The Ancestors of Ulric Livingston: Liversant dit Libercan dit Libercant dit Libersans dit Libersan dit Liberson dit Laviolette

This post has been written and posted upon this day to commemorate the anniversary of the death of my Great Grandfather Ulric Michael "Nellie" Livingston. He was a wonderful, fun-loving man who cherished his family.

This post is my attempt to uncover the ancestors of Ulric Livingston, husband of Hellen Langevin. Ulric was born in 1890, wed Hellen in 1917 and died in 1977 (some of the information in this blog post may be found in 2012 blog posts as well as the Livingston Family book published in 2013).

After some in depth research, I have uncovered Ulric's ancestors as far back as the 1600's and I will reveal new records. None of the information posted can be shared without mentioning the wonderful work carried out my Great Auntie Doreen and Great Uncle Bernie (Helen and Ulric's kids) - we would be so lost without your guidance, encouragement, and enthusiasm!

Hellen and Ulric Livingston

WARNING: If you focus on the number of surname changes, it will drive you insane! It is disturbing that the three main sources of my research, Quebec, Genealogical Dictionary of Canadian Families (Tanguay Collection) 1608-1890; Quebec, Vital and Church Records Drouin Collection 1621-1799, and the University of Montreal's PRDH (La Programme de Recherche en Demographie Historique) database altered the surname several times. Doreen was correct to attribute these alterations due to illiteracy amongst the colonists and parish priests as it was a common practice to spell names phonetically. Hang on for the roller coaster ride of surname versions recorded by priests, notaries and fellow genealogists!

Ulric Michael "Nelly" Livingston was born to parents Joseph Jacques Liversant and Albina Robillard on October 23, 1890 in Bay City, Michigan.

Exciting news! I have unearthed Ulric's dad's noted as Jacques Libersan baptism date in the PRDH database - it's April 14, 1849 at Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Montreal, Quebec.

Below is the February 1873 marriage record of Joseph Jacques Liversans and Albina Robillard.

Albina, Joseph and Rose

According to Ulric's baptism certificate, he was originally named "Michael" Liversant. For reasons unknown, his name was later changed to Ulric and he was nicknamed "Nellie." Ulric was the youngest when he was born on October 23, 1890. His siblings were Rose Anna (born Jan. 15, 1875); Caroline (born June 25, 1876); Fred Joseph Oliver (born Dec. 29, 1877); David (born Mar. 2, 1880); Henry Joseph (born Feb. 26, 1882); Albert Francis (born Jan. 5, 1883); Alma (born Oct. 25, 1886); and Leo Joseph (born Apr. 23, 1887).

It is believed that Joseph and Albina moved the family to Bay City, Michigan prior to Caroline's third birthday in 1879. In Bay City, Ulric's father worked amongst English-speaking men and it is believed that he changed his last name from "Liversant" to "Livingston" because his peers couldn't pronounce his French name.

When Ulric's father Joseph died at the young age of 42 from tuberculosis, Ulric's mother Albina admitted Ulric aged 2 and three of his siblings into St. Vincent's Home, a Roman Catholic orphanage, in Saginaw, Michigan as she couldn't afford to take care of them.

Albina

Six years after her first husband passes away, Albina remarried on November 29, 1898 to Louis Ledoux in Fall River, Massachusetts.

When Ulric was old enough to work at age 9, he was "adopted out" to various farmers looking for cheap labour by his adopted parents. Ulric attended school until he was 14 years because he ran away from the harsh treatment that he endured from the mentally-challenged son of his adopted parents (by the way, the son later killed his parents with an axe!). Ulric was protected by the police overnight and they paid for his train fare to Freeland, Michigan where he stayed with his sister Rose. With Rose's help, he returned to school for a short period of time.

Ulric had various occupations between 1906 to 1911. When he was 16, he worked in a sawmill and he wrote, " I was struck on the head by a flying piece of wood. The doctor put stitches in my head and I ran right back to work," indicative of his tenets for hard work and not pampering himself. At one point, he worked as a labourer "French polishing" pianos where he enjoyed working with wood and learned how to play chords on the piano. He often played and sang old songs that he had heard at Vaudeville shows. It is obvious for many of us who got to witness his random performances how much he loved music. Whether he was playing the piano, bones, spoons, and/or harmonica, he sang joyfully until his wife Helen walked into the room and shouted, "Ulric! What's all the racket about?!"

In June 1908, he worked on a farm with horses near Freeland and helped drill water wells in Appleton, Wisconsin. Another job he had was as a labourer on the longest ore dock in the world in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he accidentally dropped his hammer into the water while banging spikes into the dock. The foreman immediately fired him and told him to pick up his pay and leave the premises. While on his way to the paymaster, another foreman rehired him to chop a hole in the ice of the frozen lake. When he finished chopping the hole in the ice, he accidentally dropped a crowbar through the ice! He was fired again and fortunately, he was rehired for another job. By then end of 1910, Ulric had worked in six camps in and around Michigan and Wisconsin.

In 1911, Ulric travelled west and worked on a sewer project in North Dakota. It was here where he made enough money to immigrate to Canada. He likely crossed the border at Noonan, North Dakota and into Canada at Estevan, Saskatchewan (still searching for this record). After crossing the border, Ulrich travelled more than 700 kilometres to his brother Leo's home near Hayter, Alberta.

by 1912, Ulric applied to the Provost Land Registry Office for a homestead located about 12 miles south of Mackin, Alberta. Ulric's mother Albina was working as a housekeeper for a priest in Scott, Saskatchewan which was only two hours to the east of Mackin. Perhaps on one of his visits to his mother's, he met his future bride Helen Langevin.

In 1915, Ulric built a homestead closer to his mother and wed Mary Marguerite Hellen Langevin on July 2, 1917 in Scott, SK at the age of 25 in the presence of his mother Albina, Helen's father and witnesses Charles Van Islande and Frank Zerr by Father Fornier.

Hellen Langevin

Hellen Langevin aged 17 living with her parents and siblings in 1916 Canada Census

The couple resided near Scott, Saskatchewan until a severe drought forced them to move to Rosenheim, Alberta where their first child was born on April 18, 1918 - Archie Oliver Joseph.

They moved to Brandon, Manitoba in 1919 where Ulric worked on a farm for the winter months.

Ulric in 1921

Ulric taught himself about the building trade from a book and though he would turn his hand to any job to support his family, carpentry was his trade. He built several homes over the years for his family, including one in Oak Lake, Manitoba and one in Flin Flon, Manitoba. He also remodelled other homes throughout the years to suit the family's needs. Various oldtimers at the Oak Lake Centennial celebration in 1982 said, "If there was work to be had, Ulric would be doing it. If there wasn't, he'd make it."

Some of the work Ulric pursued was cutting ice from the frozen river in the winter and storing it in a barn under sawdust to sell to housewives in the spring; logging and cutting wood to sell; cutting shingles and roofing; shooting mink to sell the pelts and farming activities on the "Parsons Farm" that he rented land from.

In 1925, another child was born to Hellen and Ulric - Gerald Gerard Joseph born on October 4, 1925. In 1927, he left the family to go to Flin Flon, Manitoba to work and to build a home for the family. The winters were extremely cold, and the house was not properly insulated and vented. Hellen said that she worried about the children as they slept in the upstairs rooms where the water dripped from the ceiling. This was the reason why Hellen decided to send the four eldest girls (Marguerite born Aug. 3, 1919; Eileen born Oct. 15, 1920; Frances born Apr. 22, 1922; and Doreen born Feb. 12, 1924) to Sifton Convent for three years. Another son, Ulric "Mickey" was born on Sept. 13, 1928, then a daughter Patricia Clara Ann on March 22, 1931, and another son John David Joseph on October 13, 1932.

Ulric sent the family back to live in Oak Lake, Manitoba in 1933-34 where he rented a home and purchased another which he proceeded to raise and build more rooms under, even while the family lived in it from October 1934 to October 1936.

In 1936, he travelled to Vernon, B.C. to look at an orchard for sale. Ulric decided to move the family to Vernon and, along with other families, invested in the orchard, but it proved to be an unfruitful adventure as it was literally unproductive.

Here is the story of the "Flin Flon to Vernon" adventure as written by Ulric's eldest daughter Marguerite at age 17. Before you begin reading, imagine 10 kids, the youngest is baby Bernie born in May 1936, and two adults with luggage in a car:

After much consideration, Dad gave up his job in Flin Flon, MB and purchased a fruit farm in the Okanagan at a town called Vernon.

The day of our departure, October 14, 1936, dawned dull, dreary, and raining, thus adding to sorrow of leaving our good friends in Flin Flon. Despite this, we left in high anticipation as to what the future holds in store for us in the fruit lands of sunny Okanagan.

The morning after our departure, we arrived in Dauphin where we spent a four hour wait for the bus. We looked up an old friend, thus passing the time more quickly (Alice Sumpter, an old friend from the convent). Leaving Dauphin at noon, we reached Brandon at the home of our aunt late that afternoon. We spent a weeks visit there and thinking we would leave for Vernon soon, our decision was to charter a bus to Oak Lake and spent the remainder of our time at the farm home of another aunt and uncle.

The supposed short visit on the farm was extended from October 20th until December 5th, the delay being spent patiently and otherwise. Thanks to the "neighbours" and other friends in town our long stay was brightened considerably by many kind invitations and visit from them.

Dad and mother went to Winnipeg November 28th and spent a week with relatives. They purchased a 1934 Chevrolet and after interviewing our agent, Mr. Vezina, they returned to Oak Lake December 1st.

Late Friday night December 4th, we received a phone call from Pierre Vezina telling us to leave as soon as possible. Consequently, we busied ourselves making hasty last minute preparations, intending to make an early start the following morning.

We were delayed however by the extreme cold. The thermometer registered 35 below zero. In spite of a few hours delay in starting the car, we finally bid farewell to our relatives and friends in Oak Lake and started on our long journey.

We travelled south to West Hope, North Dakota and arrived there shortly after noon. On discovering we were to be delayed until Monday, we made ourselves at home at the Gateway Motel and became acquainted with several nice people there. We met a very good friend the parish priest of West Hope who entertained us, helping the time go faster. Monday afternoon, December 7th, we again gathered our belongings and after bidding adieu to our newly made friends, started on our way. The weather was slightly warmer than the previous days and traveling was more pleasant.

Shortly before arriving in Minot, North Dakota, we experienced our first slight mishap - a blow out which took a half hours time to repair. We arrived there at 4:30 pm however and while going through the city commented on the beauty of the place nestled in the hills. At 6:30, we drove into a place and remarked on its likeness to Minot, because although it was quite dark, the way the city lights shone, indicated that it was situated among the hills. We stopped at the nearest filling station and inquired as to our whereabouts. Imagine our surprise and chagrin to discover we were again in Minot. We had travelled over 80 miles in a circle!

We dined in Minot Café and decided in spite of this delay to get to Williston as we had previously planned. This new situation gave us a good idea of the monotony and danger of travelling at night. We arrived at Williston, North Dakota after midnight and welcomed the comfort of the Great Northern Hotel. The following morning we attended mass At St. Josephs Church, as Tuesday December 8th was a holy day. After breakfasting in the Great Northern Café, we started out again.

A few hours travelling brought us to Montana and we welcomed the change of scenery as we travelled westward. Our first stop was Glasgow where we stopped for lunch. Again on our way, we travelled as quickly as possible, as we were very much afraid of the weather. On arriving in Havre Montana, we were informed that the day before they had had an 18 [inch?] snowfall. We were advised to change highways here from No.2 to No.29 as No.2 westward was closed. At the Up and Up Cafe, we ate our supper in Havre as our intentions were to make Great Falls without stopping again. The roads were quite slippery from the recent snowfall thus progress was quite slow.

After getting stuck climbing a hill, we finally got some chains, thus easing the high tensions of our nerves as we were very much afraid of slipping in some ditch or over a cliff. Being at night our imaginations were in full working order. However we again travelled until after midnight and the Hotel Stevens in Great Falls put up a bunch of very weary wanderers that night.

As early as possible Wednesday morning December 9th, we left Great Falls, and still going south we took highway 91 which took us to Helena. Here we again changed highways taking number 10 westward on which our first stop was Missoula, Montana. Here I blush with shame remembering Missoula where we experienced something very humiliating which I shall not relate here but at some future time when the memory is less fresh in our minds, we may tell it to anyone and laugh it off. (A later date: After eating, we discovered to our dismay, we had lunch in a saloon!) After eating this hearty meal in Missoula felt more like continuing our journey.

Shortly after dark, we met a large truck, the driver not dimming his lights blinded Dad, who was at the wheel. We struck something dangling on the side of the truck but we both kept on going. At our next stop, we noticed two foot long cuts in the fender. However, we kept on travelling. We were in the state of Idaho and in a few hours arrived in the state of Washington.

On nearing Spokane Washington as we travelled through the mountains, we observed many airport beacon lights. We noticed a small grey sack which looked very much like a hornet's nest falling to the ground and Archie said that it was a flare bomb used by airplanes travelling at night. We felt a sharp impact as it hit the ground directly behind the car. Dad and Archie jumped out and found the packsack tied to the back of the car ablaze! We were thankful we escaped with only a few of our blankets and pillows burned, as the flare could have struck the gas tank which was only a few feet from where the packsack was tied. We were very lucky to have even noticed the thing.

We arrived at Spokane about 2:00 am and put up at the Pedicord Hotel, the largest hotel we had been in, but it was very comfortable. There were individual telephones in each room, and not knowing how they operated, Frances lifted the receiver and immediately a clerk answered. she put it back as quickly as she could not saying anything.

When we went to the garage to get our car, the attendant told us of the abdication etc. We were very much ashamed of Edward the 8th and considered it a disgrace to have been informed by a Yankee.

We left Pedicord as soon as possible Thursday December 10th and tried to travel as fast as we could. We were delayed by the slippery roads and found we were barely able to move along at a crawl. We also had trouble with the chains as the set we bought were singles and broke easily on the paved roads. We even had to borrow a piece of fencing along the road to wire them up.

At 4:30 pm, we arrived back in Canada. Here we all breathed a sigh of relief to be in our country again. We struck Canada at Grand Forks, B.C. - the wrong place of course and we had to travel several miles on a trail (after travelling almost 1000 miles on paved roads). We finally got to the road and found it as bad as the road we had just left, as it was mostly washboard.

Several miles from Penticton, we got stuck in the middle of the road and Dad told us that the small clock for registering oil showed us that we didn't have any and that he could smell the motor burning. Finally, a car came along and shoved our car, also offering to help us out of our difficulty, but fortunately for us, a truck drove up and offered to tow us. Now we understand what towing is, as we were towed for over eight miles. We did sit at high tensions then expecting the bumper to be jerked off at any minute. We again smelled that burning odor and finally discovered it to be the brakes getting too warm as we were travelling down hill so much and around hairpin turns and being at night, we were unaware of it. However, we stopped at the nearest garage for oil and discovered that we had plenty and the towing was unnecessary.

Arriving at Penticton, we learned that the ferry at Kelowna only ran in the daytime, so we took rooms at the Three Gables Hotel, after our day experiences slept like logs.

It was our luck to travel the rest of the journey in the daytime so we saw what the country around home was like as Penticton is only 70 miles from Vernon. At Kelowna, we had to wait almost an hour for the ferry, but we enjoyed the wait as we spent our time looking around us. At noon, we arrived in Vernon and we were thankful to say "all present." The eight of us in a five passenger car after our winter trip of 1600 miles. We then awaited the arrival of mother and the three youngest who arrived by train a week later. All home at last.

Ulric bought into the Belgian Orchard in Vernon along with 25 other families and lost everything! Purchasing chickens and a cow, vegetables by the hundred weight and living in the bunk house on the orchard kept the family going. There were trees to be pruned, which provided work for Ulric and son Archie, but when spring came, they went off to wherever they heard there might be work.

Ulric sold the car, purchased an older model, rented a house for the family and sent money home. The older girls worked and gave their wages to Hellen to help keep the home together. The family saw little of their father during these years.

In 1938, Ulric purchased a house in Vernon and remodeled it to suit the family. When World War II began, Ulric went to work in Trail where he bought a house and sold the Vernon home.

In 1943, he moved to New Westminster and bought a home which he then sold to the nuns of the Poor Clares Monastery, and remodelled it to suit their needs.

1015 London Street, New Westminster, BC

Ulric bought six homes between 1943 and 1964, and their last home was located at 926 13th Street [which he purchased from his daughter Marguerite's husband Ted Reinitiz in 1969 for $6,500].

Helen and Ulric with Archie; Gerald, Bernie, John and Mickey front row in 1950

Ulric and Helen Livingston celebrating 50th wedding anniversary

When Hellen and Ulric drove to the old homestead near Scott, Saskatchewan for their 50th wedding anniversary, the barn that Ulric had built was as sturdy as the day he built it!

Ulric's Grandparents

Ulric Livingston's grandparents were farmer Joseph Jacques Libersan Laviolette and Marie Rose Lefebvre (this is Jacques' first marriage and Marie's second marriage) married 14 November 1836. They had two 2 children:

Joseph baptized on 3 July 1837 and Edesse baptized on March 28, 1839 at Ste. Madeleine-de-Rigaud, Quebec.

Jacques married his second wife (who was 15 years younger) Phebee Poirier on November 22, 1841 in Ste-Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Montreal, Quebec. They had three children: Marie Rachel baptized on September 7, 1843; Olive baptized on October 29, 1846 and died August 10, 1847; and Jacques as we know was baptised April 14, 1849 (Ulric's father).

Marital record of Joseph Jacques Libersan and Phebee Poirier

Ulric's Great Grandparents

Jacques Jr. Libersan dit Laviollete and Marie Angelique Amesse SarLouis wed in October 4, 1791 and had several children:

Ulric's Great Great Grandparents

Jacques Libersan dit Laviolette and Marie Suzanne Amable Lahaie married on April 8, 1766 in Ste. Genevieve, Pierrefonds, Montreal, Quebec. They had three children before Jacques died at the young age of 24.

Ulric's Great Great Great Grandparents

Antoine Libersan Laviolette wed Marie Jeanne Anne Devoyon Devoyaux Laframboise on 9 July 1731 in St. Laurent, QC.

According to the PRDH database, this is their 13 children:

Marie Genevieve born 2 January 1735 in St. Laurent, QC and wed Jacques Plouf on 1 March 1756 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), QC.
Francois born 10 October 1736 in St. Laurent, wed Marie Angelique Amable Demers Dumais on 3 May 1757 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), and buried at the same location on 24 February 1790.
Marie Madeleine born 9 February 1738 in Montreal, and wed Francois Richer Louvetau on 20 January 1755 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).
Antoine born 18 August 1739 in St. Laurent and died the next day.
Marie Louise born 12 April 1741 in St. Laurent and died at the age of 12 on 15 December 1753.
Jean Baptiste born 11 April 1743 in St. Laurent and died exactly 4 months later.
Jacques born 8 September 1744 in St. Laurent and wed Marie Suzanne Amable Lahaie Hibernois on 8 April 1766 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).
Marie Marguerite born 23 June 1746 and wed Jacques Philippe Fauvel Bigras on 21 February 1764 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).
Marie Catherine born 27 June 1748 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), and died two years later on 28 August 1748.
Marie Anne born 26 September 1749 in St. Laurent, wed Jean Frederic Harl on 17 January 1785 in Montreal and died 8 December 1794.
Marguerite born on 6 July 1751 in St. Laurent and died 11 days later.
Marie Louise born on 11 February 1754 in St. Laurent and died 24 March 1757 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds).
Marie Catherine born 11 August 1758 in Ste. Genevieve (Pierrefonds), wed Joseph Giboin Tranquille on 16 February 1778 and died 1 April 1785 in Montreal.

Ulric's Great Great Great Great Grandparents

A Libercan Ventures to Canada 1698

Leonard Libercan dit Laviolette, a soldier in the French army led by M.Duplessis under King Louis XIV, was born about 15 June 1671 to Guillaume Libercan and Marie Louise Madelaine Boissier in the parish of Rasaz sur L'Isle in Perigueux, Periogord, France (strangely her last name was omitted from the parish records).

Based on a letter written to Doreen's brother Bernie dated 4 Nov.1985, Doreen briefly described her 6 week journey to Europe, including the Perigord region, that year. She planned on returning to Europe for 6 months, but I am uncertain if she had the opportunity to do so. Here's an excerpt from her letter which captures her excitement of the genealogical hunt for the truth:

We know what remains for us to see in the Perigort region, thanks to a French family who befriended us shortly after our arrival in Periguex. And, we have it in mind to spend six months in Europe our next time there, so we can have an in depth study of that beautiful and historical region. Mr. Le Cerf has promised to assist me in my genealogical studies. We didn't meet owing this to his leaving Paris the following day on which we rang him. I'm elated by his generous response and have written, at his request, giving him a clear picture of where he can research on our behalf. I had only one hour in the Periguex Archives where (Leonard's) the records of Razac of 300 years ago are now. Holding the original records and thrilling experience for me - (the dust made my nose run though). There's a record of every soldier who left the Perigord region for Canada.

Leonard was posted to New France to protect the new colonists from attacks by First Nations. He wed Marie Anne Louise Coron (born 14 May 1676 in Montreal to parents Jean and Michelle Lauzon) on the 19 March 1699 (the marital records show Leonard's last name as "Liberson" in the Quebec Geneaological Dictionary of Canadian Families, Tanguay Collection, 1608-1890 and thus, I have added it to the list of "dit"s in the title of this series of postings).

Tragically, Marie Anne Louise Coron died less than one year later on the 10th day of February 1700 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC, east of Montreal, and thus, they had no children.

Three years later, Leonard remarried to Jeanne Baudry on 23 July 1703 in Montreal. Jeanne was born on 8 September 1674 at Riviere-des-Prairies and she was one of 5 children born to Antoine Baudry of Chemiere-en-Charnie, France and Catherine Guillard of St. Laurent, Paris, France.

According to Doreen's research, Leonard became a church warden of the Ste. Genevieve parish built in 1741, the first parish in Montreal as pictured below. He died 29 November 1751 in St. Laurent, QC and he was buried the following day.

The family record of Leonard Libercan of 23 July 1703 in the PRDH database adjusts Leonard's and Jeanne's names as the following:

LEONARD Libersan LAVIOLETTE

Father: GUILLAUME Libersan

Mother: MARIE LOUISE MADELEINE

and

MARIE JEANNE BEAUDRY LEPINETTE

Father: ANTOINE BEAUDRY LEPINETTE

Mother: CATHERINE GUYARD

Marriage: 1703-07-23 Montreal

Sex	Birth	Marriage	Death	First name of the child
	Place	Place	Place	Name of the spouse
m	1704-10-27	1731-07-09	1779-11-15	ANTOINE
	Montreal	St Lawrence	Ste-Genevieve (Pierrefonds)	ANNE MARIE JEANNE with DEVOYAUX LAFRAMBOISE
m	1706-06-28		1706-07-13	CHARLES
	Montreal		Montreal
m	1707-07-13	1730-10-30		FRANCOIS MARIE
	Montreal	St Lawrence		with MARY MAGDALENE RICHER LOUVETAU
m	1709-03-06		1733-02-05	CHARLES
	Montreal		St Lawrence
f	1711-02-05	1731-10-08	1795-03-11	ELIZABETH MARIE ISABELLE
	Montreal	St Lawrence	The Cedars	with JEAN BAPTISTE LEROUX ROUSSON
m	1713-03-07		1713-03-11	LEONARD
	Montreal		Montreal
x	1713-03-07		1713-03-08	ANONYMOUS
	Montreal		Montreal
f	1714-04-03		1788-06-01	Marie Josephe
	Montreal		Montreal General Hospital
f	1716-05-16		1716-07-03	ANNE MARIE
	Montreal		Montreal

PLEASE NOTE: Leonard and Jeanne had four children die before they reached the age of 2 years old.

Ulric's Great Great Great Great Grandparents

Here is the brief information about Guillaume Libersan Laviolette and Marie Louise Madeleine Boissier. I would love to find out more about them as they both died on the same day of March 19, 1699 in Razac, Dordogne, France.