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- DOB, DOD: obit
WILLIAM LAJOIE, VAN BUREN, March 12-William J. Lajoie 88, died Thursday at a St Basile NB nursing home after a short illness. Lajoie was born in Edmundston June 27 1870 son of Joseph and Ida (Marquis) Lajoie. He was a membpr of the League of the Sacred Heart. Surviving are four sons Willie, Felix, and Come of Van Buren, and Abel of Portsmouth, five daughters Mrs Aztlda Cormier, and Mrs Cecile Ouellette of Van Buren, Mrs Anna Martin of Waterville, and Mrs Laura Dube and Mrs Germaine Tardif of Lewiston. Friends may call at Thlbault's Funeral Home here Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 10 o'clock. Funeral services will be conducted at St Bruno's Catholic Church Monday morning at 9 o'clock. The Rrv John Bouchard SM will officiate at the Solemn High Mass of Requiem. Burial will be at the family lot St Bruno's Cemetery, in spring.
The Lajoie Family
They Helped Develop Cyr Plantation
Above photo is a Family portrait of Mr. and Mrs. William Lajoie, who developed a large amount of land in Cyr Plantation and who have left descendants who still maintain farms in the community. The picture was taken in 1923.
First row from left are Come, Gilbert, Willie, William Lajoie (father); Germaine, who became Mrs. Albeit Tardif; Clodie(Violette) Lajoie, the mother; and Felix. In back row, left to right, Emile Abel, Cecil, who become Mrs. Noel Ouellette; Laura, who became Mrs,. Alphy Perreoult and later Mrs. Thomas Dubay; Anna, who became Mrs. Billy Martin and Azilda, who became Mrs. Come Cormier.
Mr. William Lajoie came to Van Buren at the age of three with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lojoie, formerly of Edmundston. He was born in 1871. At the age of 19 he married Odedlie Deveau, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Deveau of Cyr Plantation • The couple married and resided in Augusta for a year. William worked on the electric car there.
At the end of their first year of marriage his wife died in childbirth and so did the baby. William returned to Cyr Plantation and later married Clodie Violette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Belonie Violette of Van Buren. The couple first settled on the farm of Michel Lojoie, an uncle of William’s. The agreement was that they could have the farm in return for giving room and board to Uncle Michel. The William Lajoies lived in the barn and he later told his children about being able to hear the horses eating their hay from their living quarters.
Azilda, Anna and Willie were all born in the barn, but things did not work out as the family had hoped and they soon moved to the main road, buying Augustin Madore’s farm. Willie was three years old when they made this move to the farm which is now owned by Norman Lajoie.
At the new farm, the family put in a great deal of hard work, rising early and going to bed very late, and they developed a prosperous farm and raised a family that grew to 11. William was able to establish each of his older sons on a farm of his own. Felix farmed the land owned by Honore Bosse. Abel took over the farm belonging to Cyprien Lajoie, an uncle, and this land is now owned by Come Lajoie. Willie farmed Billy Martin’s land and later bought “Baby” Lajoie’s farm, all of which is now one farm belonging to Raymond Lajoie. The old homestead went to the late Gilbert, and now his son Norman operates the farm.
The Lajoies controlled so much of the land in Cyr Plantation that a mile in the community on the Caribou road became known as “Le Boute Des Lajoie,” a recognition of the hardworking family.
When Germaine, the baby, was only 10 years old, Mrs. Lajoie died and the family remained together with Cecile acting as head of the family. William later remarried Agnes Clavette Bourgoin, a widow, who died in 1931. He then lived with his son Gilbert, for 27 years and died at the age of 87 in 1958. Of his children, Come, Willia, Germaine, Felix, Abel and Cecile are still living. —
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1870 - 1959 (88 years)
