Christmas is a time to be with family. In my house it is also a time to remember the true reason for the season. Christ. As christian's we are thankful for the gift of Christ and the work he did for the Father.
As for family, since the divorce the kids spend Christmas day with their mother and then we get together for our Christmas with my mother on Boxing day. Boxing day is my mother's birthday. Her name is Noella Aldea Lafleur. She was named after her mothers parents (my great grand parents) Isreal Noel Ouellette and his wife Aldea Gervais. Isreal Noel was born on December 25, 1900 and Aldea on December 27, 1900. They were great people. French Canadian's born and raised in the Nipissing region of Ontario. Not only did they live in the area all their lives but I found them in the Canadian Census of 1901 on the same page of the census. Aldea and one older sister were on the top of the page (the rest of the family on the previous page, the enumerator ran out of room and continued on the next page) and then two families down from Aldea was the Ouellette family with Isreal as the youngest member. Born 2 days apart, they grew up, married and had numerous children together. I remember them fondly at Christmas and think of the good times I had as a kid visiting them at their home in Warren, Ontario. I suppose I am really lucky to have known so many of my great grand parents as I did, I know a lot of people don't get to know theirs. Including my brother who is nearly 10 years younger then I am and never got to meet them. The first picture is of them taken on their property in the early 1970's and the one next to it is of me with them and their dog Lassie in the summer of 1970. The next is of their tombstone in the Warren Cemetery. Lastly the Birth index with Isreal on line three.
In the winter/spring of 1986 I got to visit with Great Grandpa Noel at his new home (his son had a new house build on the land behind the original house/shack) in Warren. I got to sit and visit and play Cribbage with him. It one of the best memories I have. Just me and him and a crib board. I will always 'Remember When...'
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