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Note: K-20/21 NARCISSE LESSARD/NELSON LASSER/MARIE-CATHERINE LA FRENIERE 3. Joseph-Zachariah ["Zag"; "Zack"]; the 1930 census, GR city directories, and his obituary record his family name as La Sor.
b. 18 May 1861, St-Joseph-de-Beauce, Québec m. ca 1889, to Minnie Emma V. - - - d. 19 Nov 1936, Muskegon
His baptismal record clearly shows the name Isaie, but by the time of the 1870 census, he is called Zachariah.
1st Ward, Muskegon City, Muskegon Co, MI 1870 Page 263, Dwelling 141, Family 141, 6 Aug LAWSON, Elias, 34 M W, laborer, Canada, father/mother foreign born, cannot read or write Mary, 28 F W, keeps house, Canada, father/mother foreign born, cannot read or write Melissa, 10 F W, Canada, father/mother foreign born, attended school Zacariah, 9 M W, Canada, father/mother foreign born, attended school Alexander, 6 M W, Canada, father/mother foreign born, attended school Charles, 3 M W, Canada, father/mother foreign born, Eva, 1 F W, Canada, father/mother foreign born He is enumerated as Isaiah.
1st Ward, Muskegon City, Muskegon Co, MI 1880 ED 192, Sheet 66, Line 29, 21 June; Sophia St, Dwelling 620, Family 680 LASSER, Narcis, head, WM, 44, married, works on boom, 4 mos unemployed last year; cannot read or write; born Canada; fa/mo born Can/Can Mary, wife, WF, age 39, keeping house, cannot read or write; born Canada; fa/mo born Can/Can Issiah, son, WM, age 19, single, works on boom, not unemployed last year; can read and write; attended school last year; born Canada; fa/mo born Can/Can Alexander, son, WM, age 15, single, works on boom, 4 mos. unemployed last year; can read and write; attended school last year; born Canada; fa/mo born Can/Can Charles, son, WM, age 13, single, works in lath mill, 4 mos. unemployed last year; can read and write; attended school last year; born Canada; fa/mo born Can/Can Delia, dau, WF, age 9, single, attended school las year; born Michigan; fa/mo born Can/Can Eddie, son, age 4, single, born Michigan; fa/mo b. Can/Can Moses, son, age 8 mos., single, born last October in Michigan; fa/mo born Can/Can After this record, he used Zachariah consistently through life.
About 1889 Joseph/Zag married Minnie Emma V. (family name unknown); the exact date and place are unknown to me. Her name is variously cited as "Emma" and "Minnie". She was the informant on her husband's death certificate and referred to herself as "Minnie E. V. LaSor". The marriage must have taken place in Michigan as daughter Mabel K. was born there in July 1890.
There is no family tradition of a sojourn on the West Coast, but there they are. Ward 6, Seattle, King Co WA 1900 ED 105, Sheet 9A, Page 9, Line 1; 9 June LESSER, Zack J, head, W M b. May 1862, age 38, married 11 yrs, b. Can-Eng; fa/mo b. Can-Eng/France, immigrated 1869, naturalized 31 years ago, occupation: musician, can read, write, and speak English, rents a house , Emma S, wife, W F b. March 1871, age 29, married 11 yrs, bore 1 child, 1 child still living, b. Mich; fa/mo b. NY/Can-Eng, no occupation, can read, write, and speak English , Mabel K, dau, W F b. July 1890, age 9, single, b. Mich; fa/mo b. Can-Eng/MI, at school for 9 mo, can read, write, and speak English The Seattle climate, or job market, must not have agreed with them, for they were back in Michigan by 1904 (Lansing city directory). His mother's 11 December 1906 obituary states that he was living in Grand Rapids: "She leaves her husband and eight children. Mrs. Moses Basset and Mrs. Frank Mousseau of Grand Rapids; Zag Lasser of Grand Rapids...." His father's obituary of 18 January 1910 places him in Lansing: "He leaves six sons and two daughters, Zag of Lansing...."
A search of the 1906 Grand Rapids city directory was negative. Mary's 1906 obituary may have been in error because he appears in Lansing city directories as below: 1904 Lasser, Z Joseph, painter, res 810 Vine 1910 Lasser, Z Joseph (Emma V), painter, res 535 N Capitol , Mabel, student, 535 N Capitol , Mrs Minnie, milliner, 206 S Washington, res. 535 N Capitol , M. G. (Gustina), wks New Way M Co, res 611 May 1911-1915 no directory in Library of Congress collection 1919, 1921, 1923 - no Lassers The city directory records are for our Joseph Zachariah (see address in 1910 census, where Joseph's age is off by a few years). The 1910 city directory shows a wife, Emma, not Minnie, as in the census, but also a Minnie (milliner) at the same address. Somehow the two have been confused, I believe. Did Minnie E. V. use one name at home and another name for her professional persona? The city directory states that Joseph was a painter, while the census records him as a music teacher (which fits with his 1900 occupation). In the 1910 census, the other occupant of 535 Capitol Avenue, Charles Boff, was recorded as a painter.
Pct 2, Ward 4, Lansing City, Ingham Co, MI 1910 ED 69; Sheet 5A, Line 39; Ancestry.com Image 9/33 535 Capitol Avenue; Dwelling 96, Family 106; 20 April Lasser, Josiph, W M, age 45; married 21 years; born Can/English; fa: Can/English; mo: Can/English; immigrated to US 1869; Nat US Citizen; teacher music, in a school; not out of work in 1909; able to read and write; rents , Minnie, wife; W F, age 38; married 21 years, born 1 child, 1 child still living; born Michigan; father New York; mother Eng English; speaks English, milliner, works on her own account; not out of work in 1909; able to read and write , Mable, dau, W F, age 19; single; born Michigan; fa: Can/English; mo: Michigan; Occupation: none; able to read and write; attended school in the last year Lee, Louis; boarder, W M, age 20, single, born Michigan; fa: Ohio; mo: Ohio; speaks English; Occupation: Bookkeeper in an office; not out of work in 1909; able to read and write; attended school in the last year The 1920 enumeration found Joseph and wife Emma in Saginaw.
Ward 13, Saginaw City, Saginaw Co, MI 1920 ED 195; Sheet 19A, Line 30; Ancestry.com Image 37 of 52 610 Clark St; Dwelling 335, Family 367; 29 & 30 January Lassor, Joseph, head, owns home under a mortgage; male; white; age 54; married; naturalized [year illegible]; B; has not attended school in the last year; can read and write; born Canada, mother tongue French; father born Canada, mother tongue French; mother born Canada, mother tongue French; speaks English; occupation: decorator in the painting business, works for wages , Emma W, wife; female, white, age 44; married; has not attended school in the last year; can read and write; born Michigan, mother tongue English; father born New York, mother tongue [illegible]; mother born Canada, mother tongue English; speaks English; occupation: saleslady in dry goods, works for wages Joseph is here shown as a painter; Emma works in a dry goods store, which bears some relationship to the millinery trade.
In the 1930 census, they were in Grand Rapids.
Ward 3, Grand Rapids, Kent Co, MI 1930 8 Apr; 41-82, Sheet 44B; 842 Warden Henry Ave LaSor, Joseph Z; head, own home worth $8,000, no radio, M, W, 63, married, age 27 at 1st marriage, can read/write, born Canada-Fr, fa/mo b. Can-Fr/Can-Fr, mother tongue French, to USA 1875, can speak English, no occupation, not a vet Lasser, Minnie E, wife, F, W, 57 married, age 21 at 1st marriage, can read/write, born MI, parents NY/Can-Eng, mother tongue English, can speak English, no occupation Grand Rapids city directories track the family after 1930.
1936 - LaSor, Jos Z (Minnie) h842 Henry av SE 1937 - LaSor, Minnie E V (widow Jos Z) h842 Henry av SE
Joseph Z. La Sor's death, 19 November 1936, is recorded in Kent County, certificate #7886, register 1610. The informant is his wife, Minnie E. V. LaSor. She gives his date and place of birth as 18 May 1861 at Three Rivers, Canada. Father: Nelson LaSor; mother: Mary ?. The cause of death was chronic myocarditis. Buril took place 21 November 1936 at Restlawn Cemetery.
His very brief death notice appeared in the Grand Rapids Press, Thursday, 19 November 1936, page 29, col. 7:
LA SOR -- Joseph Z. La Sor, aged 75, passed away Thursday morning at his home 842 Henry av., S. E. He is survived by his widow [illegible text for several words] Katharyn; two sisters, Mrs. Moses Bassett of Grand Rapids, Mrs. Delia Mooseau of Muskegon and five brothers, Alex, Charles, Edward, Moses, and Delore, all of Muskegon; [illegible line of text] nephews. The body was removed to the Metcalf mortuary. Funeral services will be held at the Mulliken church at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The first area of missing text (the microfilm copy is terrible) is frustrating. Who was Katharyn? Given the placement, it is logical to assume that it is a daughter. In the 1910 census their daughter is enumerated as Mable K., so possibly Mable Katharyn. In 1936, Alex was not living in Muskegon, but in Chicago.
Minnie remained in Grand Rapids for a while, according to the city directories:
1938 - LaSor, Minnie E V (widow Jos Z) h842 Henry av SE 1939 - LaSor, Minnie E V (widow Jos Z) h842 Henry av SE 1940 - No listing.
Kent County death records do not have an entry for Minnie La Sor/Lasser and I do not know what became of her.
------------------------------------------------------------------- The family is found in local city directories under the name LaSor. His death is recorded in the Grand Rapuds Press, Thursday, 19 November 1936, page 29, col. 7.
He died a Baptist. See Kent County death certificate 7886, register 1610, which shows that Joseph Z. LaSor of 842 Henry Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, died 19 November 1936. Informant was wife Minnie E. V. LaSor. He was age 75 years, 6 months, 1 day, born 18 May 1861, son of Nelson laSor and Mary ?, born Three Rivers, Canada.
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