Leona DESMARAIS

(b. 15 December 1896 , Sutton, Massachusetts, USA d. 3 November 1995 , Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA )
Age: 98

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Leona DESMARAIS was born 15 December 1896 in Sutton, Massachusetts, USA

Leona DESMARAIS was the child of Cyrille (Michel Cyrille Agapit) DESMARAIS and Marceline RAPANAULT (CYRIAC) (SYRIAC) (THIRIAC) and the grandchild of: (paternal) Michel-Gregoire DESMARAIS and Marie DALPE dite PARISEAU (maternal) Michel CYRIAC dit RAPONNEAU (TIRIAC) and Flavie MORIN

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

Leona married Joseph LOISELLE 16 June 1919 in Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA . The couple had (at least) 4 children.
Joseph LOISELLE was born 8 April 1896 in Webster, Massachusetts, USA. Joseph died abt. 1963 in Massachusetts, USA. Joseph was the child of Joseph LOISELLE and Emeline BESSETTE.

Leona DESMARAIS died 3 November 1995 in Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA .
Details of the family tree of Leona appear below.

Everyday Chronicles: Life of the Average American Woman in the Mid-1900s

Family and Children of Leona DESMARAIS

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Leona DESMARAIS married

Joseph LOISELLE-- Date: 16 June 1919 Place: Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA

See marriage record for Leona DESMARAIS and Joseph LOISELLE
Joseph LOISELLE was the child of Joseph LOISELLE and Emeline BESSETTE

Name: Joseph Loiselle
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 16 Jun 1919
Event Place: Southbridge, Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Event Place (Original): Southbridge, Massachusetts
Gender:
Age:
Birth Year (Estimated):
Father's Name: Joseph
Mother's Name: Emaline Bessette
Spouse's Name: Leona Desmarais
Spouse's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Age:
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated):
Spouse's Father's Name: Cyrille
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Mother's Name: Marceline Cyriac
Certificate Number:
Page:
Affiliate Record Type:
Digital Folder Number: 005267621
Image Number: 00184

"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920", database with images, FamilySearch.org : 13 March 2018), Joseph Loiselle and Leona Desmarais, 1919.

Children of Joseph LOISELLE and Leona DESMARAIS:

Rita Alice LOISELLE (b.26 February 1922, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA d. 9 September 1959, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA )

Living (b., , Massachusetts, USA d. , )

Living (b., , Massachusetts, USA d. 1950, )

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Discovering the Ancestry of Leona DESMARAIS: Events, Photos & Historical Records

1896 Birth
15 December 1896
Sutton, Massachusetts, USA

1896
Leona Desmarais
December 15, 1896
Sutton, Massachusetts

Daughter of Cyrile and Marcelline Cyriac

Massachusetts, Town Clerk... Towns Records, 1579-2001 Worcester Sutton Births, marriages, deaths 1855-1905
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

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

1897 - William McKinley becomes President of the United States

1898 - April 25 – Spanish-American War: The United States declares war on Spain

1898 - December 10 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War.

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

1901 - William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when an anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, shot him twice in the abdomen. Theodore Roosevelt becomes President of the United States.

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)

1904 - June 28 - U.S. begins construction of Panama Canal.

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)

1909 - William Howard Taft becomes President of the United States

1910 - Southbridge, Massachusetts
Name: Leona Desmaris
Age in 1910: 14
Birth Year: abt 1896
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Home in 1910: Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts
Street: Plympton Street
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital status: Single
Father's name: Cyrille Desmaris
Father's Birthplace: Canada French
Mother's name: Marceline Desmaris
Mother's Birthplace: Canada French
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Laborer
Industry: Optical Co
Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner
Attended School: Yes
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Out of Work: N
Number of weeks out of work: 0
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Cyrille Desmaris 54
Marceline Desmaris 59
Sergius Desmaris 19
Manclance Desmaris 19
Parmelia Desmaris 17
Leona Desmaris 14
1910 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

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)

1913 - Woodrow Wilson becomes President of the United States

1913 - October 31 – The Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States, is dedicated

1915 - January 25 - First United States coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call

1917 - March 2 – The enactment of the Jones Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

1917 - April 6 – WWI: The United States declares war on Germany

1918 - March 19 – The United States Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time

1919 Marriage / Partner
Leona DESMARAIS and Joseph LOISELLE 16 June 1919, Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Globe) (Lensdale) (Saundersdale) (Shuttleville)

She was 22 years old.

1919 Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts
Desmarais Cyrille (Marceline) shuttle wrk h 45 Plimpton
Desmarais Leona winder b 45 Plimpton
Desmarais Parmelia weaver b 45 Plimpton
Desmarais Vencelas lab b 45 Plimpton
Page 84

1919 Massachusetts City Directory - Southbridge
Southbridge (MA)

1919 - June 4 – Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification

1920 - January 17 - Prohibition goes into effect on January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution

1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President of the United States

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1922 Birth of Child
Rita Alice LOISELLE was born 26 February 1922, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Leona was 25 years old.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1923 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

1930 - Southbridge, Massachusetts
Name: Leona A Loiselle
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
District: ED 266
Gender: Female
Age: 33
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Wife
Birth Year (Estimated): 1897
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Canada French
Mother's Birthplace: Canada French
Sheet Letter: B
Sheet Number: 19
Sheet Number and Letter: 19B
Household ID: 420
Line Number: 71
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T626
Affiliate Film Number: 965
GS Film Number: 2340700
Digital Folder Number: 004950045
Image Number: 00832

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Joseph A Loiselle Head M 34 Massachusetts
Leona A Loiselle Wife F 33 Massachusetts
Rita A Loiselle Daughter F 8 Massachusetts
Lorraine T...Read MORE...

1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts
Name: Leona Loiselle
Age: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Home in 1940: Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts
Street: Plimpton Street
House Number: 69
Inferred Residence in 1935: Southbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts
Residence in 1935: Same House
Sheet Number: 17B
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Loiselle 44
Leona Loiselle 43
Rita Loiselle 18
Lorrine Loiselle 15
Jeannette Loiselle 13
Norman Loiselle 11
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1959 Death of Child
Rita Alice LOISELLE died 9 September 1959, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Fiskdale)

Leona was 62 years old.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.

1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

1993 - William J. Clinton becomes President of the United States

1995 Death
Massachusetts, Death Index, 1970-2003
name: Leona Loiselle
event: Death
event date: 03 Nov 1995
event place: Southbridge, Massachusetts
death certificate number: 053639
birth date: 15 Dec 1896
birthplace: Massachusetts
spouse:
spouse's death date:
spouse's death place:
spouse's death certificate number:
spouse's birth date:
spouse's birth place:

familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

Obituary
SOUTHBRIDGE - Leona (Desmarais) Loiselle, 98, formerly of Plimpton Street, a retired optical worker and a Gold Star mother, died yesterday in Providence House Nursing Home of Southbridge after an illness.

Her husband, Joseph A. Loiselle, died in 1963. She leaves two daughters, Jeannette Cloutier and Lorraine Boyle, both of Southbridge; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren. She was a Gold Star mother. Her son, Norman Loiselle of Southbridge, died in combat in Korea during the Korean War. A daughter, Rita Bousquet of Southbridge, died in 1959. She was born in Millbury, daughter of Cyril and Marceline (Syriac) Desmarais, and lived here most of her life.

Mrs. Loiselle worked at American Optical Co. for more than 20 years before she retired.

She was a member of Notre Dame Church.

The funeral will be held Monday from Sansoucy Funeral Home, 40 Marcy St., with a Mass at 10 a.m. in Notre Dame Church, 446 Main St. Burial will be in New Notre Dame Cemetery. Calling hours are...Read MORE...

Grave

New Notre Dame Cemetery
Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Globe) (Lensdale) (Saundersdale) (Shuttleville)

findagrave.com

Postcards and Memories of Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Globe) (Lensdale) (Saundersdale) (Shuttleville)

Leona is buried at: New Notre Dame Cemetery
North Woodstock Rd (Rt. 169)
Southbridge, Massachusetts
Southbridge, Massachusetts, USA (Globe) (Lensdale) (Saundersdale) (Shuttleville)
(508)-764-0601 -- NOTE: Earliest graves in this cemetery date to around 1931

Added: 7/7/2008 12:00:00 AM - Updated: 7/7/2025 6:00:33 PM