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Friday, 14 March 2014
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
de la Ronde - Newspaper Clippings
From the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives
A copy of the Newspaper clipping from Toronto Telegram of December 28, 1950
Article by Don de la Plante
CASTLE IN ENGLAND?
A copy of the Newspaper clipping from Toronto Telegram of December 28, 1950
Article by Don de la Plante
CASTLE IN ENGLAND?
THREE NIPIGON INDIANS SEEKING $ 500,000 OF NOBLE GRANDSIRE - ARE DESCENDANTS OF FRENCH COUNT
Nipigon Dec. 28 - (1950)
Three Indians here, the blood of a French aristocrat in their veins, are seeking to establish themselves as heirs to his fortune, which they estimate to be worth at least $500,000 in addition to an estate in England.
The Indians are:
John Deschamp 77, former chief and counsellor of the Red Rock Chippewa Band and now almost blind.
Mrs. Louise Deperry crippled - woman, who hobbles about town with a homemade cane;
Joe de la Ronde, 54, shacker on the mud flats at the mouth of the Nipigon River.
Their own father was Louis Denys de la Ronde, French nobleman, who successfully managed the fur trading post here of the North West Fur Trading Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, when the latter took over in the middle 1800's.
TRACE FAMILY NAME
A descendant of Pierre Denys de la Ronde, Count Thibaudiere, Louis Denys de la Ronde died at Sault Ste. Marie August 23, 1868. His son Henry became Count Thibaudiere, following the death of an uncle, also named Louis, who for a time was Commander of Isle d Madeleine, Lake Superior. Shortly after taking over his post with the North West Company Louis de la Ronde married a Chippewa Indian woman by whom he had seven children; Henry, Alexander, Charles, Mary,Anne, Louise and Angelique.
When Henry, the oldest son, received the title of Count Thibaudiere, he became the first half-breed ever admitted to the French nobility.
John Deschamp sat by the wood stove in his little tarpaper shack at the north end of town. Beside him was a sheaf of papers, including the WILL of his grandfather, a photograph of his grandfather's grave, correspondence with a Lakehead lawyer, a statement from the Hudson's Bay Co. and letters from a genealogist at Windsor, who has done research on the family tree. He handled the cherished papers with infinite care as though they were the living substance of a dream. Many cynical white residents here believe the trio's claim actually does constitute a dream.
"When my grandfather died, he left cash sums to each of his children and directed that the balance of his property be handled by two executors who were also employees of the Hudson's Bay Co. " John said, his cataracted eyes seeking to penetrate the gloom of the sparsely furnished room. Three-quarter Indian, he had the finely chiseled features of a handsome white man and pure white hair, rarely seen in pure Indians. But his dark reddish skin showed the predominance of the native.
OTHER HEIR QUIET
Beside him, tiny Mrs. Deperry sat silently. She had jet black eyes and black hair. Her skin was creased in a thousand wrinkles for the wind and sun. ...
John explained his grandfather had named a third trustee in case the two executors died before he did, which was what happened. And control of the estate passed to this trustee in 1881, including a payment from the Hudson's Bay Co. of L 1,370 sterling which had been held in a special account.
He said he did not know exactly where the British family home was located, but that he had employed a lawyer to make a search for it and that the genealogist also was attempting to trace it.
TWO YEARS' PROBE
The investigation had been going on for two years, he declared, and during that time definite proof of inheritance had been established, as well as search made in the archives of the Hudson's Bay Co. showing that the estate had been turned over to the third trustee.
John said he assumed that the third trustee was now dead too, but he was expecting word any day as to whether the trustee's heirs had been located and whether the estate could be recovered from them.
STILL OPTIMISTIC
Count Henry de la Ronde lived in a large house here for many years and was an officer of the Hudson's Bay Co., till his death in 1918. The old Indian, known throughout the district as "Johnny", was born here Feb. 1873, five years after the death of his aristocratic grandfather. He recalls the community when it comprised only a Hudson's Bay Post and a few wigwams. He was chief of the Red Rock Chippewa Band for nine years.
Even if the money never materializes the old man takes comfort from the fact that he now knows definitely that his family " was one of the noblest in France", he said.
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
THE PAST STILL WITH US
At this time of ice and snow we like to think that Spring will come and we can see the wonderful waters of the Nipigon River and memories of Logging Days past.
 |
| Piling from the days of the River Drives, Nipigon River. |
Monday, 3 March 2014
31,000 PAGEVIEWS and then some
Well, we had a big audience today that put the PAGEVIEWS over the 31,000 mark. February 15 was when we passed into the 30,000 views.
We have picked up a few new followers. Thank you for signing on to our Blog.
Just a reminder that you can put a keyword or a subject into that "search" box in the top left of the Blog Post to bring up articles Posted. An example would be "seven men" and it would get you articles about the accident on the Northern Transcontinental Railway construction of 1909.
.
We have picked up a few new followers. Thank you for signing on to our Blog.
Just a reminder that you can put a keyword or a subject into that "search" box in the top left of the Blog Post to bring up articles Posted. An example would be "seven men" and it would get you articles about the accident on the Northern Transcontinental Railway construction of 1909.
.
de la Ronde LETTERS - Ida Schneider to J. C. Bonenfant
From the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives
March 24, 1964
Mr. J.C. Bonenfant
Bibliothecaire
Hotel du Gouvernement
Quebec City
Canada
Dear Mr. Bonenfant,
I take the liberty to address this letter to you in regard to some historical enquiries.
Introducing myself, I like to inform you that I came to Canada in 1927, originally from Austria and Italy and - outside of the nine years residence in Montreal - I have been living in Toronto. For the past 20 years I have been reading a great deal on Canadian History and, especially in connection with the Fur Trade in the Upper Lakes. I came across some interesting historic material, as yet unpublished.
It concerns the life of two Fur Traders, namely, Louis Denys de la Ronde and Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde, Count of Thibaudiere.
Their grandfather was Louis Denys de la Ronde a Chevalier de Saint-Louis, who built the first vessel in Lake Superior (1733 ) and who died in Quebec City in 1741.
Their father ( one of the sons of the above named Louis was Pierre Francois Paul, born 14 juillot 1723 at l'Ile-St. Jean, died at La Collo under Abercrombie. He was married to Marguerite Susanne de Celles-Duclos in 1749 in Montreal.
Louis Denys de la Ronde, the Fur Trader, ( and son of Pierre Francois Paul ) made a Will in Montreal in 1797 in which he left his worldly possessions to an Indian wife ( common law) in the Lake Nipissing District, Ontario. He had 10 children with her and in the Will he named the 10 children.
However, Louis Denys de la Ronde must have recovered his health because in July 1800 he married in Montreal a widow, her name was Louise King and with whom he had five sons. He died in 1808 and was buried in St. Anne de Bellevue. The five sons were:
Louis, born 1801 ( of Nipigon)
Charles-Francois ( named after the uncle) born 1803
Michel-Gaspard, born 1804
Pierre-Alexandre, born 1806
and
Joseph-Adolphe, born 1808
Louis Denys de la Ronde owed his brother Charles- Francois with whom he also dealt with in the Fur Trade, a total of L 11,355.10, this includes a loan of L 9031 . A signed statement for this amount against the estate of Louis is in the Courthouse.
The said Louise King, Widow, was appointed tutor and Charles-Francois (1763-1840) the uncle, was present in Montreal to the deed. The one son of Louis and Louise King who is of special interest in this research is Michel-Gaspard, born in 1804, who became a notary and practiced law in Avonteuil (not sure of spelling as the copy is blurry - ed). His life is described in the following two books:
a) "History of the Counties of Argenteuil, Quebec, and Prescott, Ont." ( from the earliest settlement to the present) by C. Thomas 1896, Montreal.
b) "Memories of Old St. Andrews and Historical Sketches of the Seigniory of Argenteuil" , by B. N. Wales, M.D. copyright 1934 Watchman Press, Lachute, P.Q.
In the above two books, Michel Gaspard de Coligny Denys de la Ronde is described as a highly intelligent lawyer, well known for his witty political lampoons etc. etc. He was a friend of Laurier. Michel Gaspard married in 1829 and had 10 children, he died age 78 in 1896.
Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde. He was born June 9, 1763, in what was then known as l'Assumption du Detroit ( now Sandwich, Windsor) his father being then an officer in that Fort. He too became a free Fur Trader in the Upper Lakes, perhaps, at first, with the North-West Company. He also had a family of several children with an Indian woman. However, he brought his family to Montreal, and on the 22nd of June 1818 he had his marriage and children legitimized, baptized, in OKA, Parish of Lac des Deux Moutagnes, District Terrebonne. He died in 1840 in Penetanguishene and his descendants are still living and fairly numerous.
About thirty years ago a direct descendant of this family of Charles Francois came from the USA to Montreal and had a visit with Mr. Massicotte. He told her about that lawyer de la Ronde in St. Andrews East, that he had carried on a long litigation with the Sulpician Order in regard to some family property, but that , in the end he lost out on account of lack of proper evidence. Mr. Massicotte also said that the case was well known in Montreal and, in case the visitor was interested, his son-in-law, a lawyer, would be willing to look into the matter.
A year or two later, a member of the same family made a trip to St. Andrews East and there met Eva de la Ronde, then about 70 years old and daughter of the late notary Michel-Gaspard. She too confirmed the above story.
A month ago I came across in the Toronto Reference Library three booklets with the following titles:
A) Report, relating to the Affairs of the OKA Indians, made to the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs by Rev. William Scott, Ottawa, 22 Jan. 1883, printed by MacLean, Roger & Co.
B) A Contribution to a proper understanding of the OKA question and a help to its equitable settlement by BETA, Montreal 1879
C) An historical notice on the difficulties arisen between the Seigneurs of Saint Sulpice and certain Indians of OKA , Montreal.
The interesting part in these 3 booklets is that it mentions that third and fourth influential parties were using the simple Indians in this litigation. However, no name is quoted who these parties were?
My question now is : Does the above refer to Gaspard de Coligny Denys de la Ronde, it looks as if this is the same case?
It seems, as if Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde also enters in this picture, because he left POWER OF ATTORNEY to the Hon. Michel Chartier de Lotbiniere on August 13th , 1808 before Notary Public in Montreal. With this document Charles Francois claims his rights of succession to the Denys estate.
My question is
a) Where can I read about this succession and
b) Exactly, what was the case Gaspard de Coligny de la Ronde against the Sulpicians Mr. Massicotte spoke of?
A year or so ago, there appeared an article in the Daily Paper again referring to the properties the Sulpicians are holding. Is this the same case?
It may also be of interest to you in regard to the Ontario Denys de la Ronde's that an article appeared in the Toronto Telegram of December 28, 1950, stating the case of 3 Indians in the Nipigon Region. They were descendants of the following :
Louis Denys de la Ronde, born in St. Ann's (?).... 1803
joined the North-West Company in ...1818
Joined the Hudson's Bay Company in...1821
Served at the Nipigon Post ...1851--68
died at the Nipigon Post ... August 1868
Although there seems to be an error in his birth year ( the above information was given from the Hudson's Bay Records in Winnipeg ) I believe the above Louis Denys de la Ronde was the son of Louise King and Louis Denys, who died in St. Anne de Bellevue in 1808. The Louis was buried at Sault Ste. Marie and in the Historical Room in the new Armories of that city there is a broken tombstone with the following inscription :
"Sacred to the memory of Louis Denys de la Ronde departed this life August 22, 1868, aged 68 years. He was for a period of 18 years in the service of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company and was one of their most zealous and faithful officers."
The Louis of the Sault left seven legitimate children ( he had married an Indian woman ) and appointed 3 trustees in his Will. The half-Indian descendants showed that this estate had been turned over to the third trustee, a certain Mr. Colin Rankin in 1881, but the Half-Indians never got the money. The article states that the Lakehead lawyer (?) in Fort William - Port Arthur investigated these claims for two years. How it ended I don't know. These descendants had French documents.
Before I close this letter, I would like to state that I have been conducting this research on and off as a hobby, I have no personal financial gains from it, I was simply fascinated by the story, peopled with French Nobility, Fur Traders, Indians, Sulpicians and a host of descendants. The history of the Denys de la Ronde family has never been written, some of the descendants went even far into Western Canada with exploratory expeditions.
Prof. Clayton Gray, who teaches history at the George Williams College in Montreal, read some of the material I have gathered. He thinks I have enough for a most interesting book on never before published Canadiana. This should really be written by a French -Canadian, perhaps under a Canadian Council Grant!!
If you would be kind enough to answer my question contained in this letter, please wrsite in the French Language which I read very well but cannot claim the same for my own French writing. Italian and German were my own bilingual languages and I have retained them to the full. Please excuse that my letter is in English.
Hoping to hear from you, I remain
Sincerely yours (Mrs) Ida Schneider.
March 24, 1964
Mr. J.C. Bonenfant
Bibliothecaire
Hotel du Gouvernement
Quebec City
Canada
Dear Mr. Bonenfant,
I take the liberty to address this letter to you in regard to some historical enquiries.
Introducing myself, I like to inform you that I came to Canada in 1927, originally from Austria and Italy and - outside of the nine years residence in Montreal - I have been living in Toronto. For the past 20 years I have been reading a great deal on Canadian History and, especially in connection with the Fur Trade in the Upper Lakes. I came across some interesting historic material, as yet unpublished.
It concerns the life of two Fur Traders, namely, Louis Denys de la Ronde and Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde, Count of Thibaudiere.
Their grandfather was Louis Denys de la Ronde a Chevalier de Saint-Louis, who built the first vessel in Lake Superior (1733 ) and who died in Quebec City in 1741.
Their father ( one of the sons of the above named Louis was Pierre Francois Paul, born 14 juillot 1723 at l'Ile-St. Jean, died at La Collo under Abercrombie. He was married to Marguerite Susanne de Celles-Duclos in 1749 in Montreal.
Louis Denys de la Ronde, the Fur Trader, ( and son of Pierre Francois Paul ) made a Will in Montreal in 1797 in which he left his worldly possessions to an Indian wife ( common law) in the Lake Nipissing District, Ontario. He had 10 children with her and in the Will he named the 10 children.
However, Louis Denys de la Ronde must have recovered his health because in July 1800 he married in Montreal a widow, her name was Louise King and with whom he had five sons. He died in 1808 and was buried in St. Anne de Bellevue. The five sons were:
Louis, born 1801 ( of Nipigon)
Charles-Francois ( named after the uncle) born 1803
Michel-Gaspard, born 1804
Pierre-Alexandre, born 1806
and
Joseph-Adolphe, born 1808
Louis Denys de la Ronde owed his brother Charles- Francois with whom he also dealt with in the Fur Trade, a total of L 11,355.10, this includes a loan of L 9031 . A signed statement for this amount against the estate of Louis is in the Courthouse.
The said Louise King, Widow, was appointed tutor and Charles-Francois (1763-1840) the uncle, was present in Montreal to the deed. The one son of Louis and Louise King who is of special interest in this research is Michel-Gaspard, born in 1804, who became a notary and practiced law in Avonteuil (not sure of spelling as the copy is blurry - ed). His life is described in the following two books:
a) "History of the Counties of Argenteuil, Quebec, and Prescott, Ont." ( from the earliest settlement to the present) by C. Thomas 1896, Montreal.
b) "Memories of Old St. Andrews and Historical Sketches of the Seigniory of Argenteuil" , by B. N. Wales, M.D. copyright 1934 Watchman Press, Lachute, P.Q.
In the above two books, Michel Gaspard de Coligny Denys de la Ronde is described as a highly intelligent lawyer, well known for his witty political lampoons etc. etc. He was a friend of Laurier. Michel Gaspard married in 1829 and had 10 children, he died age 78 in 1896.
Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde. He was born June 9, 1763, in what was then known as l'Assumption du Detroit ( now Sandwich, Windsor) his father being then an officer in that Fort. He too became a free Fur Trader in the Upper Lakes, perhaps, at first, with the North-West Company. He also had a family of several children with an Indian woman. However, he brought his family to Montreal, and on the 22nd of June 1818 he had his marriage and children legitimized, baptized, in OKA, Parish of Lac des Deux Moutagnes, District Terrebonne. He died in 1840 in Penetanguishene and his descendants are still living and fairly numerous.
About thirty years ago a direct descendant of this family of Charles Francois came from the USA to Montreal and had a visit with Mr. Massicotte. He told her about that lawyer de la Ronde in St. Andrews East, that he had carried on a long litigation with the Sulpician Order in regard to some family property, but that , in the end he lost out on account of lack of proper evidence. Mr. Massicotte also said that the case was well known in Montreal and, in case the visitor was interested, his son-in-law, a lawyer, would be willing to look into the matter.
A year or two later, a member of the same family made a trip to St. Andrews East and there met Eva de la Ronde, then about 70 years old and daughter of the late notary Michel-Gaspard. She too confirmed the above story.
A month ago I came across in the Toronto Reference Library three booklets with the following titles:
A) Report, relating to the Affairs of the OKA Indians, made to the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs by Rev. William Scott, Ottawa, 22 Jan. 1883, printed by MacLean, Roger & Co.
B) A Contribution to a proper understanding of the OKA question and a help to its equitable settlement by BETA, Montreal 1879
C) An historical notice on the difficulties arisen between the Seigneurs of Saint Sulpice and certain Indians of OKA , Montreal.
The interesting part in these 3 booklets is that it mentions that third and fourth influential parties were using the simple Indians in this litigation. However, no name is quoted who these parties were?
My question now is : Does the above refer to Gaspard de Coligny Denys de la Ronde, it looks as if this is the same case?
It seems, as if Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde also enters in this picture, because he left POWER OF ATTORNEY to the Hon. Michel Chartier de Lotbiniere on August 13th , 1808 before Notary Public in Montreal. With this document Charles Francois claims his rights of succession to the Denys estate.
My question is
a) Where can I read about this succession and
b) Exactly, what was the case Gaspard de Coligny de la Ronde against the Sulpicians Mr. Massicotte spoke of?
A year or so ago, there appeared an article in the Daily Paper again referring to the properties the Sulpicians are holding. Is this the same case?
It may also be of interest to you in regard to the Ontario Denys de la Ronde's that an article appeared in the Toronto Telegram of December 28, 1950, stating the case of 3 Indians in the Nipigon Region. They were descendants of the following :
Louis Denys de la Ronde, born in St. Ann's (?).... 1803
joined the North-West Company in ...1818
Joined the Hudson's Bay Company in...1821
Served at the Nipigon Post ...1851--68
died at the Nipigon Post ... August 1868
Although there seems to be an error in his birth year ( the above information was given from the Hudson's Bay Records in Winnipeg ) I believe the above Louis Denys de la Ronde was the son of Louise King and Louis Denys, who died in St. Anne de Bellevue in 1808. The Louis was buried at Sault Ste. Marie and in the Historical Room in the new Armories of that city there is a broken tombstone with the following inscription :
"Sacred to the memory of Louis Denys de la Ronde departed this life August 22, 1868, aged 68 years. He was for a period of 18 years in the service of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company and was one of their most zealous and faithful officers."
The Louis of the Sault left seven legitimate children ( he had married an Indian woman ) and appointed 3 trustees in his Will. The half-Indian descendants showed that this estate had been turned over to the third trustee, a certain Mr. Colin Rankin in 1881, but the Half-Indians never got the money. The article states that the Lakehead lawyer (?) in Fort William - Port Arthur investigated these claims for two years. How it ended I don't know. These descendants had French documents.
Before I close this letter, I would like to state that I have been conducting this research on and off as a hobby, I have no personal financial gains from it, I was simply fascinated by the story, peopled with French Nobility, Fur Traders, Indians, Sulpicians and a host of descendants. The history of the Denys de la Ronde family has never been written, some of the descendants went even far into Western Canada with exploratory expeditions.
Prof. Clayton Gray, who teaches history at the George Williams College in Montreal, read some of the material I have gathered. He thinks I have enough for a most interesting book on never before published Canadiana. This should really be written by a French -Canadian, perhaps under a Canadian Council Grant!!
If you would be kind enough to answer my question contained in this letter, please wrsite in the French Language which I read very well but cannot claim the same for my own French writing. Italian and German were my own bilingual languages and I have retained them to the full. Please excuse that my letter is in English.
Hoping to hear from you, I remain
Sincerely yours (Mrs) Ida Schneider.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
de la Ronde LETTERS Ida Schneider to "Buzz" Lein
From the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives - de la Ronde File
Reply from Ida Schneider January 13, 1976
Dear Mr. Lein,
What a surprise your letter of January 7th. It brought back some interesting years, on and off, of research in connection with some members of the de la Ronde family, originally from around Britt, later from Toronto. They have large ramifications, lots of children, great and great - grand children and the Nipigon branch of Louis de la Ronde are also part of it. Their noble ancestors go back to Louis XIV and the fact that a bona fide WILL of Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde, Count of Thibaudiere, who was a free fur trader in the Georgian Bay and Mackinaw with his brother Louis from Montreal, (the Nipigon Louis was one of his sons) was never probated because the inventory disappeared, after the WILL was registered at the Barrie court house, makes the story so interesting.
What is more uncanny, is the fact that things turn up in the most unexpected ways, f.i. like your letter now.
Just now I have to clear up my correspondence and reports . I do a vast amount of voluntary work for the epileptics, having correspondence with the foremost European centres of research, including Great Britain.
I shall have to look through my de la Ronde files and then write to you again stressing the still unexplained facts, the missing links. Do you know, I saw in the Sigmond Samuel Gallery years ago a collection of the charming water colours by William Armstrong, the man who went also with the Red River Expedition as a recording artist. He painted two Miss de la Ronde, sitting on a rock cleaning fish. Canoes nearby. They did not know who that Miss de la Ronde could have been. I was able to tell them and they gave me permission to have two transparencies made of this daughter of Louis Denys of Nipigon. Also there existed, so a member of the family here was told, a Mrs. Evelyn McEwen, a magazine, perhaps a weekend magazine - it was in the forties she was told - that a story of Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde appeared with a picture of him with 2 or 3 daughters, in dresses of around the period 1820 -30 - probably from an oil painting. Distant relatives had seen it in Britt, but it was thrown out, just lost. She could never trace it , nor could I. Of course, I could write and research on and on, but had to stop on account of my other important interests. However, since you are of Nipigon District, perhaps you know things first hand. I shall let you know presently more. -
Thanking you for your letter and interest, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Ida Schneider
P.S. You should have written to me when Mr. Benedict showed you my letter. I found out since a lot of his ancestor Louis and wife Louise.-
Reply from Ida Schneider January 13, 1976
Dear Mr. Lein,
What a surprise your letter of January 7th. It brought back some interesting years, on and off, of research in connection with some members of the de la Ronde family, originally from around Britt, later from Toronto. They have large ramifications, lots of children, great and great - grand children and the Nipigon branch of Louis de la Ronde are also part of it. Their noble ancestors go back to Louis XIV and the fact that a bona fide WILL of Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde, Count of Thibaudiere, who was a free fur trader in the Georgian Bay and Mackinaw with his brother Louis from Montreal, (the Nipigon Louis was one of his sons) was never probated because the inventory disappeared, after the WILL was registered at the Barrie court house, makes the story so interesting.
What is more uncanny, is the fact that things turn up in the most unexpected ways, f.i. like your letter now.
Just now I have to clear up my correspondence and reports . I do a vast amount of voluntary work for the epileptics, having correspondence with the foremost European centres of research, including Great Britain.
I shall have to look through my de la Ronde files and then write to you again stressing the still unexplained facts, the missing links. Do you know, I saw in the Sigmond Samuel Gallery years ago a collection of the charming water colours by William Armstrong, the man who went also with the Red River Expedition as a recording artist. He painted two Miss de la Ronde, sitting on a rock cleaning fish. Canoes nearby. They did not know who that Miss de la Ronde could have been. I was able to tell them and they gave me permission to have two transparencies made of this daughter of Louis Denys of Nipigon. Also there existed, so a member of the family here was told, a Mrs. Evelyn McEwen, a magazine, perhaps a weekend magazine - it was in the forties she was told - that a story of Charles Francois Denys de la Ronde appeared with a picture of him with 2 or 3 daughters, in dresses of around the period 1820 -30 - probably from an oil painting. Distant relatives had seen it in Britt, but it was thrown out, just lost. She could never trace it , nor could I. Of course, I could write and research on and on, but had to stop on account of my other important interests. However, since you are of Nipigon District, perhaps you know things first hand. I shall let you know presently more. -
Thanking you for your letter and interest, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Ida Schneider
P.S. You should have written to me when Mr. Benedict showed you my letter. I found out since a lot of his ancestor Louis and wife Louise.-
de la Ronde LETTERS -" Buzz" to Ida Schneider 1976
From the Nipigon Historical Museum Archives de la Ronde file
Letter from L.M. "Buzz" Lein January 7, 1976
Dear Mrs. Schneider;
Late last year I came into contact with an incomplete file on the de l Rondes in which some interest was shown in the Nipigon de la Rondes. Also in the file was a name - yours- and it was an accident that the name was there apparently. Anyway to make a long story short, I too am interested in the de la Rondes of Nipigon and I have first hand knowledge of them.
I was in Thunder Bay over Christmas and idly inquired of Gerrie Noble, the curator of the Thunder Bay Museum where he got this file in the first place. He thought vaguely that he had gotten it from Mrs. Kelly on S- Ave. I promptly phoned Mrs. Kelly. Yep. She knew all about the file and what was more important to me she knew your address.
Before I get all tangled up - I am a retired woodsman who has spent many many years in the Nipigon area. I know the people and they know me so that I have no communication difficulties. I am also collecting whatever I can about the Nipigon area and have acquired a considerable amount of data.
If you are still historically minded and if you still have your Nipigon notes, it would be a pleasure for me to talk to you. I also have some info about the de la Rondes of Nipigon. In the file I saw noted where you sent a registered letter to Benedict Wawia of Nipigon. Poor Benedict is dead now but you scared the hell out of him with that letter.
Yours truly,
L.M. "Buzz" Lein
Letter from L.M. "Buzz" Lein January 7, 1976
Dear Mrs. Schneider;
Late last year I came into contact with an incomplete file on the de l Rondes in which some interest was shown in the Nipigon de la Rondes. Also in the file was a name - yours- and it was an accident that the name was there apparently. Anyway to make a long story short, I too am interested in the de la Rondes of Nipigon and I have first hand knowledge of them.
I was in Thunder Bay over Christmas and idly inquired of Gerrie Noble, the curator of the Thunder Bay Museum where he got this file in the first place. He thought vaguely that he had gotten it from Mrs. Kelly on S- Ave. I promptly phoned Mrs. Kelly. Yep. She knew all about the file and what was more important to me she knew your address.
Before I get all tangled up - I am a retired woodsman who has spent many many years in the Nipigon area. I know the people and they know me so that I have no communication difficulties. I am also collecting whatever I can about the Nipigon area and have acquired a considerable amount of data.
If you are still historically minded and if you still have your Nipigon notes, it would be a pleasure for me to talk to you. I also have some info about the de la Rondes of Nipigon. In the file I saw noted where you sent a registered letter to Benedict Wawia of Nipigon. Poor Benedict is dead now but you scared the hell out of him with that letter.
Yours truly,
L.M. "Buzz" Lein
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