| Notes |
- Celia's mother Tarcile was actually baptized “Tharsile” in Ile-d’Orleans, Quebec, Canada (modern-day Quebec City). As was common with many immigrants, Tharsile’s name was misspelled often, and it shows up in many forms: Tarcil, Tarcile, Tarceil, Tarsil, Tarcella, Theresa … among others.
Her grave marker says “Tarcile” so that is what I chose for her name here on this site.
Tarcile was married to Pierre Godbout. Pierre was known as “Peter” and his last name was changed to “Goodbout” upon immigrating to the U.S. The Goodbouts resided at 219 Lake Street when they were raising their family. The building is still standing; Zillow lists the home’s “date built” as the early 1900s. However now it is a multifamily dwelling.
I wonder if the lack of language skills from Tarcile is one of the reasons that my Grandma never seemed to know a lot of proper French? My mother once told me that Tarcile did not know how to read/write in French or English, that she had to sign her name with an “X.” Her death certificate says her highest grade of schooling was elementary school so it’s possible that she never attended any formal school in Canada, and that she might not have learned to read or write in French. I remember when I started studying French in high school, my Grandma would ask me to help translate letters from various French Canadian relatives.
Perhaps this is how “tourtiere” became “Touquere" in our family upbringing?” For decades we all enjoyed "touquere," a homemade meat pie dish served around the Christmas holidays. My grandmother made them, as did my parents. And then I happened to be talking with a good friend of mine who is originally from Quebec and I was recounting this dish, and how we were pretty sure it was not the true name. Voila, my friend filled me in on the traditional French Canadian "tourtiere." That gave my family a good laugh!
I recently learned from my cousins that Pierre/Peter Goodbout had his name tattooed on his arm because he could not read or write English. His obituary says he worked at the Douglas Boatworks as a shipbuilder, so I’m not sure how much English he knew; certainly enough to have remained employed for his adult years while raising a large family.
After Pierre/Peter died, Tarcile lived with Celia and her husband Loren in the multifamily home they shared with her brother Albert Goodbout and his wife, at 310 Cory Avenue. My grandmother would take care of Tarcile in the family home until her death in 1947.
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Simmons-Truax-Godbout-Ames Family Tree
1856 - 1947 (91 years)
