Families of Ben & Abraham Turgeon
Abraham Turgeon was the oldest brother to our ancestor, Philias Turgeon. Philias, along with his other brothers, moved from Quebec to Dakota Territory. There they cultivated and improved their land, and helped build this Territory.
Abraham and Francis arrived first in Dakota Territory. They were soon followed by Onesime, Louis and our own ancestor, Philias. Benjamin was the last to move and stay in Dakota Territory. The following chart shows how Abraham is related to the Smith siblings. He would be our great-great uncle. The following information is about Abraham and his family. From the internet I found various information about this family. Some of it comes from an online biography of one of the family members. None of the following information has been checked for grammar or spelling errors.
This is a picture of Abraham Turgeon. It is unknown when this picture was taken, possibly 1876.
Abraham Turgeon Family
Name: Abraham Turgeon
Sex: Male
Birth: 25 OCT 1847 in Beaumont, Quebec Province, Canada
Death: 5 SEP 1890 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
Burial: Sacred Heart Cemetery, Burke, Gregory County, SD
Marriage 1 Margaret Langdeau b: 3 NOV 1858 in Rulo, Richardson County, Nebraska
* Married: 14 NOV 1877 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
Father: Cezaire Turgeon b: 10 NOV 1815 in Beaumont, Quebec Province, Canada
Mother: Jeanne Marie Trachy b: 8 NOV 1822 in Paspebiac, Quebec Province, Canada
Children
1. Has Children Alvina Turgeon b: 7 NOV 1878 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
2. Has Children Joseph M. Turgeon b: 24 OCT 1880 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
3. Has Children Abraham Benjamin Turgeon b: 26 FEB 1884 in Castilla, Charles Mix County, SD
4. Has Children Susan Turgeon b: 18 OCT 1885 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
5. Has No Children Louesia Margaret Turgeon b: 18 MAY 1889 in Wheeler, Charles Mix County, SD
Notes for ABRAHAM BENJAMIN TURGEON:
From "The Saga of Sully Flats," by Adeline S. Gnirk, published 1977, by the Gregory Times-Advocate, Gregory, SD, page 323.
Abraham B. Turgeon, Jr. was married by the priest from St. Francis Mission in Todd County, to Marie Dolezal, June 16, 1909 in the Catholic Church two miles south of Burke. Marie Dolezal was born August 14, 1887 in Renville County, Minnesota near Bekyn to John J. and Mary (Kartak) Dolezal.
Marie Turgeon |
Marie Elizabeth Dolezal Turgeon
The Modern Woodmen of America Lodge whose meetings were held on the second floor of the Hardware and Pool Room building was built by J. J. Dolezal. March 20, 1905 |
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Marie had been attending school in Olivia, Minnesota and did not come out to the farm until 1905. She passed Teachers' Examinations at the Teacher's Institute at Fairfax, S.D. The following spring she was hired by Mr. Wilcox, the owner of a store in Dixon, to teach a six weeks spring session in a log cabin near Dixon, S.D. Indians from Bull Creek Community purchased groceries and other supplies at the store. Here Marie became aware of the sticking qualities of gumbo when the rain fell, as it did during the six weeks of teaching. She and her girl friends attended a dance in Iona. The ribbons they tied in their hair and around their necks became so limp and wrinkled from the rain that the girls had to iron them out by running the ribbons around the warm chimney of a kerosene lamp. The kerosene lamp also heated the curling iron for that extra hair curl. This was obtained by winding the hair around the heated iron and holding it for a few seconds.
In 1905-1907, she taught the Bottomstone School until her marriage. The land had been donated to the school by Mr. George W. Bottomstone.
Prior to Abraham, Jr. and Marie Dolezal's marriage, Abraham had started a Harness and Saddle Shop in a little building north of Connell and Madole's which was later sold. After his marriage he and William Emery built a Hardware Shop on Main-featured was hardware, stoves, ranges, washtubs, dishware, cooking utensils, and common wares needed in a home. One useful article of those days, a covered pail with a bail, referred to as a chamber commode, was purchased by a customer. However, she purchased the commode to mix and set her bread in; it raised beautifully! In 1917 Abraham, Jr. and George Pete built the first automotive garage in Burke, securing a dealership of the sale of Maxwell cars.
In 1915 the Turgeon family had been living on the Turgeon-Pete ranch southeast of Burke, S.D. That year Marie believed was the worst year of her life. She had just given birth to a son, Herbert, February 18, 1915; the baby was not too strong and she was not too well. To compound her worries Abraham, Jr. was ill and confined to his bed, thus leaving her to do the farm chores. The 30 inch snowfall made it difficult to walk about. When the pigs wandered out of the pen, and the colt became caught under the manger, she saddled up her horse and rode to the Joe Turgeon farm. Joe came over each day to assist her in the farm duties until Abraham recovered. April 8, 1915 their baby son died.
The family returned to Burke in 1924 where Abraham operated a gas and service station on the west edge of Burke, then the thoroughfare of Highway 18. Abraham and Marie now had a young thriving family of nine children. Marie and Abraham had started their family in 1910. Their ninth child, a son Clair, was born August 9, 1929.
In 1939 Abraham and Marie moved their family residence to a ranch north of Valentine, Nebr. near the little village of Littleburg (just over the state line in S.D.). Ranching was just the life for his growing healthy sons. The children attended grade and junior high which was situated some rods east of the store. Baseball games were played Sundays of the local baseball diamond.
The small townsite, Littleburg, had been founded in 1934 by Mr. and Mrs. Glen V. Hedelson of Clearfield, Todd County, S.D. Littleburg had been accepted as a postal site and was on the map! Surrounding ranchers and Indian families did business with the store. In 1939 the business and buildings were sold to Abraham Turgeon. They operated this business until his death, February 1, 1943.
Marie sold the business and the house was moved to Burke, S.D. where she made her home until 1967. She lives with her daughter Betty Eastlund and family near Lucas, S.D. Betty lays claim to being the only person known to five generations of family members buried in the Catholic Cemetery south of Burke: great-grandmother, Margaret Hart Landeaux (1823-1928); grandmother Margaret Turgeon Pete (1858-1926); her father, Abraham B. Turgeon (1883-1943); her brother, Herbert Turgeon (1915-1915); and her baby daughter, Rita Eastlund (1954).
Marie is a very capable seamstress. At one time she did local dressmaking on order. She fashioned the dress Mrs. Adelle Emery was laid away in. The funeral was held on a December day. Everything was covered with a hoar frost, patterns of lace glittered like diamonds. During the ceremony the sun shone bright and clear; Marie remarked, "Adelle was buried in lace."
Marie worked at the hospital during the war to assist in the care of patients. However, she was soon promoted to chief cook. To fill her days now, she knits many beautiful articles although her sight is failing.
Abraham and Marie Turgeon became the parents of ten children, nine growing to maturity: Robert (1910) married Evelyn Keith, 7 children; Alvina (1911) married Paul Larimer, a son Robert; Ramona (1913) was married to Mr. McKinnie; Rosalie (1916) married Arthur Wilson, children Gary and Pamely; Betty (Elizabeth-1918) married Roger Eastlund, children, infant dec., Mary Ostgren, James and John; George (1920-1964) married Irene Johnson, children Dennis, Janice, Barbara and Deborah; Benedict (1922) married Berniece Herman, children Thomas, Steven and Brent; Donald (1926) married Marjorie Connell, children Jane, Jeffrey, David and Danny; and Clair (1929) married Shirley McKenzie, children Sandra Hubbard, David, Richard, Carol, Nancy, Edward, Douglas and Larry.
Benedict Turgeon |
Benedict Anthony Turgeon (son of Abraham Benjamin Turgeon & Marie Dolezal)
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Children of JOSEPH TURGEON and JOSEPHINE BEMMENT are:
i. ISABEL IRENE "BELLE"4 TURGEON, b. October 22, 1901, South Dakota522,523; d. July 20, 1998, Appleby, Codington County, South Dakota523; m. ARTHUR S. "ART" UREVIG, July 19, 1930, Herrick, Gregory County, South Dakota524; b. September 18, 1908, South Dakota524,525; d. January 1983, Frazer, Becker County, Minnesota525.
More About ISABEL IRENE "BELLE" TURGEON:
Soc. Sec. Card Issued: 1965
More About ARTHUR S. "ART" UREVIG:
Soc. Sec. Card Issued: Bef. 1951
70. ii. MILDRED TURGEON, b. Aft. 1901, Gregory County, South Dakota; m. (1) CHESTER AYRES; m. (2) TOM HARDY.
71. iii. CLAYTON ABRAHAM TURGEON, b. August 03, 1903, Herrick, Gregory County, South Dakota; d. February 06, 1975, Paramount, Los Angeles County, California.
72. iv. MARGARET V. TURGEON, b. September 04, 1905, Burke, Gregory County, South Dakota; d. December 1975, Boyd County, Nebraska.
73. v. WALTER WILLIAM TURGEON, b. March 20, 1906, South Dakota; d. November 01, 1964, Red Lake County, Minnesota.
74. vi. ELLSWORTH T. TURGEON, b. March 07, 1909, Gregory County, South Dakota; d. January 11, 1920.
More About ELLSWORTH T. TURGEON:
Burial: Herrick Cemetery, Gregory County, South Dakota
vii. FRANCES TED TURGEON, b. June 17, 1912; d. September 24, 1996, Mission Viego, Orange County, California.
viii. JOSEPH G. TURGEON, b. December 14, 1913525; d. October 1984, Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota525; m. MARIE WILLOUGHBY, December 10, 1932, Mitchell, Davison County, South Dakota526; b. 1912526.
More About JOSEPH G. TURGEON:
Soc. Sec. Card Issued: Bef. 1951
ix. MARGARET TURGEON, b. June 23, 1914, White Earth, Becker County, Minnesota.
