Family Reunion Friday - Cayemberg Family 1952

So my Cayemberg family reunion clippings had a gap between the 1947 and 1952 reunion. The reunion in 1952 was the 15th. Perhaps that was the reason for the gap. Perhaps the missing years were placed somewhere else or lost. Hard to tell, but I'll be looking for those years in the newspapers when I go home this December.

As you can read from the two clippings transcribed below, the Cayemberg reunions were in honor of Eli and Florence Cayemberg nee Villers and after they passed the reunions were for their descendants. Are your family reunions held in honor of someone in particular or of a family event?

"(Handwritten '1952')

Dinner was served to 132 members of the Cayemberg family at Pamperin Park, Green Bay, Sunday, Chairmen of the reunion were Patrick Cayemberg, Green Bay; Mrs. Wilfred Cayemberg and Mrs. Henry Cayemberg, Manitowoc.

A corsage and gift was presented to Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, who is 82 years old.  Her youngest sister, Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, Duluth, Minn., attended the reunion.  Mrs. Tardiff whose last visit to Green Bay was 38 years ago is a guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Cayemberg, Green Bay.

Mrs. Eli Cayemberg is the mother of 10 children, three daughters and seven sons.  She has 44 grandchildren and 38 great grandchildren.  Two sons, Wilfred and Henry Cayemberg reside in Manitowoc.

One grandchild and five great grandchildren were added to the family during the past year.  Members attended from Algoma, Rio Creek, Casco, Luxemburg, Martinville, Dyckesville, Tonet, Manitowoc, Pulaski, Kunish, Anston, Two Rivers, Duluth, Minn., and Esign, Mich.  Next year's reunion will be held at Pamperin Park, June 7, 1953.  Chairmen of the coming event will be Harvey Mourlau (sic) and Mrs. Cyril Blohowiak, Green Bay, and Mrs. Donald Nellis, Dyckesville."

And another clipping for the same reunion.  Almost verbatim with the only notable change being the address for Martin Cayemberg:

"132 Members of Cayemberg Family Hold Reunion (handwritten '1952')

An 11:30 dinner was served to 132 members of the Cayemberg family at Pamperin park Sunday.  Patrick Cayemberg and Mrs. Henry Cayemberg, Green Bay, and Mrs. Wilfred Cayemberg, Manitowoc, were chairmen of this year's event.

A corsage and gift was presented to Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, who is 82 years olf.  Her youngest sister, Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, came from Duluth, Minn., for the reunion.  Mrs. Tardiff, whose last visit to Green Bay was 38 years ago, is a house guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Cayemberg, 875 Shawano avenue.

One grandchild and five great-grandchildren were added to the family during the past year.  Members attended from Algoma, Rio Creek, Casco, Luxemburg, Martinville, Dyckesville, Tonet, Manitowoc, Pulaski, Kunesh, Anston, Two Rivers, Duluth, Minn., and Ensign, Mich., for the annual event.  Next year's reunion will be held at Pamperin park June 7.  Chairmen will be the Mmes. Harvey Moureau and Cyril Blohowiak, Green Bay, and Mrs. Donald Nellis, Dyckesville."

The clipping was taken from a scrapbook handed down to me by my mother in law.  No newspaper name was given, but other reunion articles were from the Green Bay Press Gazette.  One of these clippings was probably from a different paper since it is unlikely that the Press Gazette would have published the same article twice, even on different days.

Sunday's Obituary - Florence Cayemberg nee Villers

Eli and Florence Cayemberg nee Villers

I found this obituary in that wonderful scrapbook of newspaper clippings that was handed down to me.  I always had known when Florence died.  I didn't think that her obituary would bring me any news or leads.  Sometimes I can be incredibly dim...

"Mother of 10 Dies at 86

Florence Cayemberg Passes at Pulaski; Rites on Wednesday

{Handwritten - Dec 22, 1956}

Special to Press-Gazette

PULASKI, Wis. - Mrs. Florence Cayemberg, 86, Pulaski, Rt. 2 died at the home of her son, Walter, there Saturday following a lingering illness.  Mrs. Cayemberg, the former Florence Villers, was a survivor of the fire which destroyed Rosiere, the area near Rosiere, Door County, At the same time of the Peshtigo fire.  Saved from the burning home of her parents by a 12-year-old boy, she was less than two years old at the time.

Born at Rosiere Jan. 6, 1870 she moved with her parents to Algoma when she was nine years old.  She married Eli Cayemberg April 24, 1886. The couple operated a store, cheese factory and black smith shop there until 1910, when they move to Pulaski.  Her husband died in 1939.

..Survivors Are Listed

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Lucy Anderson and Mrs. Anastasia Moreaux, Green Bay; Mrs. Ella Cravillion [sic], Luxemburg; seven sons, Frank, Martin J. and Patrick, all of Green Bay; Henry and Wilfred of Manitowoc; Felix, Ensign, Mich., and Walter, Pulaski.  A daughter, Mrs. Emily Guilette, died in 1923.

Other survivors include two sisters, Mrs. Mary LaJoi, Jamestown N. D., and Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, Edmond, Wash.; and one brother, Lewis Villers, Green Bay; 44 grandchildren, and 56 great grandchildren.

She was a member of St. Theresa Society and the Rosary Society of SS Edward and Isidore Church, Flintville, and the DAV Auxiliary, Green Bay.  The body is at the Marnocha Funeral Home, Pulaski, where the Rosary will be recited tonight and Tuesday at 8 o'clock.  Funeral rites will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in SS. Edward and Isidore Church with the Rev. Casmimir Krauklis officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery."

So what was new.  Well, first off it gave the locations and names of her siblings.  Sure I've located most of them already in census records but this was a supporting piece of evidence.  I didn't know that her sister, Agnes' married name was Tardiff.  Nor did I know that she had moved out to Washington state.  This was fairly significant, because the majority of the family stayed in Wisconsin or the closely neighboring states.

I knew that Eli and Florence had owned and operated a store.  I've posted pictures of it.  I didn't know that it included a cheese factory and black smith shop.  Super cool.

Lastly, and perhaps most significant if it is correct, is the reference to the fire she survived.  Family lore always said that she survived the Peshtigo Fire, and technically this is true.  The fire that burned the entire region became known as the Great Peshtigo Fire because Peshtigo and a large portion of it's population were wiped off the map.  As it turns out she wasn't actually in Peshtigo, but Rosiere which was also apparently severely damaged by the great fire.  I knew about the 12 year old that saved her, but again it was location that was wrong.  I think some people made assumptions instead of asking proper questions.  I had this past year been informed that the family was "visiting Peshtigo" when the fire broke out.  Wrong.  Still Florence was in danger and was saved, but I'd prefer to get the story right.  Wouldn't you?

Sunday's Obituary - Octavia Villers nee Wagner

I've actually got 2 wonderful obituaries for Octavia.  One was sent to me from a cousin that I met through the absolutely wonderful world of message boards (I love those darned boards so very much!).  The other I found during Scanfest last Sunday.

Yes, can you believe that I had the obituary published in Wisconsin for years and didn't know it.  That's why I'm forever grateful that I finally remembered to tune in and do a scan fest.  I knew I had lots to scan, but never seemed to get to it.  This find has certainly motivated me to get down to it and get it done!

So for you long-time readers of my blog (there are one or two of you out there)...you may recall the murder trial of Martin Joseph Villers that I posted on back at the end of 2010.  Well, Octavia was his wife.  She is my husband's great-great grandmother.  I'm posting both obituaries, because they are a bit different and they therefore give slightly different genealogical information.  It also makes for a pretty good comparison.

The Bismarck Tribune

The following is from the Bismarck Tribune, July 1940:

"OCTAVIA VILLERS, AGED CO. PIONEER, PASSED AWAY TODAY

Funeral Services Will Be Held At St. James Church Monday

Mrs. Octavia Villers, aged pioneer resident of Jamestown and Stutsman county, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary LaJoie, at 6:30 o'clock this morning.

Mrs. Villers came with her parents to the United States 84 years ago from her native land, Belgium, where she was born December 18, 1842.  The trip was made in a sailboat and took six weeks.  The family went to Rosiere, Wisconsin, near Green Bay.  It was 54 years ago when Mrs. Villers came to Stutsman county to Montpelier.  She came to Jamestown over 30 years ago and for nearly 20 years lived with her daughter, Mrs. Ella Naze and since that time has lived with Mrs. LaJoie.

Mrs. Villers was active until about two years ago.  She was a member of St. James Catholic church.  Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. LaJoie; Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, Wis.; Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and a son, Louis Villers, Green Bay, Wisc.; 24 grandchildren; 36 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.  Mrs. Naze, a daughter, died several years ago.

Funeral services will be held at St. James Catholic church Monday morning at 9:00 o'clock.  The body is at the Daly Funeral Home.  The family requests that no flowers be sent.  The rosary will be said Sunday night at 8:00 o'clock at the funeral home."

The date is hand-written in as July 5th.  No year is given.  Octavia died in 1940 at the age of 97.  She missed her 98th birthday by 6 months. You can also note that her husband is not mentioned in her obituary at all. Not surprising I guess considering his crimes in the region. He is mentioned in the Wisconsin obituary below.

This obituary was taken from a local Wisconsin newspaper.  It's a clipping, so I'm not sure which one, but I'd be willing to bet it wasn't the Green Bay newspaper.  Perhaps Algoma's newspaper:

"Former Rosiere Woman Dies in North Dakota

Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Octavia Mary Villers, 98, which occurred Friday morning at the home of her daughters, Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamestown, N.D.  She was a former resident of Rosiere.  

Unknown Wisconsin newspaper

Mrs. Eli Cayemberg and Walter Cayemberg, Pulaski; Henry and Wilfred Cayemberg, Manitowoc; Mrs. Russell Anderson, Green Bay, and Hubert Guillette, Anston, attended the services which were held this morning at St. James Catholic church with burial in the church cemetery at Jamestown. 

The deceased was born in Belgium Dec. 22, 1842, and came to America in 1854 with her parents Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Wagner, settling in Rosiere.  She married M. J. Villers in 1864 and lived in Algoma for 10 years before coming to North Dakota 54 years ago. 

Survivors are four children, (Florence) Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski; (Mary) Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamestown; (Agnes) Mrs. Joseph Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and Louis Villers, Green Bay; 46 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.  A daughter, Mrs. Prosper Naze, died four years ago." 

No date on this one, but again, I know when she died.  I this obituary they state that she's 98 years old even though they listed her birth date.  Ah well...math!  It's a small point either way.

This last one is the one that I "found" last weekend, and I'm glad that I did.  I've been scanning obituaries that my husband's paternal grandmother collected and have been wondering how they are going to fit into our family tree, if they will at all.  This last obituary gives some pretty great information on her children.  And you know what?  I recognize some of the names.  Scoreboard!  Naturally, the search isn't over with just this obituary.  They are prone to errors.  After all, they aren't submitted by the deceased.  All second-hand information, which may or may not be accurate.  I mean look at the birth dates.  They were off.  Either by the person submitting the information or the person writing the story.   It does give me a great starting point to continue that research though!