Saturday, January 10, 2015

Sunday's Obituary - Victor Laurent

Green Bay Press Gazette,
27JUN1960, Pg29
I was excited to be able to head out to the Brown County Library in Green Bay over our Christmas visit to Wisconsin. I was less excited about the technical difficulties I encountered when I was there. It really cut my research short.

I got there shortly after they opened and jumped on a microfilm reader. I got three obits printed out and then it stopped printing. I was directed to one of the more high-speed, modern microfilm readers. I printed out two very blurry obits and then heard a lady behind me ask, "Why are you using that one?" I found the question odd since she was directing me back to the older ones. I would have expected someone to ask me why I would want to use the old ones, but instead I simply let her know that the older one didn't like me much and stopped printing. After about 30.5 seconds she had it working and I left the crappy, new technology for the tried and true old beast that I was originally on.

I got several other newspaper obituaries printed out when it stopped working again. I repel technology and my tech-angel had left. I had this obit up so I grabbed my cell and snapped a picture that turns out to be less than perfect. I moved to another old beast and that one didn't print either. I texted my hubby and told him to come get me. I was all tapped out of patience for the day.

I didn't feel bad about taking the picture either. When my tech-angel got the old machine working it spit out three copies of one obituary that I ended up paying for so I figure that the library and I are more than even. Actually, they're quite cool and only charge for copies that turn out well, but I don't mind paying for the duplicate mistakes since libraries tend to not get much funding and the price is quite reasonable at $0.25!

Here's hoping that when I head to Madison in a few days to research at the Wisconsin Historical Society that my fingers of technological death don't kill the microfilm readers or printers!

Today I'm posting my husband's great grandfather, Victor Laurent. I've blogged about him before, but never shared his obituary. So since I have this awesome copy of it I thought I was about time.

"Victor Laurent

LUXEMBURG (PG) - Victor Laurent, 75, a Luxemburg, R. 2, farmer, died at 8 a.m. Sunday in a Green Bay hospital following a stroke. He had been ill for three months and a patient at the hospital for four weeks.

Mr. Laurent formerly served as assessor of the Town of Luxembourg for 10 years, town treasurer for two years and as secretary of the Tonet Farmers Cheese Factory for 20 years.

He was born June 14, 1885 and was married to Mary Dart at Tonet Jan. 10, 1906.

Survivors are his wife; a son, Norman, who operates the home farm at Tonet; two daughters, Mrs. Pat (Lauren (sic)*) Cayemberg, Green Bay, and Mrs. Goldie (Annie) Malcore, New Franken; 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Final rites will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Martin Catholic Church, Tonet, and burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call after 7 o'clock tonight at the McMahon Funeral Home here where the Rosary will be said at 8 o'clock tonight and Tuesday night."

*Name should read "Laura."