A Celebration of French Heritage
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Marian Viney
On July 15th, more than 120 French descendants shared photos and memories during the French Settlement Family Reunion held at the Montrose Town Hall.
"It was a grand afternoon of conversation, laughter, story-telling, reminiscing and meeting new French cousins," said Mary Jean Kennedy, one of a few organizers of the event.
Marian Viney
They shared stories, family recipes, photos, viewed family displays. Later in the afternoon, the group toured St. Raphael's Cemetery led by Jerry Remy and then St. William's Catholic Church in Paoli.
In the 1850s, 32 families from St. Germain, France, started arriving in Montrose.
"Typical pioneers, these families were persistent, industrious and true to the teachings of their church," added Kennedy. "They were somewhat unique and isolated, the group grew numbering 500 in 1900."
Going forward, Kennedy plans on forming a committee to help plan future French Settlement Family Reunions. If you are interested, please contact her at (608) 444-4616 or irishiz.kennedy@gmail.com.
