Questions About the Interviewees
Lenore Pallissard
1. Why did Lenore's ancestors leave France?
They had conflicts with the English
2. Lenore Pallissard's family can to America and immigrated to do what?
Economic conditions
3. In what year was the "special" school built that Lenore attend and what was it's name.
The Pallissard School and it was built in 1917
4. Some of her French-Canadian ancestors first settled in Acadia, Canada. What is this called today?
Nova Scotia
5. What was passed down through her family?
Her grandfather’s marriage certificate
Cecile LaMarre Enright
1. How many times did Cecile say she traveled to France?
30 times
2. What dates did Cecile LeMarre Enright work in France and what was her occupation?
She worked in southern France from 1973-1991 as an interpreter
3. When did the majority of the people settle in this area?
1950-1960's
4. How did Watseka get its name?
A well-known Frenchman who had founded a lot of towns and places in this area was married to an Indian princess named Watseka
5. What did she play with when she was a child?
Homemade toys
Bernice (Fortin) Bissaillon
1. What branch of the service was Mrs. Bissaillon in WWII?
Coast Guard
2. How was her father killed?
A farming accident involving run away horses and a farm implement
3. How much did Mrs. Bissaillon make at the factory where she worked during WWII?
Sixty-nine cents
4. What not-for-profit organization does Bernice Bissaillon belong to?
The Gleaners
5. In what language did she make her first communion?
French
Anne Richard
1. Who founded the Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society?
Anne's husband, Adrian Richard and Professor Marquart
2. Anne's family did not celebrate which well-known holiday?
Christmas
3. Blood sausage is made from the blood of what animal?
A hog
4. Where did Anne Richard meet her husband?
Anne met her husband at a dance at the town hall during a tag dance. He tagged her.
5. How much money did Anne and her husband pay for their house?
$3,000
Sister Madeleine LaMarre
1. What did Sister Madeleine LaMarre say was the biggest benefit from being of the French-Canadian descent?
Her faith
2. Why did Sister Madeleine say that towns were named after Saints?
Because church was the center of their lives
3. Where does Sister Madeleine LaMarre currently teach?
Bishop McNamara High School
4. What was here Mother House and why did she have to go to Montreal to visit it?
Montreal to visit
5. Why did Madeleine go to Montreal for a year?
She went to Montreal to attend college
Leland Ponton
1. When he worked in the factories, how much did he make per hour?
He made $2.10 per hour
2. What story does Leland Ponton want to write concerning a cattle driver?
The "Legend of Jacob's Lantern"
3. How hot was it in the building where Leland worked for a summer when he was younger?
The building was 160 degrees
4. What French marriage tradition differs from American tradition?
The women do not take the man's last name
5. What would the oldest French man do on New Year's Eve?
He would bless the people with a French prayer
Compare and Contrast Questions
1. Which of the interviewees referred to Corpus Christi?
Sister Madeleine LeMarre and Anne Richard
2. Did all of the interviewees have siblings?
Yes
3. What instrument did Sister Madeleine and Lenore play?
The piano
4. Sister Madeleine and Bernice attended what Academy?
Notre Dame Academy
5. What was the form of transportation the ancestors of the interviewees had use when they arrived in Kankakee area?
Waterways and oxen
6. Which two interviewees attended a one-room schoolhouse?
Anne Richard and Lenore Pallissard
7. Do all of the original families that settled here in the late 50's and 60's still have ancestors in this area?
Yes, all of the names can still be found in the local phone book
8. Did all of the interviewees settle in the Kankakee area?
Yes
9. What type of schools did each of the interviewees attend--public or private?
Leland and Lenore attended public schools and the others attended private schools