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Note: H1
Note: Pierre Joseph was born on June 4, 1807 in the small village of Reppe in Franche Comte, which is just outside of Alsace and north of the Swiss border. His parents were Vincent Voisin and Anneve Denier. His mother's family had lived in Reppe for many generations. As for Vincent Voisin, he was born in Uberkumen in Alsace, but his grandfather, Ludwig Voisin's birth place has not been established. It looks like "Loudre or Londre or Laudre. His wife, Anna Eva Kiene came from Uberkumen where her ancestors had lived. It is a small village beside Balschwiller in Alsace. It is possible that he arrived in Canada in September 1832. We still have not determined how he came here. We suspect that he came via the US., but how did he end up in a German-speaking community when he spoke only French? Perhaps he met someone on the boat and came with him/her. We also wonder if he emigrated by himself of if he came with his brother, Henry Joseph. In 1818 when his father died, there were only 3 children listed as living: Marie (who emigrated to Canada on July 28, 1848), Pierre Joseph, and Henry. Peter Joseph married three times. His first wife was Catherine Meyer, from Hanviller, France, who emigrated from France in 1831 with her older sister, Magdalena and two brothers, Jacob and George. He most likely met her in St. Clements as that is where she settled with her siblings. They were married sometime between 1832, when Catherine arrived in St. Clements, and 1837, when their first child was born. I cannot find a marriage record for them. I checked St. Agatha, which is the church that Peter had attended, and there was no record there. I also checked St. Augustine in Dundas, as many marriages and baptisms were performed there prior to churches being established in our area. My best guess is that they were married in November 1836. Peter Joseph and Catherine farmed in St. Clements and had 12 children. Catherine died on February 6, 1881 of dropsy, which she had had for 2 years. Peter Joseph wasted no time, and remarried Catherine Hoff Susz, a widow on June 15, 1881. He was 75 and she was 69. They were married for 8 years. Catherine Hoff Susz died in 1889, and VERY shortly after, Peter found wife #3, Monica Kohler, a widow, on April 23, 1889. Peter was 84 when he married this time and Monica was 58. Monica outlasted Peter as he died on January 2, 1892, just over 2 years after they were married. Joseph was elected school trustee in 1855 when the townspeople met to build a new school. He was elected by a motion of Conrad Gies (early inhabitant of St. Clements. His son, William, married Joseph's daughter, Catherine), seconded by John Stroh (whose twin sister, Maria Eva, married his brother-in-law, . Valentine Kuhry and Jacob Meyer (his brother-in-law, were also trustees and John Brenner (brother-in-law of Joseph) was nominated. In 1855, he was assessed as Joseph Voisin who was 49 years of age and owned 143 acre on lot 1 Concession 8 in Wellesly. His real property was worth 388 pounds. In 1884, Joseph was retired and living in the village of St. Clements On his son, Anthony's baptismal record in 1844 in St. Agatha, Peter was known as Joseph Weisinyn -- that is quite a stretch from Voisin. On his daughter, Catherine's birth certificate in 1843 in St. Agatha, he was listed as Joseph Wafron. In the 1881 Census, he was listed as being born in France and having French heritage. He was 76 at the time. It appears that he was living with his youngest sons, August, and John. (Wellesley Township, p. 56)
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