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Three generations of women

Montage of 3 pictures. On the left is the portrait of Philomène Dalton, in the center, that of Célina-Elmire LePailleur and on the right, that of Aimée Descarries. A blue border with flower motifs frames the whole. Their names and their years of birth and death are at the bottom.

Source: Collection Maison LePailleur

Philomène Dalton:

Born in Montréal in 1839, the same year her father, Moïse, was released from prison. He had been arrested for his participation in the Patriot rebellions of 1837-1838.

Her family moved to Châteauguay between 1846 and 1849, where Philomène met Alfred-Narcisse LePailleur. She married him when she was 16 years old. The following year, their first child, Narcisse-Alfred, was born. She went through fourteen more pregnancies. Of her 15 children, 3 did not reach the age of 2.

Despite their large family, Alfred-Narcisse and Philomène decided to adopt their nephew Joseph Wilbrod Chauvin, who became an orphan when he was only six years old.

At the age of 76, Philomène died in Lachine, where she had lived since 1891.

 

Célina-Elmire:

Born in Châteauguay in 1860. Célina-Elmire moved to Lachine when she married Joseph-Adélard Descarries (1881).

She gave birth to 10 children, 4 of whom did not reach adulthood.

 

Aimée Descarries:

Born in Lachine in 1890. Aimée died of an illness at the age of 28. She was then engaged to be married a few months later.