Melvina (Minor) Dupont

Her father was Eusebe Minor... his parents were Basil Minor and Theresa Romaine.(1881 census 114m5 family 042)

Her mother Josephine Desormeaux came from a strong and very successful family.(Marriage certificate)

History tells us of a courageous young man named Adam Dollard Des Ormeaux. Josephine had often related this story to her children telling of their ancestor's bravery and devotion to the country he so loved. 

Josephine's mother was Marguerite Timmins,Joseph Timmins and Marguerite Aspeck line.Of course the Timmins name has become world famous in the mining Industry.

Josephine's father was Francois Desormeaux from the (family#034)Jean Baptiste Desormeaux and the Marie Dagenais line.

These are people who are the forefathers and helped form this country into the great land it is today. They gave all their sweat and tears to develop this country and managed somehow to come out ahead.

Our little Melvina came into this world 4 days after Christmas 1884. Her mother was 22 years of age and her father was 28. Her mother had 10 brothers and she was the only girl of the family, the only sister to these brothers. Melvina would grow up with 6 other siblings, 4 brothers and 2 sisters. She was surrounded by a large and loving family.  We can only imagine how her uncles would have fussed over their only sister's child, our dear Melvina. 

Josephine was a loving and devoted mother to her children. She and Eusebe would raise their family on the family farm in Mattawa. Teaching strong religious and moral values and above all, the children were taught to care and love for each other no matter what. Josephine would become a widow at age 58. She would continue to run the family farm until eventually going to live with her brother Joseph, in Sturgeon Falls,Ontario. 

Years later she would take on the role of caregiver for her young grandchildren, Bruno, Harry and Clem while their parents were far away in the wilderness of Northwestern Ontario in Red Lake and they attended school in Sturgeon Falls.. She lived until she was 88 years old.

Josephine, as a young women was seen as a fiercely protective mother. She watched over and guarded her family as a she bear guards it's cubs in the wilderness. Her children would go to a French Catholic school. They followed their Catholic faith in their everyday lives.

One day Melvina announced her desire to marry a young fellow she had been seeing named Augustin Dupont. Josephine at first was not in favour of this union. She felt her daughter was too young, being only 18 years of age and she was not comfortable that Gus,who was 23 could settle into the role of husband to Melvina and father to their children. Her consent was eventually given, providing the newly weds would spend the first year of their marriage under the Minor family roof. In this way Josephine could be certain her daughter, whom she loved so dearly was being provided for in a caring and loving way by Gus. Too often she had seen the sadness of  abusive and unloving marriages. Times were tough for a young couple to be starting out on their own in those times.

So in 1902, Melvina Minor and Gus Dupont became Mr. & Mrs. Augustin Dupont.(Marriage Certificate) They found that living under her mother's and uncle's roof was not to be that difficult.

Gus would spend many hours working with Uncle Joseph who was a horse teamster. He developed a passionate affection for these huge, strong, loyal and dedicated animals. He learnt how to make them work for you and even better yet, with you. He learnt how to care and tend to their needs. They became his friends. He seemed to be able to communicate with them and they with him. He was a genuine "Horse Whisperer" of long ago.

During the first few months after their marriage the young newlyweds would learn they were expecting a babe. They decided to keep the news a secret, for they feared if Melvina's mother was to find out before they left, she would insist they remain longer and Melvina and Gus were so eager to get their life together started.

Melvina kept herself busy knitting and sewing baby clothes for the well kept secret. Once they left and revealed the news of the upcoming birth of the baby, Josephine was more than willing to give her blessing as she had watched and seen the love her daughter felt for this man she had chosen to love, honour and cherish for the rest of her life. The devotion the young couple had for each other was reassuring and comforting. She wondered at times of the powerful strength of their love...would her daughter follow her Gus, anywhere he would wander?