Cross in the Woods
One spring day while hunting for Morel Mushrooms near my cabin I found this cross in the woods. I was near an old homestead but had long since been abandon. It was now part of the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area. It is located in the northeastern part of Roseau County, Minnesota. The area around the cross is all overgrown but around the cross remains what appears to be an old bed frame and some other rusted metal pieces. Below are some pictures. I do not know any of the history of this family or who or when this cross was erected. It must have been a sad Christmas Day in 1908. I would be interested if anyone may know more about this family and what happened on that day. You can e-mail me at bill@hobbydog.net.
The inscription on the cross: 1908 DEC 25 , Manderville, Died in Fire, Bernadette 14, Dalphine 12, John 6.
I have now found some answers....this was in the 2004 Lancaster Centennial History Book.
Joseph Lusignan was born in St. Lin Quebec on March 20, 1882, the son of Cyrille Lusignan and Alphonsine Vendit. When Joseph was 6 years old he moved with his family from Quebec to Pembina ND. Joseph had an older named Cyrille Jr. and a sister named Mary. Joseph (Joe) did farm labor as a young man while living in Pembina. Joe later went to Bemidji MN where he worked doing logging and later returned to Kittson County and homesteaded in Caribou in about 1904. Joe’s father Cyrille was a very strong young man. He had a special bench that he could have men sit on each side and would lift it up on his shoulders. He also would pick up a horse. There was an article about him in the Lancaster paper, also a reprint of few years back in the “50 years ago” column. Joe’s parents and his brother Cyrille Jr. later moved to north Battleford Saskatchewan, Canada.
Cyrille Jr. wed Virginia and they had two children: George (he wed but never had children) and Lillie she never married. They lived in North Battleford where they are buried now.
Joe sister Mary Lusignan married Joe Thifault and lived in St. Vincent, Kittson County, MN. Mary and Joe Thifault had 10 children. One was Ester Clem who died about 2 years ago. In 1906 Joe Lusignan married Elizabeth F Mandeville (Liz) the daughter of Oliver Mandeville and Elizabeth Boisbert. They also homesteaded in Caribou Mn. In March of 1908 a fire burned their home to the ground. Three children lost their lives. The priest came right there as there were no bodies to remove and bury. One of the grandsons, John Poirier, who now in his 90s and lives in Buffalo Minnesota made a metal cross which is now standing where the house was on the homestead. He spelled the name wrong on the cross, it reads Manderville and not Mandeville. But it is a nice memorial.
Joe and Liz continued to live on his homestead in Caribou MN. Seven children were born to them: Georgina (Barbara) 1910, Edmund (Elmo) in 1912, Zefree in 1915, twins Rosanna and Rosella in 1918, Clifford in 1912 and Barnedith in 1922.
There home was a lively and happy place to be. There were many gatherings with neighbors and lots of home cooked meals. With Liz’s home made beans being a favorite. Joe passed away in 1947 and Liz moved into the town of Greenbush where she had a house built. She passed away in 1977 and now both of them are buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Greenbush MN.
Today (2004) some of their decedents still live in Lancaster MN. Many live in different parts of Minnesota also.
