Sunday's Obituary - Octavia Villers nee Wagner

(This post was originally published on July 2, 2011 here.)

I've actually got 2 wonderful obituaries for Octavia. One was sent to me from a cousin that I met through the absolutely wonderful world of message boards (I love those darned boards so very much!). The other I found during Scanfest last Sunday.

Yes, can you believe that I had the obituary published in Wisconsin for years and didn't know it. That's why I'm forever grateful that I finally remembered to tune in and do a scan fest. I knew I had lots to scan, but never seemed to get to it. This find has certainly motivated me to get down to it and get it done!

So for you long-time readers of my blog (there are one or two of you out there)...you may recall the murder trial of Martin Joseph Villers that I posted on back at the end of 2010. Well, Octavia was his wife. She is my husband's great-great grandmother. I'm posting both obituaries, because they are a bit different and they therefore give slightly different genealogical information. It also makes for a pretty good comparison.

The Bismarck Tribune

"Octavia Villers, Aged Co. Pioneer, Passed Away Today

(Handwritten - July 5th)

Funeral Services Wil Be Held At St. James Church Monday

Mrs. Octavia Villers, aged pioneer resident of Jamestown and Stutsman county, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary LaJoie, at 6:30 o'clock this morning.

Mrs. Villers came with her parents to the United States 84 years ago from her native land, Belgium, where she was born December 18 1842. Trhe trip was made in a sailboat and took six weeks. The family wen to Rosiere, Wisconsin, near Green Bay. It was 54 years ago when Mrs. Villers came to Stutsman county to Montpelier. She came to Jamestown over 30 years ago and for nearly 20* years lived with her daughter, Mrs. Ella Naze and since that time has lived with Mrs. LaJoie.

Mrs. Villers was active until about two years ago. She was a member of St. James Catholic church. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs.LaJoie; Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, Wis.; Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and a son, Louis Villers, Green Bay, Wisc.; 24 grandchildren; 36 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren. Mrs. Naze, a daughter, died several years ago.

Funeral services will be held at St. James Catholic church Monday monring at 9:00 o'clock. The body is at the Daly Funeral Home. The family requests that no flowers be sent. The rosary will be said Sunday night at 8:00 o'clock at the funeral home."

*20 years is what was published in the obituary, but someone wrote "15" over top of it.

This last one is the one that I "found" last weekend, and I'm glad that I did. I've been scanning obituaries that my husband's paternal grandmother collected and have been wondering how they are going to fit into our family tree, if they will at all. This last obituary gives some pretty great information on her children. And you know what? I recognize some of the names. Scoreboard! Naturally, the search isn't over with just this obituary. They are prone to errors. After all, they aren't submitted by the deceased. All second-hand information, which may or may not be accurate. I mean look at the birth dates. They were off. Either by the person submitting the information or the person writing the story. It does give me a great starting point to continue that research though!

Green Bay Press Gazette, 08JUL1940, pg 9

"Former Rosiere Woman Dies in North Dakota

Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Octavia Mary Villers, 98, which occurred Friday morning at the home of her daughters, Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamstown, N.D. She was a former resident of Rosiere.

Mrs. Eli Cayemberg and Walter Cayemberg, Pulaski; Henry and Wilfred Cayemberg, Manitowoc; Mrs. Russell Anderson, Green Bay, and Hubert Guillette, Anston, attended the services which were held this morning at St. James Catholic church with burial in the church cemetery at Jamestown.

The deceased was born in Belgium Dec. 22, 1842, and came to America in 1854 with her parents Mr. and Mrs., J. B. Wagner, settling in Rosiere. She married M. J. Villers in 1864 and lived in Algoma for 10 years before coming to North Dakota 54 years ago.

Survivors are four children, (Florence) Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski; (Mary) Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamestown; (Agnes) Mr. Joseph Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and Louis Villers, Green Bay; 46 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. A daughter, Mrs. Prosper Naze, died four years ago."

To see the Green Bay Press Gazette article on Newpapers.com click here.

There is no link for Newspapers.com for The Bismarck Tribune's article. It's not there. While "July 5th" was written on the clipping, it was likely when she died and not the date of the newspaper. You can see the July 5th paper online, but then there is a gap and the next paper is July 9th, so for now it's down to just the clipping I have.