Continuation of tree (7th child of Jean Baptiste Pitre/1st wife Marie Francoise 'Marianne' St. Cosme); all known surname descendants:
5 Francois Pitre b: 15 January 1783 Sandwich, Essex, ONT; d: 7 April 1873 Connors Creek, Grosse Point, Wayne, MI
+Veronique Rivard (Marsac) b: 15 March 1791 Ste. Anne (Fort Pontchartrain), Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 14 November 1814 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Jean Baptiste/Reine Beaufait]; d: Aft. December 1878 Detroit, Wayne, MI
6 Francois Pitre b: 20 August 1816 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 16 March 1887 Gilford, Tuscola, MI
+Isalinda Holtslander b: Abt. 1820; m: 25 December 1838 Saginaw, MI [Joseph/Mary ---]; d: 1 November 1889 Kochville, Saginaw, MI
*2nd Wife of Francois Pitre:
+Pauline Adelaide Dequindre b: 30 October 1820 Clinton River, Macomb, MI; m: 21 June 1853 Mt. Clemens, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Antoine/Jeanne Pilet]; d: December 1889 Gilford, Tuscola, MI
6 Jean Baptiste Pitre b: 16 January 1819 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 18 February 1885 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI
+Zoe Cicotte b: 19 November 1822 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 21 May 1844 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Jacques/Marie Anne Beaubien]; d: 10 July 1854 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI
*2nd Wife of Jean Baptiste Pitre:
+Eliza Josephine Beaubien b: 2 August 1839 Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 11 June 1856 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Robert/Felicite Peltier]; d: 20 June 1926 Jacksonville, FL
6 Louis Lambert Pitre b: 4 November 1820 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 30 August 1912 Grosse Pointe, Wayne, MI
+Marie Anne Fournier b: 21 June 1819 Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 30 January 1844 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Abraham/Archange Campeau]; d: 1 April 1907 Grosse Pointe, Wayne, MI
6 Lambert Pitre b: 24 April 1823 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 31 October 1915 Detroit, Wayne, MI
+Marie Cicotte b: 28 March 1826 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 26 September 1848 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Jacques/Marie Anne Beaubien]; d: 2 May 1911 Detroit, Wayne, MI
6 Veronique Pitre b: 6 June 1824 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 16 August 1881 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI
+Jean Baptiste Fournier b: 28 October 1815 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 20 February 1844 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Abraham/Archange Campeau]; d: Aft. 1881
6 Toussaint Pitre b: 22 May 1826 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 22 April 1887 Grosse Pointe, Wayne, MI
+Rose Sedilo dit Montreuil b: 28 February 1838 Sandwich, Essex, ONT; m: 22 April 1857 St. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI [Joseph/Marie Beaubien]; d: 20 June 1903 Grosse Pointe, Wayne, MI
6 Irene Pitre b: 20 March 1828 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI
6 Antoine Pitre b: 25 June 1830 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 12 June 1897 Center Line, Macomb, MI
+Margaret Campbell b: June 1836 Wayne, MI; m: 18 June 1855 Assumption, Greinerville, Wayne, MI [Alexander/Margaret Corby]; d: 29 June 1923 Detroit, Wayne, MI
6 Richard Pitre b: 1 November 1833 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: 16 April 1907 Detroit, Wayne, MI
+Bridget Dalton b: 25 October 1838 Detroit, Wayne, MI; m: 11 November 1857 Assumption, Greinerville, Wayne, MI [Lawrence Daniel/Margaret Goodbody]; d: 25 March 1912 Detroit, Wayne, MI
6 Charles Pitre b: 27 May 1835 Ste. Anne, Detroit, Wayne, MI; d: Bef. 1850 Detroit, Wayne, MI
Notes for Francois Pitre:
Francois Pitre was the 7th and last child of Jean Baptiste Pitre and his first wife Marie Francoise 'Marianne' St. Cosme. The registers of Ste. Anne (Fort Pontchartrain, Detroit) contain his parents' marriage and the baptisms of his first four siblings. The baptisms of the next two children were recorded in the registers of l'Assomption, Sandwich, Essex, Ontario. Based on the spread of his siblings' births the most likely time of his birth is from the end of 1781 through August 1783 (his mother's death). I have been unable to locate his baptism in either the Ste. Anne registers or l'Assomption registers.
Some of the descendants of Francois Pitre have provided excerpts from publications and death indexes which recorded Francois' death. The Detroit Free Press from 8 April 1873 refers to the "Death of a Centenarian: "Francois Peters, of Connor's Creek, died at his residence yesterday morning aged one hundred years, two months and twenty-seven days. Mr. Peters retired at 11 o'clock Sunday night in his usual health. At 5 o'clock next morning he awoke and complained that he was cold. A member of the household took him up and placed him by the kitchen fire. He sat there a moment, and suddenly turning to his aged wife called her by the old familiar name and said: 'Let's shake hands for the last time.' In the very act of extending his hand the old man sank down and in one minute had ceased to breathe. His dissolution was painless, and his faculties were in full play up to the last minute of his life."
This would give a birthdate of 15 January 1773 and deathdate as 7 April 1873.
The censuses for Detroit give his age as 45+ (1820), 40-49 (1830), 60-70 (1840), 70 (1850), 84 (1860), & 97 (1870). Earlier censuses tend to be more accurate, however, if the enumerator put the number in the wrong box that could put the birthdate off by 10 years. I am willing to accept the day and month (for ease of reference), however 1773 is unworkable as his birth year due to the above information. I have therefore entered 1783 as Francois' birthyear, though it could just as easily be 1781 or 1782. (This is until/if a birth/baptism record is actually located.)
According to The Territorial Papers of the U.S., Francois Pitre's name appeared on a petition to Congress, dated 1 September 1803, by inhabitants of Detroit seeking for a new territory to be organized because of the difficulty in maintaining contact with the rest of the territory. The area was known as the Indiana Territory at that time. Francois signed with an 'X'.
Researcher Marty Rossman has provided the following: Francois Pitre served his country during the War of 1812. Records indicate service under two Captains: Audrian and Campau. His widow 'Veronique Marsack' applied for his pension following his death in 1873. One document #148472 8351 states that he sent his old Militia jacket as proof of service. A second record, Survivor's Pension Claim #17880 Warrant #30368-160-55 lists that Francis Peter, who served as Francis Petre in Capt. Jacques Campeau's Company of the Michigan Militia from 2 July to 16 August 1812 and not Capt. Audrian. Veronica's claim was rejected, for insufficient service, on 11 November 1873. An additional 'Widow's Brief' Claim #10516 was presented and admitted on 17 December 1878. Document/Claim #14330, War of 1812, Act of March 9, 1878, Widow's Pension states: Veronique Peters, widow of Francis Peters, Rank Private, Company of Capt. Jacques Campeau, Regiment - Michigan Militia. Detroit Agency, Rate per month - Eight Dollars Commencing March 9, 1878. Certificate dated January 6, 1879 and sent to Pension Agent 15 January 1879. 30368-160-55.
Censuses in which the individuals are named:
- 1850 Detroit, Wayne, Michigan: Francis Peters 70 farmer ($800 real estate), wife, Leavina 56, Touceaint 22 farmer, Anthony 17 farmer, Richard 15.
- 1860 Detroit, Wayne, MI: Francis Petre 84 farmer ($1600 real estate/$289 personal), wife Veronica 72, Toussaint 33 farmer, wife Rose 22, Louis 2, Eustachius 5 months, Charles 17 farm laborer. [Grosse Pointe]
- 1870 Connors Creek, Wayne, MI: Tausant Peters 44 farmer ($2000 real estate/$600 personal), wife Rose 33, Louis 12, Eutach 10, Adeline 8, Anthony 5, Edmond 3, Francis 1; parents Francis 97 & wife Varranick 82.
Obituaries for the children:
Jean Baptiste Pitre: Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI), Friday, 20 February 1885: Peters - At his son's residence, 657 Russell street, John B. Peters, February 18, 1885, aged 66 years and 1 month. Funeral Saturday at 9 o'clock at St. Anne's Church. Friends invited.
Louis Lambert Pitre: Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI), Sunday, 1 September 1912: Funeral services for Louis Peters, well known resident of St. Clair Heights, who died at his home on the Conner's Creek road Friday night, will be held at St. Bernard's church Monday morning at 8:30 o'clock. Interment will be at the Grotto cemetery.
Lambert Pitre: Detroit Times (Detroit, MI), Thursday, 4 November 1915: Deaths - Lambert Peters, 1039 Concord, 92 years, old age.
Tombstone Inscription: Assumption Grotto Cemetery, Detroit, MI: PETERS / Lambert Peters / born March 18, 1822 / died Oct. 31, 1915 / Mary Ann Peters / born March 15, 1827 / died May 2, 1911
Antoine Pitre: The Evening News (Detroit, MI), Saturday, 12 June 1897: Peters - June 12, 1897, at his late residence, Centre Line, Mich., Antoine, beloved husband of Margaret Peters, aged 67 years. Funeral Monday at 10 a.m., from St. Clement's church, Centre Line.
Richard Pitre: Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI), Wednesday, 17 April 1907: Lived in City 71 years - Richard Peters, son of old French settlers, is dead - Richard Peters, aged 71 years, died at the family residence, 48 Wilkins street, yesterday after a long illness. The deceased was a son of Francis and Veronica Peters, old French settlers, and was born in Detroit in 1836, when the city was a small village and Indians camped in the suburbs. He spent all his life here and was for years in the building business in the firm of Peters & Peters, plasterers and masons. Some of the oldest buildings in the city are monuments of his work. He is survived by the following children: Mrs. Charles Gaunt, Mrs. J.J. Joy, Mrs. W. F. Jackman, Mrs. William Schroeder, Richard, John and Charles Peters, all residents of Detroit.
Back one generation to parents of
Francois Pitre
Items in RED have been verified against parish register entries.
- Births/Marriages/Deaths in RED without a church have come from the Michigan Return of Births/Marriages/Deaths (Family Search online - actual pages viewable).
- While births & marriages name parents, deaths list only age & marital status. Michigan deaths between 1897-1920 in RED taken from death certificates (online), which may also include birthdate.
Last updated: 6 March 2021.