Marie Hedwidge (Boisvert) Greenwood (1851 - 1898)

Born 17 Mar 1851 in Saint-François-du-Lac, Yamaska, Lower Canada

Ancestors

Wife of Anton Cayo — married 28 Apr 1867 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States

Descendants

Died 28 May 1898 at age 47 in Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States

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Biography

Marie Hedwidge was born on 18 Mar, the day before she was baptized on 19 Mar 1851 ^[1] in St. François du Lac, Québec, Canada, listing the family name as Boisvert ("bois" is the French for wood; "vert" is the French for green), which became anglicized to Greenwood, presumably when they moved to Wisconsin. Her parents, in the baptismal record, are listed as William Boisvert and Rosaire Veroneau. There family name is written as "Boivert" and "Boiverd". [Note: I do not have a primary record connecting this record to the subsequent family; although the 1920 census for Clara Cayo indicates that her mother was Canadian and spoke French.]

It is not clear when they emigrated, but it was after her 1851-birthyear and before the 1867-marriage. I did not find the family in America in the 1860 census nor in Canada in the 1861 census. The 1870 U.S. census listed her parents with an 11 year-old son, born in Wisconsin. This implies they came over between 1851 and 1859, which seems to be very close to the founding of Two Rivers^[2].

Hedwig was married on 28 Apr 1867 to Anton Cayo (1840-1912) ^[3], although it was registered with the state on 30 Apr 1880 (after 7 children had been born). ^[4]. Although not listed here, she seems to have been married at age 16, and their first child is born in 1869.

The 1870 Census lists them living with Anton's family, having him as a separate family in the same house, but does not list her as his wife and names her "Louisa", age 19. ^[5] Anton is listed as 31 years old. There is a 10-year old child, Fredlina, who must be Anton's sister(?), and an 11 month-old, William, who must be (based on future censuses) Anton and Hedwig (Louisa)'s child. Hedwig's father is listed four pages earlier in the census, presumably indicating that they live down the street.

The 1880 census includes seven children, all born within 1-2 years apart. ^[6] Hedwig is named "Ageline", age 30. (Anton is 40 years old.) Hedwig's father is listed on the next page of the census, presumably indicating that they still live down the street.

Anton is listed in the 1900 census with three additional children, but these have larger gaps between them; in a later census, Anton indicates that they had 13 children, but only 10 survived. The youngest child at this time, Moses, was listed as having been born in 1889, but his legal records indicated it was 1887. His future census listings are consistent with these children, although some trees include "Myrtle Julia Cayo (1896)". I have not found the three children who did not survive.

Her gravestone ^[7], indicates 1850-1898 and that she is called "Hedwig". An unverified citation indicates she was born on 17 Mar 1853, which seems inconsistent.

Research Notes

• Research logic: Time with Anton gives an approximate birth year; find-a-grave (see below) cites an unverified death record with parents, incorrect birth year, and birth location; Other unverified and uncited ancestry trees give St. Francis du Lac with similar parents and paternal grandparents.
• The information I have found is primarily based on the searchable Ancestry access to the Drouin Institution's Collection, which according to Genealogie Quebec is considered a secondary source. Once I settle the details, I will try to buy a subscription to their LAFRANCE resource.

• In the marriages records, ^[3] does not have an image, but lists her name as Boisvert and is associated with Manitowoc (county?). ^[4] has an image and lists her as Greenwood and indicates Two Rivers (town). The latter was done over a decade after they were married.

• There are (as of Dec 2023) other Boisvert families in wikitree listed as born in St. Francois du Lac. I do not know if they are related.
  • Louise Boisvert (1773-1834) (orphaned profile, has extended family from other locations)
    • siblings born elsewhere or unknown.
    • sister: Isabelle Boisvert (1783-1784) born here, so maybe Joseph and Nicolas were also born here.
  • Niece of Louise: Angelle Boisvert (1793-)
  • Louis Boisvert (1801-bef.1844)
    • was father to Louis Greenwood (1819-1913) also born here, died in Mishicot, Wisconsin
  • Sophie Boisvert (1825-aft.1863)
    • Sibling to Rosalie Boisvert (1831-1862)
    • Sibling to Monique Boisvert (1833-1922)
  • Émilie Boisvert (1825-)
  • Henriette Boisvert (1831-1861)
  • Domithilde Mathilda (Boisvert) Richmond (1832-1919) (has family from other locations)
  • Louise Marie Boisvert (abt.1858-abt.1938)
  • John Eugene Boisvert (1858-1929) (parents from unknown)
  • Joseph-Elphège Boisvert (1885-1886) (has parents and siblings from elsewhere)

• Find A Grave: Memorial #147841817
  • There are notes that indicate a death record with the following:
    • Edwidge Greenwood Cayo (sic)
    • birth: 17 March 1853 Canada, St.Frances
    • death: 28 May 1898 Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., Wisconsin
    • burial: Two Rivers
    • residence: 1898 Two Rivers, Wis.
    • father: William Greenwood
    • mother: Rosale Varano
    • spouse: Anton Cayo
    • Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968
  • Also a clipping that I can't find:
    • "(From the correspondent in Two Rivers, 31 May) Mrs. Edwin Cayo(sic), a 45 year old resident of our city of French descent, died recently and will be buried today from the Catholic Church. She is survived by her husband and 10 children, 5 sons and 5 daughters. One son and one daughter are already married, an indication that the deceased had married very young." -Der Nord Westen, June 2, 1898

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008. (Institut Généalogique Drouin; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Drouin Collection; Author: Gabriel Drouin, Comp.) Ancestry Record 1091 #6290119 (Saint; St-François-du-Lac; ALL; 1851; slide 15) Free-to-view image
2. ↑ Two Rivers History: "Two Rivers, Wisconsin - A Brief History", The Wisconsin Historical Society. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2436, Accessed 29 Mar 2024.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Marriage: Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Index, 1808-1907. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2000. (Wisconsin Historical Society; Madison, Wisconsin; Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection) Ancestry Record 4997 #368681 Free-access record
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Marriage Registration: Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Records, 1820-2004. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. (Wisconsin Historical Society; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Marriage Records Pre-1907) Ancestry Record 61484 #91936479 (Pre-1907; Manitowoc, Vol 2; slide 1778) free-to-view image
5. ↑ U.S. Census, 1870: 1870 United States Federal Census. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. (Year: 1870; Census Place: Two Rivers Ward 1, Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1723; Page: 423A) Ancestry Record 7163 #14896206 (Wisconsin, Manitowoc, Two Rives Ward 1; slide 19; line 27) Free-to-view image
6. ↑ US Census, 1880: 1880 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc 2004 Provo, UT, USA (Year: 1880; Census Place: Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Roll: 1434; Page: 391C; Enumeration District: 079) Ancestry Record 6742 #28718707 (Wisconsin; Manitowoc; Two Rivers; 079; slide 31; line 18) Free-to-view image
7. ↑ Gravestone: Find A Grave: Memorial #147841817