23. Michel GAGNON was born and baptized on 5 Apr 1862 in Upper Frenchville, Maine.(99) His godparents were Charles Massé and [?] Ouellet (first name is not legible in church register) (Source: Ste Luce church register, 1862, p.40).

He appeared on the 1880 US census in Frenchville, Maine, as Mitchel Gagnon, age 18, working on farm, could read and write, born in Maine, living with parents Antoine and Artence. (100)

He was married to Gracieuse DIONNE (daughter of Joseph-Octave DIONNE and Marie-Léopoldine PELLETIER) on 19 Jan 1889 in Frenchville, Maine.(58) (Gracieuse was the widow of Michel's brother Pierre, who had died in 1885.)

Gracieuse DIONNE was born in Jun 1860.

It is possible that Michel was living in Worcestor, Massachusetts between the 1880 and 1900 censuses. Michel's brother Philippe is listed as working as a clerk in a business run by a Mitchell A. Gagnon, a druggist whose house is in Frenchville, Maine. In 1899 Mitchell is listed as having moved to Frenchville, while Philippe continued to work as the apothecary in the same location.

Given that there are no other "Mitchell" or Michel Gagnons in Frenchville in 1900; given the middle initial of "A" (common practice is to take as a middle name the name of one's father, in this case, Antoine), it is highly likely that Michel moved to Massachusetts sometime after 1880 and worked as a druggist, then moved back to Frenchville in 1899. (Thanks to Barbara Peterson for this information).

Michel GAGNON and Gracieuse DIONNE appeared in the 1900 US census in Frenchville, Maine. The census indicates that Gracieuse had given birth to four children, two of whom had died by this time (District 21, image 22 of 27, lines 91-94). Michel's profession is listed as "farmer."

They appeared in the 1910 US census in Frenchville, with Gracieuse's two sons (by Michel's brother Pierre) and two granddaughters (District 27, sheet 15A, lines 28-34).

They appeared in the 1920 US census in Frenchville, living next door to Gracieuse's son George (District 25, sheet 10B, lines 84-84). Gracieuse is listed as working in a store, probably the store owned by George.

Michel Gagnon died on 17 Sep 1927, and was buried on 21 Sep at Ste Luce cemetery.


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Last revised 7 Oct 2009