Francis Joseph Rouleau (1881 - 1957)

Born 12 Jul 1881 in Manteno, Kankakee, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Died 19 Jul 1957 at age 76 in Manteno, Kankakee, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robin Rainford [send private message]

Biography

When Francis Joseph Rouleau was born on July 12, 1881, in Manteno, Illinois, his father, Zepherin, was 34 and his mother, Marie, was 30. He married Odile Alma Remily on January 12, 1916, in Turton, South Dakota. They had five children in 10 years. He died on July 19, 1957, in his hometown at the age of 76.

Marriage Husband Francis Joseph Rouleau. Wife Odile Alma Remily. Child: Zephirin Alfred Rouleau. Child: Clara Louise Rouleau. Child: Frances Irene Rouleau. Child: George Louis Michael Rouleau. Child: Jeannette Rouleau. Marriage 12 JAN 1916. Turton, Spink, South Dakota, USA.

Excerpt from Turton Centennial Book: "Joe Rouleau was born in Manteno, Illinois on December 7,1881.He came to Turton on a vacation with a cousin of the Remily family. That is how he met Odile Remily. Their courtship took place during his stay in South Dakota. Joe went back to Manteno and a year later came back to Turton to make Odile his bride. After being married in Turton they moved back to Manteno for one year. They then came back to Turton and lived there for 25 years. Odile (Remily) Rouleau was born to Fred and Clara Remily of Turton. She was born on August 4,1892 and was the first of 13 children. Joe and Odile had five children of their own. They are Zephren, Clara Louise, Francis, George and Jeanette. Clara Louise died in 1937 in her senior year at Turton High School. She is buried in the Turton Catholic Cemetery. The other four children are still living. Joe Rouleau was postmaster of Turton for a while. He was also the town board clerk and the school board clerk for years. Joe and Odile ran a restaurant in Turton. This was the same restauran t that Roy Burr ran and Murrey Harvey ran with his dad, Frank. The Rouleaus were best known for running a rooming and boarding house in Turton. Two homes in Turton.housed this establishment. They were the Ed. Remily house (now owned by George Rahm) and the Shorty Remily house (now owned by Bill Imms). Many people roomed and boarded there but four people stand out in our memories. They are Lawrence Remily, Oscar Seagreen, Bill Fregon and George Peterson. Back in the days when Turton High School had student dormitories, the Rouleau home housed the boys dormitory. This was when Turton High School had its finest days and Odile was always proud to be part of it. She remembered all the boys that stayed in the dorm and especially remembered Quentin Miles, Clem Becker and the champion mumper, Irvin Troske. The Rouleaus left Turton in 1942. They moved back to Manteno, 111. where they lived until they died. Joe died in 1957 and Odile died in 1984. Odile’s father, Fred, was 21 when he came to Turton. Her paternal grandparents were Julian Remily and Sophia (Brais) Remily. They came to Turton from Manteno, 111. They filed on a half section of land. Being virgin soil, the first crop was beautiful. Odile and her double cousin, Elsie (Remily) Gleason, went to school in a one room school house. Their teacher was Ella Benedict. Ella was a good teacher and had no easy task teaching the girls as neither one of them could speak English. They talked only French and Ella could only speak English. This school house, which was located near the Steffes farm, also doubled as a church. A priest would come twice a month to say Mass and take care of the parish.Before Odile was married she cooked in cook cars during the threshing season. It was hot, hard work and she would make about $100.00 for the season. Recreation in the Turton area was pretty well homespun. The Fred Remily family held a lot of barn dances. The R emily boys would clean out the hay mow and the big dance was set. Jule and Leon Remily would play an organ that they hauled around for these occasions. They did round dancing but the main dance was square dancing."

Sources

• 1910 United States Federal Census^[1]

• 1940 United States Federal Census ^[2]

• U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 ^[3]

• South Dakota Marriages, 1905-1949 ^[4]

• Ancestry.com U.S. City Directories (Beta) Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Original sources vary according to directory. The title of the specific directory being viewed is listed at the top of the image viewer page. Check the directory titl;

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015; NOTESocial Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.

• 1935 South Dakota, State Census, 1935 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;

• 1925 South Dakota, State Census, 1925 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;

• 1920 United States Federal Census^[5]

• 1930 United States Federal Census ^[6]

• Turton Centennial Book 1886-1986. Compiled by Richard Barrie and Eva Lyren, Turton Centennial Book Committee copyright March 23, 1987. Library of Congress TX 2 356-707 Out of Print. Hardbound 448 pages. Excerpts with permission. Personal copy held by Robin Rainford