Antoine-Abraham Lavoie
1855-1935




Abraham Lavoie was born on a Monday, the 8th of October 1855 in St-Martin, Ile-Jesus, Laval, Québec, son of Abraham Lavoie and Onésime Couvrette, and was baptised the following day, the 9th of October 1855 also in St-Martin, Ile-Jesus, Laval, Quebec.

It would appear that he arrived in Ottawa, Ontario between the ages of 12 and 14. His youngest brother Narcisse-Jean-Marie was born in February 1867 in St-Martin and died in July of the same year. One can assume that only following this date did the family pack their bags and leave St-Martin, Ile Jésus, to make the trip to the city of Ottawa which was just being born.

I have no information concerning our young Abraham until we find him in the 1881 census for E Ottawa Ward C13,230 E2 page 53, where he is listed under the name of Antoine, living with his parents in the family home at the age of 25, occupation day laborer.


The following year, at the age of 26, he marries in the church of Ste-Anne, old St-Patrick St., Ottawa, in the section of town commonly called lower town, the 9th of March 1882, Phélonise Lafleur, aged 19 years, daughter of Joseph Lafleur and Marie-Louise Fauvel dite Bigras, originally from St André Est, in the county of Argenteuil, Québec. Phélonise is already pregnant and will give birth the following month.

According to the 1891 Census for Ottawa, microfilm T6369 Ottawa Ward, B2 Division, page 85, he went by the name of Antoine, occupation was that of "express driver" or "charretier/charquier" (drove a team of horses and a wagon to deliver goods from CNR freight sheds).

In the 1901 Census for Ottawa, T-6488 Ottawa Ward, Division D6, page 10, line 47, he went by the name of Abraham, was 46 years of age, his birth date being confirmed as the 8th October 1855, occupation was that of "teamster" (drove a team of horses for CNR), was self employed, worked 12 months of the year and had made $300.00 that year. He was fully bilingual (read,write,speak English and French).

He becomes a widower in 1924, year in which his beloved Phelonise passes on at the age of 60 years of age.

Antoine is said to be living at Hospice St-Charles at the time of his death in 1935 at the age of 80, according to Notre-Dame cemetery registers. He was buried in the family plot in the cemetery of Notre-Dame de Lourdes, Montreal Rd, Ottawa, where also rested the remains of his little Fanny, or Faneline.



Phelonise Lafleur gave birth to at least 10 children:

  1. Anonymous, born on the 23rd April, dies on the following day the 24th and is buried on the 25th April 1882 in the Notre-Dame cemetery.
  2. Marie-Louise Lavoie, was born in 1883, and died on the 12th April 1906 of tuberculosis. She will be interred in the cemetery of Notre-Dame de Lourdes in Ottawa. It may be that the family stone which exist today was made for Marie-Louise since the front of it clearly shows that the name of Marie-Louise was certainly the first name on the stone, that of her grandmother Onésime, who deceased in 1889, is inscribed on one of its sides. The present stone is still in very good condition in this year 2002.
  3. Antoine, born on the 5th and baptised the 7th June 1885 in the Notre-Dame basilica of Ottawa, he dies before reaching his second birthday, that is, on the 29th March 1887 and is buried the next day, the 30th March 1887 at Notre-Dame cemetery.
  4. Rose-Délima Lavoie, born on the 11th February 1887, Ottawa, Ontario, married Jean-Baptiste Desjardins, son of Isaac and Eveline Laviolette, on the 28th August 1905 in the cathedral of Notre-Dame, Sussex Drive, Ottawa.
  5. Hélène Lavoie, born on the 18th December 1888 or 1889. She will also be known as Nellie.
  6. Antoine-Jean-Baptiste Lavoie, born on the 21th July 1891 in Ottawa, Ontario and baptised on the 26th July 1891 in the cathedral of Notre-Dame, Sussex Drive, Ottawa. He will marry Marie-Anne Pilon on the 21st September 1913, also in the cathedral of Notre-Dame, Sussex Drive, Ottawa.
  7. Lucia-Beatrice Lavoie, born on 17th August, she was baptised on 20th August 1892 at Notre-Dame basilica, Ottawa. She married James McGuire, son of Louis and Marie Sullivan, on the 31st July 1912 in the cathedral of Notre-Dame, Sussex Drive, Ottawa. She died in 1949 and was buried in Notre-Dame cemetery in Ottawa.
  8. Marie-Anne-Delima, born on the 11th July 1895, Ottawa, Ontario, baptised on the 14th July. She will survive only for 20 days, dying on the 31st July, and buried the 1st of August.
  9. Wilfrid-Omer, born on 25th June, and baptised on 28th June 1896. He dies at the age of 16 months, that is, the 12th November 1897, and was buried the following day, the 13th November 1897 at Notre-Dame cemetery.
  10. Jean-Baptiste-Wilfrid Lavoie, will marry Catherine-Barbara Bayson on the 18th October 1922 in Ste-Brigid church, St-Patrick street, Ottawa, Ontario.