Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA)

(b. 11 February 1847 , Saint-David, Canada East d. 1 May 1921 , Leicester, Massachusetts, USA )

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Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) was born 11 February 1847 in Saint-David, Canada East

Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) was the child of Joseph SALOIS dit CAYA and Thérèse COUTURIER and the grandchild of: (paternal) Pierre SALOIS dit CAYA and Marguerite COUTURIER (maternal) Claude COUTURIER and Madeleine LEPIRE

Mitchel (Michel) was an immigrant to the United States, arriving by 1881.

The French-Canadian Migration: New England's Late 1800s Odyssey

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Mitchel (Michel) married Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE 29 January 1866 in Saint-David, Canada East . The couple had (at least) 5 children.
Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE was born 11 February 1843 in Québec Province, Canada (Quebec). Phoebe (Philomene) died 12 February 1915 in Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale).

Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) died 1 May 1921 in Leicester, Massachusetts, USA .

Parents might not be correct. See obituary.

Death record gives different parents than those found on his marriage record.
Death record and obituary gives parents names as Mitchell Kayer and Eliza Mishue with birth listed as Feb, 17, 1845 in St-David, Quebec.
Marriage to Phoebe Gagne at St-David Feb 29, 1866 has parents as Joseph Salois Dit Caya and Therese Couturier. Birth to these parents was in St-David Feb 11, 1847.
Son Eli was informant on death record.

Details of the family tree of Mitchel appear below.

Québec Généalogie - Over time, Québec has gone through a series of name changes
From its inception in the early 1600s until 1760, it was called Canada, New France.
1760 to 1763, it was simply Canada
1763 to 1791 - Province of Québec
1791 to 1867 - Lower Canada
1867 to present - Québec, Canada.

Thanks to Micheline Gadbois MacDonald for providing this information.

Québec Généalogie - What is a 'dit/dite' name? When the first settlers came to Québec from France it was a custom to add a 'dit' nickname to the surname. The English translation of 'dit' is 'said'. The Colonists of Nouvelle France added 'dit' names as distinguishers. A settler might have wanted to differentiate their family from their siblings by taking a 'dit' name that described the locale to which they had relocated. The acquiring of a 'dit' name might also be the result of a casual adoption, whereby the person wanted to honor the family who had raised them. Another reason was also to distinguish themselves by taking as a 'dit' name the town or village in France from which they originated. This custom ended around 1900 when people began using only one name, either the 'dit' nickname or their original surname.

Source: American-French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (www.afgs.org/ditnames/index1.html)

The Definitive Guide for Researching Your French-Canadian Ancestors in 2025

Family and Children of Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA)

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Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) married

Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE-- Date: 29 January 1866 Place: Saint-David, Canada East
Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783

Sacred Unions: A Look into 19th-Century Catholic Weddings in Quebec

Children of Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) and Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE:

Phoebe Delia KAYER (b.25 October 1868, , Québec Province, Canada d. 8 May 1932, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA )

Mary KAYER (b.abt. 1870, d. 24 February 1915, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA )

Homer J KAYER (b.17 August 1878, Saint-David, Québec, Canada d. 6 June 1935, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA)

Eli William KAYER (b.15 March 1883, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA d. 20 September 1957, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA )

Amelia Elizabeth KAYER (b.19 August 1884, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA d. 15 May 1967, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA)
m. Albert Joseph JUBINVILLE 11 April 1910 in Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale)

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Discovering the Ancestry of Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA): Events, Photos & Historical Records

1847 Birth
11 February 1847
Saint-David, Canada East

1849 - The safety pin is invented (Walter Hunt, United States)

1857 - Toilet paper is invented (Joseph Gayetty, United States)

1858 - March 30 - H. L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, patented the first pencil with eraser

1864 - Pasteurization is invented (Louis Pasteur, France)

1866 Marriage / Partner
Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) and Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE 29 January 1866, Saint-David, Québec, Canada (Saint-David-de-Yamaska)

He was 18 years old.

Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) - 1866 marriage

1866 marriage

Familysearch.org. Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) (Mormon Genealogy Records).
The French In North America: 1500-1783

1868 - The typewriter is invented (Christopher Latham Sholes, United States)

Thomas Edison applies for his first patent, the electric vote recorder.

1868 Birth of Child
Phoebe Delia KAYER was born 25 October 1868, , Québec Province, Canada (Quebec)

Mitchel (Michel) was 21 years old.

1876 - March 7 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a United States patent for an invention he calls the telephone.

1877 - November 21 - Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record sound.

1878 Birth of Child
Homer J KAYER was born 17 August 1878, Saint-David, Québec, Canada (Saint-David-de-Yamaska)

Mitchel (Michel) was 31 years old.

1879 - Incandescent light bulb is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, United States)

1883 Birth of Child
Eli William KAYER was born 15 March 1883, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale)

Mitchel (Michel) was 36 years old.

1884 - Photographic film is invented (George Eastman, United States)

The first gravity roller coaster amusement ride (LeMarcus A. Thompson, United States)

1884 Birth of Child
Amelia Elizabeth KAYER was born 19 August 1884, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale)

Mitchel (Michel) was 37 years old.

1889 - The automobile is invented (Gottlieb Daimler, Germany)

1891 - The zipper is invented (Whitcomb L. Judson, United States)

The motion picture camera is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, William K.L. Dickson, United States)

First Perforated Toilet Paper Roll is Patented

1897 - Aspirin is invented (Felix Hoffmann (Bayer), Germany)

1900 - Leicester, Massachusetts
Name: Mitchell Kayer
Age: 58
Birth Date: Feb 1842
Birthplace: Canada
Home in 1900: Leicester, Worcester, Massachusetts
Street: Paxton Street
House Number: 124
Sheet Number: 13
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 261
Family Number: 304
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1881
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital status: Married
Spouse's name: Phebe Kazer
Marriage Year: 1866
Father's Birthplace: Canada
Mother's Birthplace: Canada
Years in US: 19
Naturalization: Na
Occupation: Laborer
Months Not Employed: 3
Can Read: No
Can Write: No
Can Speak English: Yes
House Owned or Rented: O
Home Free or Mortgaged: F
Farm or House: H
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Mitchell Kazer 58
Phebe Kazer 58
Eli W Kazer 17
Amelia P Kazer 15
George Kazer 14

1900 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1901 - King Camp Gillette and William Emery Nickerson invented the world's first disposable razor blade in 1901. (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)

1902 - July 17 - Willis Haviland Carrier designed the first modern air-conditioning system. (Buffalo, New York, USA)

1903 - The first engine-powered airplane is invented (Wilbur & Orville Wright, United States)

1906 - August 22 – The first Victor Victrola, a phonographic record player, was manufactured, revolutionizing the way people listened to music at home.

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first AM radio broadcast on December 24th. This event marked a significant advancement in radio technology, paving the way for the modern broadcasting industry.

1907-1908 - The electric washing machine is invented (Alva J. Fisher, United States)

1908 - First Model-T car is produced by Henry Ford (United States)

1910 - Leicester, Massachusetts
Name: Mitchael Kyer
Age in 1910: 67
Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Canada French
Home in 1910: Leicester, Worcester, Massachusetts
Street: Mainstreet
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1877
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital status: Married
Spouse's name: Phoebe Kyer
Father's Birthplace: Canada French
Mother's Birthplace: Canada French
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Retired
Home Owned or Rented: Own
Home Free or Mortgaged: Free
Farm or House: House
Naturalization Status: Naturalized
Able to Read: No
Able to Write: No
Years Married: 45
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Mitchael Kyer 67
Phoebe Kyer 67
Eli Kyer 27

1910 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1910 Marriage of Child
Amelia Elizabeth KAYER married 11 April 1910, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale) to Albert Joseph JUBINVILLE

1912 - April 15 - Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic

1913 - The assembly line is invented (Henry Ford, United States)

The bra is invented (Mary Phelps Jacob, United States)

1915 Death of Spouse/Partner
Phoebe (Philomene) GAGNE died 12 February 1915, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale)

1915 Death of Child
Mary KAYER died 24 February 1915, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA (Cherry Valley) (Rochdale)

Mitchel (Michel) was 68 years old.

Death
Name: Mitchell Kayer
Death Date: 1921
Death Place: Leicester, Massachusetts, USA
Index Volume Number: 77
Reference Number: F63.M363 v.77

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Index, 1901-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
ancestry.com

Mitchel (Michel) KAYER (SALOIS dit CAYA) - Grave

Grave

Notre Dame Cemetery Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA

findagrave.com

Obituary
Mitchell Kayer

Mitchell Kayer, aged 76 years, 2 months and 13 days, died last night at the home of his son, Eli, Waite street Leicester. Born in St. David, Canada, son of Mitchell and Liza (Mishue) Kayer, he had been a resident of Leicster for 40 years.

He leaves three daughters, Mrs. Delia Leahir of Leicester, Mrs. Marguerite Taylor of Montreal, Mrs. Amelia Jubinville of Leicester; four sons, Mitchell and Homer of Worcester, Eli and George of Leicester.

The funeral will be held Tuesday morning with a requiem high mass in St. Joseph's church, Leicester, at a time to be announced. Burial will be in Notre Dame cemetery.

Worcester Telegram
Worcester, Massachusetts
May 2, 1921

Mitchel is buried at: Notre Dame Cemetery Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA

Added: 6/16/2019 12:49:42 PM - Updated: 6/29/2026 9:32:56 AM