Leon Issert Gallery | French Canadian Interview Project

Leon's maternal great great grandparents Elizabeth (Roy) Granger and David Granger.
The Grangers' daughter—Leon's maternal great grandmother Elizabeth (Granger) Bergeron and Leon's great grandfather Alexis Bergeron.
A later picture of Alexis Bergeron. As a young French-Canadian immigrant, Alexis Bergeron worked for Noel LeVasseur in Bourbonnais Grove, Illinois as a courier on the Hubbard Trail.
Above is the Bergeron family homestead and farm located on St. George Road in Kankakee County, Illinois. Leon's grandmother Sophia is sitting on the porch with her artwork.
Above is the Bergeron family homestead and farm located on St. George Road in Kankakee County, Illinois.
In this early 1900s photograph are Leon's grandmother Sophia (Bergeron) Fortin and her three daughters Genevieve on bottom left, and next to her Marie Ange "Angie" (Leon's mother), and Florence on the right.
A 1920s photograph of Leon's mother Marie Ange "Angie" (Fortin) Issert who was a teacher in Chicago and Sioux City, Iowa.
In the mid 1930s photo, Leon is pictured with his sister Therese and baby brother Victor in baby buggy.
Leon-on left—and his brother Victor photographed in 1939.
Leon's 1945 grade school graduation picture from Notre Dame Academy in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Leon is second from the left in back row.
In the 1953 photograph at left are—from left to right—Leon's cousin Celeste Raiche, mother Angie, cousin Mary Louise Juaber (Bergeron) Fortin, baby cousin Ken, and cousin Marion Francis (James) Stevens. The photograph was taken at Stanford University in California.
The mid-1950s photograph at right depicts Leon's father Jules, Leon's sister Therese, and Leon in front of their Peotone, Illinois farm home.
The light cruiser Manchester (CL 83)—docked in Japan—Leon's first assignment for 18 months as a gunnery officer in the navy.
Leon—far left—onboard his next naval assignment, the aircraft carrier Boxer docked in a Japanese harbor.
In this photograph taken in San Carlos, California are—from left to right—Leon's young cousin Ken, mother Angie (Fortin) Issert, father Jules Issert, cousin-by-marriage Ken, cousin Marion Francis (James) Stevens, and young cousin Jerry.
The baptism of Leon's daughter Nicole in early 1976—from left to right, Leon's brother Tony, Leon's sister-in-law [Rosellen's sister] Suzanne, Father Erickson, Leon's wife Rosellen, and Leon.
Leon's daughter Elizabeth and at right is Leon's Nicole.
A Photograph of Leon's sister Therese Delphine (Issert) Larocca.
A Photograph of Leon's sister Therese Delphine (Issert) Larocca.
This "filling silo" photograph was taken at a farm in rural Bourbonnais, Illinois—from left to right are Leon's brother-in-law Frank Garnier, Vernon Lesage, "Shorty" Lang, William Trudeau, Leon, and Claude Trudeau—who owned the farm.
Leon with his second cousin Mimi Raiche. Leon's maternal grandmother, Sophia Bergeron, and Mimi's maternal grandmother, Mariah Genevieve Bergeron, were sisters. This photograph was taken on January 13, 2006.