Page 90 - Fortier Family History

the kitchen and Ed instructed the German prisoners how to properly cut cords of pulpwood. When I met some elders at the Pic River Pow wow in 1998 I showed them pictures of Doris and Agnes and when they found out Ed Fortier was my grandfather they all knew them, and one elder auntie joked that “old Ed Fortier used to hang around the Indian camp at Coldwell and sell bootleg liquor to the Indians. “ I was not surprised. So, in light of all this, I would guess that the photo was taken in Longlac because that’s most likely where Doris, as a young girl, was being cared for by her grandparents Nick Finlayson and Jane Finlayson nee Souliere. Or, it could have occurred when the Finlayson sisters came to visit Agnes and relatives at Heron Bay/Pic. Catherine already married Eli Michano in 1914 at Pic River, Louise was married to Eli Onabigon (at Pic or Mobert) until at least 1916/17 when their youngest child was born (Jerome), and Flora married Henry Etchum at Longlac in 1908. So either Flora is visiting Catherine, Louise and the family at Heron Bay/Pic and brought Doris with her (to see Agnes perhaps, but where was AGNES WHEN THE PIC WAS TAKEN?), or the photo was taken in Longlac while Catherine and Louise were visiting there. If anyone can identify the other children that would provide some clues perhaps. NOW, HOW WE CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THIS PHOTO. The Fortier clan was gathering in Emo/Fort Frances in early August , 2019 for my uncle Russell Fortier and my aunt Diane’s 60th anniversary. Some of us had not seen each other for a decade and I had never even met my cousins, Uncle Russell’s adult children, Tracy, Michael and Tom, so I was excited about the gathering. A few days before I left California I got an email from my aunt Marianne saying she was bringing some amazing old photos. I couldn’t wait to see what she had. When she arrived, she brought out the photos, both were 8x10 and framed. When I saw this picture of Doris I immediately knew it was her even before Marianne said a word about it. She looks like all of my aunts, but especially like Cindy, Linda and Marianne. I can also see a resemblance to uncle Mickey. Doris also looks a lot like Linda’s daughter Michelle, and I see a striking resemblance with my older brother Robert Fortier, especially from when he was younger. It turned out that Mariannes’ husband Darren received the two photos after a chance encounter with one of our distant Finlayson-Desmulons relatives just a week or so before our Fortier gathering in Emo/Fort Frances. For years my great uncle Bob Michano told me that he remembered seeing a picture of Doris when she was a little girl but he just could not locate which relative had it. He said the same relative also had the b&w 8x10 of the Finlayson family portrait from the book Pic Pulp People: History of Marathon. I assume these are those photos. For me, seeing this photo was just breathtaking. I never knew Doris or Agnes, but grew up in Illinois looking at old pictures my mom brought when we moved from Nipigon, and in those old photos were pictures of Doris and Agnes, but none from when they were young, only from when my mom was with my dad, Walter in the late 50s through 1963. So, obviously I was always very curious about what Doris was like when she was young. If anyone can help us identify the other children in the picture with Doris please do so. Also, I am assuming that the labels on the back of this photo are correct, left to right, Catherine, Louise and Flora. If someone has contrary information I would love to hear it. Searching through these old photos and trying to identify people can be tricky, even more difficult now that so many of the elders that had this knowledge and knew both Agnes and Doris have passed away.