Silent Story Tellers - St. Francis Xavier (Ecorse) Cemetery
A Multi-Cultural Population
The families of St. Francis Xavier and of Ecorse at large did not escape the reality of the Civil War and these families are also well represented in the cemetery. Louis L. Beaubien does not have a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) marker on his grave, but he belonged to the 24th Michigan Infantry, Company F. His wife, Rachel A., 20 years younger, is buried beside him.
Elijah Goodell, son of another of the founding families of Ecorse is also a Civil War veteran. He is buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery and so is Frank Metty of Co. D., 11th Michigan Infantry. Pascal Odette was 24 years old when he joined Co. H of the 14th Michigan Infantry and Antoine Salliotte also fought with Company H of the 14th Michigan. Anthony Reno served with Co. F of the 24th Michigan Infantry.
After the Civil War as America bustled toward the Twentieth Century, the population of St. Francis Xavier Cemetery reflected the ethnic diversity of the village. French, English, Polish, Scottish and other immigrants replaced the simple wooden crosses of the church graveyard with more substantial brick and marble markers and family plots as their footholds in America grew firmer.
The ethnic mix of Ecorse changed from mostly French families with a sprinkling of Irish and English to a potpourri of European flavorings with a foundation of French families. This change is evident in the family plots of Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery with late Nineteenth Century dates. A sampling of th names include George and Elizabeth Babik and family, Albert and Mary Antaya, Mary Bocgswacz, John and Catherine Carmody, Flitzpatricks, Flanagans, Adam and Eva Karmet, Benjamin and Cora Sutherland, Josef Wurmlinger, Catherine Wuk and Joserian Zolynska.
French and other ethnic families still came to decorate graves and to pay yearly pilgrimages to the memories of their ancestors. As they picnicked on benches,m lounged on blankets spread of the carpet of green grass and soaked up sunshine, visitors in 1881 may have gossiped about A.E. Riopelle and Mrs. Lambton. Riopell’s wife and children and their families rest under cemetery monuments, but A.E. , suitably perhaps, does not.
Around November 12, 1880, A.E., who operated a grocery business in Ecorse until a fire burned him out, disappeared into the wilds of Detroit. Local newspapers reported that people from Wyandotte and Ecorse spotted him, but he did not come back home to his wife and three children. A woman by the name of Lambton also left town and did not return, and rumors circulated around town that the two had run away together.
Mrs. Riopelle and her children moved from Wyandotte to her father’s house on a farm about three miles from Ecorse. The newspaper concluded the story by saying: “For the sake of decency and good morals as well as the good name of both parties, we hope there is not truth in the report, but it is a rumor nevertheless which circumstances at present seem to corroborate.”
On November 19, 1880, the local newspaper noted that Mr. Richard Montie had taken in agood many borders since keeping the Eight-Mile House – eleven last week. Richard A. Montie was born on February 6, 1855, and was about 25 years old when the newspaper recorded his boarders and the fact that he operated an inn. He had many years of inn keeping ahead of him because he didn’t die until July 4, 1946. Richard C. Montie, his son, born in 1881, died in 1927, nineteen years before his father died. Richard’s mother, Eliza, was born on Christmas Day 1857, and died on February 9, 1931, according to their St. Francis Xavier tombstones.
The 1870 Census Index of the Library of Michigan shows that Emanuel or Edmund Visger, a fifty year old farmer, lived in Ecorse Township. Living with him were 24-year-old Philisa, keeping house, Charles 11, and Henry 9, at school. Another Visger, Jame, 44, is listed as a farm laborer. Just to confuse matters, it appears that he has a forty-year-old wife, Philis, keeping house, and several children, including sixteen year old Caroline. The St. Francis Xavier Cemetery records a Phillis Visger, who died on October 25, 1864, at age thirty-three years.
St. Francis Xavier Cemetery is the final resting place of several veterans of World War I and World War II. Joseph P. Airola, who was born in 1895 and died in 1955, served as a private first class in Company L of the 333th Infantry in World War I. Arnim Allen was a sergeant in the Trench Mortar Battery of the 5th Division, and Daniel M. Roberts was a private first class in Co L of the 39th infantry. Peter Joseph Sehoyan was a corporal in Hq Det. 12 Eng. in World War I.
Second World War veterans include George J. Babik who served in the Army, Walter Holzhueter who served in the Navy, and Alvin M. Labadie who was a saddler in Troop F of the 16th Cavalry. Kenneth Sisco was a TECS 1623 Service Unit in World War II and Mathew John Sillane died on February 26, 1941, when he was a private in the 308 Am. Tn. 83rd Div.
Dates on a few other stones indicate that the men buried there could have died in Vietnam and Korea, but there are no flags or markers to affirm this, and there are no records to check for accuracy. In the 1970s, St. Francis Xavier Church decided to turn over the maintenance of the cemetery to the City of Ecorse and also surrendered the cemetery records. In the 1980s, during a time of severe financial problems, the city stored records in the basement of the municipal building and they were destroyed in a flood. The lost records did leave the statistical legacy that there are approximately 2,500 burials in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, but when Leonard Montie read and transcribed the surviving stones in 1979, only 600 remained.
St. Francis Stories
Jo Santoro Cialkowski grew up in Ecorse and graduated from Ecorse High School in 1936. She also grew up in St. Francis Xavier Church and recalled Memorial Days in Ecorse. “We children were given flags to place on the servicemen’s graves in the ancient St. Francis Xavier Cemetery,” she recalled. She remembered the long walk of twelve blocks from her home to the church and the long walk from the church to the cemetery.
Checking the newspaper file of the Ecorse Advertiser in the Ecorse Public Library is a fascinating, although painstaking way of discovering the dates and stories of some of the people in Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery. The Ecorse Advertiser of Thursday, October 5, 1950, carried the obituary of Eliza J. Riopelle, widow of Charles Riopelle. They both rest in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Eliza died at her home on Jefferson Avenue at the age of 88 and funeral services were held at her home. Although she was born in River Rouge, she had lived in Ecorse for over sixty years.
Eliza had not been well for a number of years and ill-health prevented her from attending the funeral of her son, Frank, in July 1950. She also outlived another son, Joseph, and a daughter May LeBlanc. Frank and May are also buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
The gravestones of Arthur, Elsie, and Michael Flanagan pose some puzzles. Michael or “Mickey” Flanagan was born in 1920 and died in 1942, when he was twenty-two years old. It is possible that he died in World War II, but since there isn’t a flag on his tombstone, there is no way to tell that for certain without tracing him through military records. Arthur J. Flanagan was born in 1913 and died in 1950. An obituary in the Ecorse Advertiser noted that Arthur Joseph Flanigan (spelled with an i instead of an a) 36, of White Street in Ecorse, died on June 8, 1950, in Spokane, Washington, where he had gone a month before for his health. He was an inspector at the Murray Corporation.
His funeral services were held from the Gallagher Funeral Home and St. Francis Xavier Church and he was buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
His wife, Elizabeth, survived him as did three sons, Arthur, David, and Michael and two daughters Ceclia Ann and Patricia. Four brothers: Paul, Victor, Cletus and Patrick, and three sisters out lived him as well. Arthur was the son of William Paul Flanigan who is also buried in the family plot.
The same issue of the Ecorse Advertiser sheds some light on the legacy of an Ecorse citizen whose parents Clariss and Nelson Vellmure are buried in St. Francis Xavier. Ecorse became an incorporated village in 1903, and in 1914, Fred Vellmure was elected to the Ecorse School Board. For thirty six consecutive years until he retired in June 1950, he played a central role in the development of the Ecorse school system.
When Fred Vellmure was elected in 1914, Ecorse had a single school building which in 1950 was known as School Humber One. During his long tenure in office, he witnessed the construction of four additional school buildings and an extension of school facilities which brought the Ecorse school system to a high standard.
The Ecorse Advertiser said of him: “His wise counsel, his keen interest in education and his ambition to provide Ecorse children with the best possible educational opportunities have had a profound effect on the community.”
Always keeping the expanding needs of the Ecorse school system in mind, Fred prepared to meet any of these needs. He believed in economy, but not at the expense of education. The Ecorse Advertiser concluded: “His presence and advice on the school board will be greatly missed. Probably never again will a man in Ecorse serve longer than Mr. Vellmure. Few will surpass his love of achievement. No one will ever gain greater respect. His was a job well done.”
Father Gabriel Richard’s Legacy
The descendents of Francois Labadie who had won the court case against Father Gabriel Richard, represented the Labadie family in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery throughout the Nineteenth and into the Twentieth Centuries. A Twentieth Century Francis Labadie served on the Ecorse City Council the 1950s. One night in June 1950, he proposed a smoke abatement ordinance to correct a situation in the north end of the city. Labadie as chairman of the Ordinance committee conferred with City Attorney Earl Montie in preparing an ordinance. The Ecorse Advertiser said that a uniform smoke abatement ordinance for the entire metropolitan area had been under advisement for a long time. Labadie felt that the time had come to take some action and true to his family tradition, he acted for the betterment of Ecorse.
Both Harry and Richard Labeau have Woodman of the World Memorials in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. These monuments alert historians to the fact that these relatives, perhaps brothers, were members of this Fraternal Organization and were buried in the prescribed Woodman tradition. Harry C. Labeau was born in 1883 and died on October 28, 1916. The Woodman markers are distinctively engraved and set apart from the markers of the rest of the Labeaus in their plot.
The LaClair monument in a nearby square of plots has lambs and hearts carved on the tombstone. These illustrate the point that tombstone art for children is especially poignant. Frank J. LaClair was born in 1879 and died on october 28, 1886 at the age of seven. A cherub points to heaven from the front of his grave stone.
Peter LaClair was born in 1881 and died on May 15, 1896 at age fifteen. Walter LaClair was born in 1893 and died on october 28, 1904, when he was just eleven years old. He died on the same day, seven years later, as he brother Frank. On each of their tombstones is etched the message: “Son of Dennis & Ellen LaClair.”
The tombstones of Frank, Peter, and Walter do not tell any more details of their lives, but the lambs and the stark dates illustrate the tragedy of their deaths.
The Bufords also have symbols carved on their tombstones. Isaac who was born in 1863 and died on April 2, 1868, at age five, has a praying angel. Felix Buford who was born in 1850, does not have an angel, but he was only eighteen when he died on October 14, 1868. Joseph Buford who does have an angel was only two days old when he died on October 21, 1868. Taday Buford , born in 1845, was just 26 years old when she died.
The cluster of deaths suggests that perhaps Taday died in childbirth, along with her baby. Or perhaps he Bufords died in one of the periodic epidemics of fever or contagious diseases like typhoid or measles. The Mortality Schedule of 1850 deaths in Wayne County shows that 1850 turned out to be a deadly disease year for Ecorse Township. William Allen, 50 years old, born in England but now living in Ecorse Township died in September 1850 of bilious fever. Daniel and Michael Beclair, both born in Canada but living in Ecorse Township, died within a month of each other in 1850. Twenty five year old Daniel died in September 1850 of bilious fever and twenty year old Michael died in August 1850 of cholera. Angel Bourassa, 22 years old, of Ecorse died in June 1850 of enteritis. The next generations of her family are buried in the Bourassa family plot in St. Francis.
Helena Clark, 37 years old, died in Ecorse Township in March 1850, in childbirth. Later generations of the Clarks are represented in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, including a five month old anonymous Clark who was the daughter of Henry and Lucy Clark.
In January 1850, Joseph Goodell died in Ecorse Township of whooping cough when he was just three years old. In February 1850, Felix Leblanc died in Ecorse Township of diarrhea. One month old Julia M. Comfort of Ecorse Township died in September 1850 of diarrhea and Francis Delisle, one year old, also died of diarrhea in September 1850. Joseph Mortulan, three years old, died of brain fever in September 1850 in Ecorse Township.
A video memoir called “A Day in Ecorse 1947,” also highlights the St. Francis Xavier families. The Rotary Club of Ecorse produced the video in 1947 as a business promotion and long time Ecorse residents Andre Mourguet and Morris “Sandy” Blakeman narrated it. Some of the people, places and things captured in the video are Tommy Salliott’s Band, Eberts Bar and Underill Insurance Agency. A glance at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery Record reveals at least 15 Salliotts and generations of the Eberts family. August and Elizabeth Eberts died in 1938 and 1917, respectively. John Eberts died at age 89 in 1890, and Louise Eberts lived from 1820 to 1901. Mary Eberts lived from 1874 to 1955 and Sarah, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Eberts, died on October 11, 1880.
Ellis “Duke” Underill of Underill Insurance Agency rests in St. Francis Xavier. Duke was born in 1892 and died in 1973. His wife Ferne Underill was born in 1898 . For forty years Duke operated an insurance agency in Ecorse. He belonged to the Ecorse Businessman’s Association and contributed heavily to the health and wealth of the community.
“A Day in Ecorse, 1947,” preserved a picture of Butch Montroy on film. Montroy was a fireman whose family is well represented in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Jean Maurice, fire chief, stands in the Ecorse fire station and his parents, Celine and Joseph, rest in St. Francis Xavier. Duke Underill is also pictured in the video in one of the natty suits that were his trademark.
Ormel Goodell is also represented in the video. Born in Ecorse in 1897, Ormel was the son of Sophie and Frederick Goodoell and a grand grandson of Civil War veteran Eliajh Goodell, who rests in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Elijah settled in Ecorse in 1797 when the area was still known as New France. He and his descendants established two sizable farms in Ecorse and several in other Downriver communities.
Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery is part of Father Gabriel Richard and the French, English, and other ethnic families who built Ecorse. It is part of the little girl who used to walk by the cemetery on the way to her grandmother’s house in the late 1950s. It is part of her memory of standing at the fence and reading the names and inscriptions on the tombstones and wondering about the people and their stories and the history of Ecorse.
Sandy Blakeman interviewed Ecorse real estate developer and insurance man Don Dodge in the 1950s. Don Dodge traced the history of Ecorse back to the early French settlers. he said that “it was no accidne that the pioneer Frenchmen selected Ecorse as a site for settlement some 250 years ago.”
The Detroit River offered the only means of transportation for these early settlers and they were the first to see the River’s potential that has since made the Downriver area one of the greatest industrial centers in the world. Dodge prophesied for Ecorse, “I can visualize ships from the far corners of the earth loading and unloading at our waterfront. I can see the manufactured products made by our neighbors being shipped from our own port to every country of the world.”
His prophecy has come true and the pioneers resting in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery built the foundation for the growth and endurance of Ecorse.
The families of St. Francis Xavier and of Ecorse at large did not escape the reality of the Civil War and these families are also well represented in the cemetery. Louis L. Beaubien does not have a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) marker on his grave, but he belonged to the 24th Michigan Infantry, Company F. His wife, Rachel A., 20 years younger, is buried beside him.
Elijah Goodell, son of another of the founding families of Ecorse is also a Civil War veteran. He is buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery and so is Frank Metty of Co. D., 11th Michigan Infantry. Pascal Odette was 24 years old when he joined Co. H of the 14th Michigan Infantry and Antoine Salliotte also fought with Company H of the 14th Michigan. Anthony Reno served with Co. F of the 24th Michigan Infantry.
After the Civil War as America bustled toward the Twentieth Century, the population of St. Francis Xavier Cemetery reflected the ethnic diversity of the village. French, English, Polish, Scottish and other immigrants replaced the simple wooden crosses of the church graveyard with more substantial brick and marble markers and family plots as their footholds in America grew firmer.
The ethnic mix of Ecorse changed from mostly French families with a sprinkling of Irish and English to a potpourri of European flavorings with a foundation of French families. This change is evident in the family plots of Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery with late Nineteenth Century dates. A sampling of th names include George and Elizabeth Babik and family, Albert and Mary Antaya, Mary Bocgswacz, John and Catherine Carmody, Flitzpatricks, Flanagans, Adam and Eva Karmet, Benjamin and Cora Sutherland, Josef Wurmlinger, Catherine Wuk and Joserian Zolynska.
French and other ethnic families still came to decorate graves and to pay yearly pilgrimages to the memories of their ancestors. As they picnicked on benches,m lounged on blankets spread of the carpet of green grass and soaked up sunshine, visitors in 1881 may have gossiped about A.E. Riopelle and Mrs. Lambton. Riopell’s wife and children and their families rest under cemetery monuments, but A.E. , suitably perhaps, does not.
Around November 12, 1880, A.E., who operated a grocery business in Ecorse until a fire burned him out, disappeared into the wilds of Detroit. Local newspapers reported that people from Wyandotte and Ecorse spotted him, but he did not come back home to his wife and three children. A woman by the name of Lambton also left town and did not return, and rumors circulated around town that the two had run away together.
Mrs. Riopelle and her children moved from Wyandotte to her father’s house on a farm about three miles from Ecorse. The newspaper concluded the story by saying: “For the sake of decency and good morals as well as the good name of both parties, we hope there is not truth in the report, but it is a rumor nevertheless which circumstances at present seem to corroborate.”
On November 19, 1880, the local newspaper noted that Mr. Richard Montie had taken in agood many borders since keeping the Eight-Mile House – eleven last week. Richard A. Montie was born on February 6, 1855, and was about 25 years old when the newspaper recorded his boarders and the fact that he operated an inn. He had many years of inn keeping ahead of him because he didn’t die until July 4, 1946. Richard C. Montie, his son, born in 1881, died in 1927, nineteen years before his father died. Richard’s mother, Eliza, was born on Christmas Day 1857, and died on February 9, 1931, according to their St. Francis Xavier tombstones.
The 1870 Census Index of the Library of Michigan shows that Emanuel or Edmund Visger, a fifty year old farmer, lived in Ecorse Township. Living with him were 24-year-old Philisa, keeping house, Charles 11, and Henry 9, at school. Another Visger, Jame, 44, is listed as a farm laborer. Just to confuse matters, it appears that he has a forty-year-old wife, Philis, keeping house, and several children, including sixteen year old Caroline. The St. Francis Xavier Cemetery records a Phillis Visger, who died on October 25, 1864, at age thirty-three years.
St. Francis Xavier Cemetery is the final resting place of several veterans of World War I and World War II. Joseph P. Airola, who was born in 1895 and died in 1955, served as a private first class in Company L of the 333th Infantry in World War I. Arnim Allen was a sergeant in the Trench Mortar Battery of the 5th Division, and Daniel M. Roberts was a private first class in Co L of the 39th infantry. Peter Joseph Sehoyan was a corporal in Hq Det. 12 Eng. in World War I.
Second World War veterans include George J. Babik who served in the Army, Walter Holzhueter who served in the Navy, and Alvin M. Labadie who was a saddler in Troop F of the 16th Cavalry. Kenneth Sisco was a TECS 1623 Service Unit in World War II and Mathew John Sillane died on February 26, 1941, when he was a private in the 308 Am. Tn. 83rd Div.
Dates on a few other stones indicate that the men buried there could have died in Vietnam and Korea, but there are no flags or markers to affirm this, and there are no records to check for accuracy. In the 1970s, St. Francis Xavier Church decided to turn over the maintenance of the cemetery to the City of Ecorse and also surrendered the cemetery records. In the 1980s, during a time of severe financial problems, the city stored records in the basement of the municipal building and they were destroyed in a flood. The lost records did leave the statistical legacy that there are approximately 2,500 burials in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, but when Leonard Montie read and transcribed the surviving stones in 1979, only 600 remained.
St. Francis Stories
Jo Santoro Cialkowski grew up in Ecorse and graduated from Ecorse High School in 1936. She also grew up in St. Francis Xavier Church and recalled Memorial Days in Ecorse. “We children were given flags to place on the servicemen’s graves in the ancient St. Francis Xavier Cemetery,” she recalled. She remembered the long walk of twelve blocks from her home to the church and the long walk from the church to the cemetery.
Checking the newspaper file of the Ecorse Advertiser in the Ecorse Public Library is a fascinating, although painstaking way of discovering the dates and stories of some of the people in Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery. The Ecorse Advertiser of Thursday, October 5, 1950, carried the obituary of Eliza J. Riopelle, widow of Charles Riopelle. They both rest in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Eliza died at her home on Jefferson Avenue at the age of 88 and funeral services were held at her home. Although she was born in River Rouge, she had lived in Ecorse for over sixty years.
Eliza had not been well for a number of years and ill-health prevented her from attending the funeral of her son, Frank, in July 1950. She also outlived another son, Joseph, and a daughter May LeBlanc. Frank and May are also buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
The gravestones of Arthur, Elsie, and Michael Flanagan pose some puzzles. Michael or “Mickey” Flanagan was born in 1920 and died in 1942, when he was twenty-two years old. It is possible that he died in World War II, but since there isn’t a flag on his tombstone, there is no way to tell that for certain without tracing him through military records. Arthur J. Flanagan was born in 1913 and died in 1950. An obituary in the Ecorse Advertiser noted that Arthur Joseph Flanigan (spelled with an i instead of an a) 36, of White Street in Ecorse, died on June 8, 1950, in Spokane, Washington, where he had gone a month before for his health. He was an inspector at the Murray Corporation.
His funeral services were held from the Gallagher Funeral Home and St. Francis Xavier Church and he was buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
His wife, Elizabeth, survived him as did three sons, Arthur, David, and Michael and two daughters Ceclia Ann and Patricia. Four brothers: Paul, Victor, Cletus and Patrick, and three sisters out lived him as well. Arthur was the son of William Paul Flanigan who is also buried in the family plot.
The same issue of the Ecorse Advertiser sheds some light on the legacy of an Ecorse citizen whose parents Clariss and Nelson Vellmure are buried in St. Francis Xavier. Ecorse became an incorporated village in 1903, and in 1914, Fred Vellmure was elected to the Ecorse School Board. For thirty six consecutive years until he retired in June 1950, he played a central role in the development of the Ecorse school system.
When Fred Vellmure was elected in 1914, Ecorse had a single school building which in 1950 was known as School Humber One. During his long tenure in office, he witnessed the construction of four additional school buildings and an extension of school facilities which brought the Ecorse school system to a high standard.
The Ecorse Advertiser said of him: “His wise counsel, his keen interest in education and his ambition to provide Ecorse children with the best possible educational opportunities have had a profound effect on the community.”
Always keeping the expanding needs of the Ecorse school system in mind, Fred prepared to meet any of these needs. He believed in economy, but not at the expense of education. The Ecorse Advertiser concluded: “His presence and advice on the school board will be greatly missed. Probably never again will a man in Ecorse serve longer than Mr. Vellmure. Few will surpass his love of achievement. No one will ever gain greater respect. His was a job well done.”
Father Gabriel Richard’s Legacy
The descendents of Francois Labadie who had won the court case against Father Gabriel Richard, represented the Labadie family in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery throughout the Nineteenth and into the Twentieth Centuries. A Twentieth Century Francis Labadie served on the Ecorse City Council the 1950s. One night in June 1950, he proposed a smoke abatement ordinance to correct a situation in the north end of the city. Labadie as chairman of the Ordinance committee conferred with City Attorney Earl Montie in preparing an ordinance. The Ecorse Advertiser said that a uniform smoke abatement ordinance for the entire metropolitan area had been under advisement for a long time. Labadie felt that the time had come to take some action and true to his family tradition, he acted for the betterment of Ecorse.
Both Harry and Richard Labeau have Woodman of the World Memorials in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. These monuments alert historians to the fact that these relatives, perhaps brothers, were members of this Fraternal Organization and were buried in the prescribed Woodman tradition. Harry C. Labeau was born in 1883 and died on October 28, 1916. The Woodman markers are distinctively engraved and set apart from the markers of the rest of the Labeaus in their plot.
The LaClair monument in a nearby square of plots has lambs and hearts carved on the tombstone. These illustrate the point that tombstone art for children is especially poignant. Frank J. LaClair was born in 1879 and died on october 28, 1886 at the age of seven. A cherub points to heaven from the front of his grave stone.
Peter LaClair was born in 1881 and died on May 15, 1896 at age fifteen. Walter LaClair was born in 1893 and died on october 28, 1904, when he was just eleven years old. He died on the same day, seven years later, as he brother Frank. On each of their tombstones is etched the message: “Son of Dennis & Ellen LaClair.”
The tombstones of Frank, Peter, and Walter do not tell any more details of their lives, but the lambs and the stark dates illustrate the tragedy of their deaths.
The Bufords also have symbols carved on their tombstones. Isaac who was born in 1863 and died on April 2, 1868, at age five, has a praying angel. Felix Buford who was born in 1850, does not have an angel, but he was only eighteen when he died on October 14, 1868. Joseph Buford who does have an angel was only two days old when he died on October 21, 1868. Taday Buford , born in 1845, was just 26 years old when she died.
The cluster of deaths suggests that perhaps Taday died in childbirth, along with her baby. Or perhaps he Bufords died in one of the periodic epidemics of fever or contagious diseases like typhoid or measles. The Mortality Schedule of 1850 deaths in Wayne County shows that 1850 turned out to be a deadly disease year for Ecorse Township. William Allen, 50 years old, born in England but now living in Ecorse Township died in September 1850 of bilious fever. Daniel and Michael Beclair, both born in Canada but living in Ecorse Township, died within a month of each other in 1850. Twenty five year old Daniel died in September 1850 of bilious fever and twenty year old Michael died in August 1850 of cholera. Angel Bourassa, 22 years old, of Ecorse died in June 1850 of enteritis. The next generations of her family are buried in the Bourassa family plot in St. Francis.
Helena Clark, 37 years old, died in Ecorse Township in March 1850, in childbirth. Later generations of the Clarks are represented in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, including a five month old anonymous Clark who was the daughter of Henry and Lucy Clark.
In January 1850, Joseph Goodell died in Ecorse Township of whooping cough when he was just three years old. In February 1850, Felix Leblanc died in Ecorse Township of diarrhea. One month old Julia M. Comfort of Ecorse Township died in September 1850 of diarrhea and Francis Delisle, one year old, also died of diarrhea in September 1850. Joseph Mortulan, three years old, died of brain fever in September 1850 in Ecorse Township.
A video memoir called “A Day in Ecorse 1947,” also highlights the St. Francis Xavier families. The Rotary Club of Ecorse produced the video in 1947 as a business promotion and long time Ecorse residents Andre Mourguet and Morris “Sandy” Blakeman narrated it. Some of the people, places and things captured in the video are Tommy Salliott’s Band, Eberts Bar and Underill Insurance Agency. A glance at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery Record reveals at least 15 Salliotts and generations of the Eberts family. August and Elizabeth Eberts died in 1938 and 1917, respectively. John Eberts died at age 89 in 1890, and Louise Eberts lived from 1820 to 1901. Mary Eberts lived from 1874 to 1955 and Sarah, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Eberts, died on October 11, 1880.
Ellis “Duke” Underill of Underill Insurance Agency rests in St. Francis Xavier. Duke was born in 1892 and died in 1973. His wife Ferne Underill was born in 1898 . For forty years Duke operated an insurance agency in Ecorse. He belonged to the Ecorse Businessman’s Association and contributed heavily to the health and wealth of the community.
“A Day in Ecorse, 1947,” preserved a picture of Butch Montroy on film. Montroy was a fireman whose family is well represented in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Jean Maurice, fire chief, stands in the Ecorse fire station and his parents, Celine and Joseph, rest in St. Francis Xavier. Duke Underill is also pictured in the video in one of the natty suits that were his trademark.
Ormel Goodell is also represented in the video. Born in Ecorse in 1897, Ormel was the son of Sophie and Frederick Goodoell and a grand grandson of Civil War veteran Eliajh Goodell, who rests in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. Elijah settled in Ecorse in 1797 when the area was still known as New France. He and his descendants established two sizable farms in Ecorse and several in other Downriver communities.
Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery is part of Father Gabriel Richard and the French, English, and other ethnic families who built Ecorse. It is part of the little girl who used to walk by the cemetery on the way to her grandmother’s house in the late 1950s. It is part of her memory of standing at the fence and reading the names and inscriptions on the tombstones and wondering about the people and their stories and the history of Ecorse.
Sandy Blakeman interviewed Ecorse real estate developer and insurance man Don Dodge in the 1950s. Don Dodge traced the history of Ecorse back to the early French settlers. he said that “it was no accidne that the pioneer Frenchmen selected Ecorse as a site for settlement some 250 years ago.”
The Detroit River offered the only means of transportation for these early settlers and they were the first to see the River’s potential that has since made the Downriver area one of the greatest industrial centers in the world. Dodge prophesied for Ecorse, “I can visualize ships from the far corners of the earth loading and unloading at our waterfront. I can see the manufactured products made by our neighbors being shipped from our own port to every country of the world.”
His prophecy has come true and the pioneers resting in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery built the foundation for the growth and endurance of Ecorse.