9, 1913 died February 9, 1913.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c21db40 jltma-glass-effect-no elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5c21db40\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"656\" height=\"811\" src=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Gale-Lignee-v2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1767\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Gale-Lignee-v2.jpg 656w, https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Gale-Lignee-v2-243x300.jpg 243w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 656px) 100vw, 656px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Edward Francis Messier and C\u00e9lina Touchette A Vermont family \u00a0 Michael Messier and his uncle Jacques Messier came to Nouvelle France in 1651. A year early, came Martine Messier and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6601","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6601"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7562,"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6601\/revisions\/7562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/famillemessierfamily.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}