Tanguay portrait
This is a portrait of my ancestors taken around 1914 or 1915 on the occasion of Eddie ( the young man in the center) going to what I imagine is the first World War.
Left to Right
Top Row: Omar, Emedy, Emil, Eddie, Fred, Francis, Lillian
Seated: Louie, Louie Sr., Felixine (Talbot), Archie.
I am fascinated at looking at these people and knowing they are my family yet I do not know them. They were my Wilfred’s family; my grandfather on my mother’s side. The woman at the top right of the picture is Lillian Tanguay, my great-grandmother. I do slightly remember her from when I was a small boy and have memories of her fuzzy chin and her one blue eye and one green eye, but that’s not who she really was. I only saw the husk of the woman that was. My wife says I look most like Archie (seated on the right). How I would loved to have known these people.
I think about it and it’s really sad, we as a people for the most part, do not know where we came from anymore. We have no heritage anymore. At least I really don’t.
I mean, this is my great Uncles and Aunts and that’s about how far back it goes for me. But who were they? Was Archie a funny guy? Could Eddie draw? Was Lillian a good cook? Did Emil like to read? Was Papa Louis Sr. a baker? A lawyer? A farmer? A handyman? Who was before them?
I just don’t know and sadly I never will because the people who can tell me are dead themselves. The Sixties Generation killed all that sense of family with their “Me Generation” bullshit. But then, it’s best we don’t get me started on how the whole Sixties Hippies crap ruined America or I’ll never stop.
Of course some people believe the Bible teaches that someday I will see all of my family and so I suppose that one day I will get to meet them. I can’t wait for that day if it’s true. Others teach that once in Heaven we won’t care about the family down here because we are all family at that point. I sure hope I do get to meet them and spend time with them. I have so many questions for them. So if they’re looking down on me, are they disappointed in me? Did I live up to their name? Are they proud? Do they even care? My mother died a few years ago and I wonder if she ever checks in on me.
We all have people dating back to the beginning in some way, for me that would have started in France and Italy so somewhere back in time my ancestors were gauls and Romans and fought bloody battles with each other. Who were they? Did I look like any of them?
Maybe a thousand years ago there was a guy on the battlefield that looked exactly like me yelling out obsenities to a Gaul who who looked just like me as well! Amazing to think about. Most likely that’s not the case but you see what I mean. there are millions of people who made us who we are and yet we know only smidgens about them and their lives.
I really wish they would hurry up and build a frickin’ time machine already.
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*SIGH* Very true my brother – how I would love to have had a family that somehow stuck together. I’m sad that all Grampy’s family stopped doing that family reunion.
Of course, we’re the ones who moved to CA, so whose fault is it?? :) At least we are close to each other, which is most important.
-A
No doubt you will recognize your family in Heaven. God made certain relationships for a reason and I believe that we will still recognize that specialness in the next life.
I hope you’re right Paul!
I am a 3rd cousin to Tanguay – My Grandfather was Eddie Tawyea – who’s father was Louie – This is a fantastic link – the picture is very cool – inside the faces of this group I see many family faces of my own first cousins who look much like these. Amazingly – Eddie Tawyea and Eva my Grandparents – now have well ove 400 direct descendents that could be added to this list. If we all ever met what a fantastic thing it would be! By the way – the recount of Eddie – my living mother Eddie’s daughter almost 90 tells me was not World War I but rather the National Guard Service. If the age is correct – Eddie in this photo could actually be my own GrandFather or his father Louie ! How amazing. Email if you know some of the family history – we have accumulated some interesting facts of our own. One you might like to know is that my own 16 year old daughter – has the voice of an Angel and offer of a singing Contract in Nashville Tn – (which we are not sure she will accept for now) but it’s a wow ! To learn that she would be the second famous singer in the family – of what I know from Artists to Brilliant business people to be a family I am so proud to be this tiny spec of !!!!
I’m Deanne’s cousin, Ed. I don’t think these are Tawyea’s. The family changed it’s name by about 1880 to Tawayea from Tanguay (perhaps because this was a phonetic spelling of the pronunciation with a heavy French accent?). I will check some family records, but with the exception of the names Edward and Louis, I don’t recognize the other first names.
(Deanne: it would be great to hear from you, drop me a line at: rosasco@hotmail.com. Ed)
I am Carey Tawyea Kaiser. Lillian would have been my great aunt. I only met her once at a family reunion back in 1992 in Hibbing, MN. My grandfather was Jerome Tawyea, Lillians brother. Please let me know if you have any more information on the Tawyeas. I would like to get hold of a family tree.
ok, I forgot to leave my e-mail address. you can reach me at careykaiser@hotmail.com for any info.
January 1, 08
Eddie – I showed the picture to mom and she confirmed these are of Grandpa (Eddie) front center, Louie our Great Grandfather, Margaret Daoest (the stepmother) – as Mike has named all correct. Grandpa Louie’s first wife died young. The name was changed to Tawyea when the family passed into the US. This was done to Americanize the family. I spent a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa listening and asking questions as a teen and Grandpa told me that they were not allowed to speak French – told they were Americans now. Mike and Carey if you get this message – the family here is huge – Alive and well! Come to Michigan and you will not feel so alone anymore. Some of our first cousins are still in Minnesota as well. I need to get the last addresses of all from Mom (Margaret) or Aunt Lucille to contact them.
We visited Aunt Gwenneth (their Mom) a few years back and stayed with her a couple of days. Small world will get smaller when you make some family contacts again! Mike how are you related to Great Grandpa Louie?
Deanne W.
ask4me@earthlink.net
Hi Deanne!
I am related to Louie through Lillian who was my great grandmother. Lillian was my mom’s grandmother on her father’s side. I don’t remember her much other than the fact that she had one green eye and one blue eye. She was quite old by the time I was born. I also remember that she was nice to me and had a scratchy chin presumably from a few whiskers. She still went by the name Tanguay though.
Milo – that does I guess make us cousins! If you are in Mn or Wisconsin – we still have relatives there directly connected. Our Aunt Gwenneth’ last name was Erickson – who died sometime after our Grandmother Eva Camille Tawyea(wife of Eddie) in the picture you posted – (about 1993 or later). But her three children still live in Mn & Wisconsin and their children same. Additionally, there are a lot of family with the last name – Tawyea and Tanguay up there! Come to Michigan – lots of us here! Over 450 – 500 direct decendents from “Eddie” from 1 – 5th generation cousins and two of his daughters still living! January 10, 09
Music is a common item in this Tawyea family. My husband is from Hibbing mn and he was told the name changed from tanguay to Tawyea because of burlesque performer Eva Tanguay. We don’t know what is true but she does exist. I would love to arrange a reunion if anyone else is interested email me please at tracey_tawyea@yahoo.com
Hi all, my mother is still alive at almost 88 yrs old and very cognitive. I am almost 54 and remember mom and Grandma and Grandpa Tawyea talking about Eva Tanguay – she was what she was the famous 1920’s Do Not Care Girl – her song, I Don’t Care can be heard if you google it on the internet; and their are lots of books written about her life. There is also a movie about her life / she was played by Mitzy Gaynor in the 1960’s – the film was known to be dolled up and not a real reflection of Eva’s life. Eva was my Grandfather’s (Edward William Tawyea’s) niece. I think my mom said, she was the daughter of his brother Jerome – but don’t quote that I will have to ask her again. Regardless – The Tanguay name was changed by Louie and his second wife / Margaret Daoest (who was Eddie’s Mother) – because they felt coming into the U.S. they should be Americanized. They also refused to speak French to the kids they wanted them to learn to speak English. This information came directly from Grandpa and I heard it. Somewhere my brother has a lg reel to reel tape of Grandpa Edward William Tawyea telling the family history – how they arrived in the U.S. on a river boat barge into NY I think with a horse pulling it from the side of the river. You can google old pics of people coming to the U.S. from Canada this way (pretty cool). Greatgrandpa Louie had 2 huge families / I think some of the older kids stayed in Canada while the others came with their father and the second wife looking for work. They spread out from NY east to Maine and others to Hibbing Mn, where my Grandfather met my Grandmother also a French Canadian imig. and married and had 8 children.
They moved from their leaving Aunt Gwen the oldest who married twice and some of those cousins are still in Mn. Aunt Gwen died a few years back I think in the 1990’s. Need more history email me at ask4me@earthlink.net – My mother / Margaret is still alive and so is Aunt Lucille. All of the other 6 siblings have died – two in the last couple of years. There are hundreds of cousins in Michigan and hundreds in Mn – I guess you are all some of them. If I said we would have a re-union I meant it but the economy has taken a big toll in Michigan and we have lived with the downturn. Hoping to pull out of this slump soon and schedule a few overdue events – reunion is one of them. Just a little FYI – we have allowed our youngest Joanna Lauren W. to post her singing on Youtube of cover songs – so if you would all like to see how she sings go and look! She is under Joanna Lauren (first and middle name) channel Joannalaurensings – on Youtube. I guess people think she sounds like our Canadian cousin Celine Dion -and looks like her – there are so many similarities it is a bit unsettling. Anyways – if you want to know more – email me and we can chat. Things are getting a bit back in sync here so – I can chat more often than before! My mom has so much info about her cousins and her Aunts and Uncles from Mn it is wild she recalls lots of detail! Stuff we should be writing down.
Wow! That’s a lot of info! I hope you get a chance to transfer that reel to reel story… tape doesn’t last forever and it will slowly deteriorate. As an example try and play some old vhs tapes if you have them. They look and sound terrible and that was only from a decade ago… I have found a pic of another Tanguay who was a pilot which I will post here as well.
I last saw this picture about 50 years ago. I am Richard Tanguay (61), son of Robert Tanguay – who was the son of Emedy Tanguay, second from the left, top row. I beleive Uncle Omar (adjacent to my grandfather Emedy in the pic) was the youngest son. I met him in 1967 or 1968 when I had a summer job at Stanley Works in New Britain, where he was a foreman. He retired later that year. My granfather Emedy was a book keeper at Landers, Ferry & Clark, an appliance maker that shut down in the ’50’s. Uncle Archie, far right front row, was a big guy, who drove a very cool (then) white Covair Monza Spider – he was a very cool, albeit old guy, and he towered over that little car. He passed away in in the ‘64-65 time era. My grandfather took his own life in 1976, and I beleive (I’m not 100% certain of this)his father, Louie Sr did as well.
That’s about all I can recall. Sadly, the Tanguays to this day are not a particularly close-knit family. I have severl first cousin Tanguays whom I’ve only seen once or twice in my life, and even then, only as children. Hope this helps. Be well.
This is amazing. Emedy, 2nd from left standing, was my grandfather. Therefore I must be looking at a picture of all my great uncles, my great grandfather and great grandmother. Emedy had eight sons and one daughter. They are/were Harold, Herbert, Robert, Emedy, Jr., Raymond, George, Phillip, Donald and Irene. Irene died of a brain aneurism at age 14. Only Raymond, Phillip and George are currently living. My father was Robert. I have a brother Richard, who lives in Libertyville, Illinois. I live in Manchester, CT My sister-in-law, Eileen Tanguay, and I are very interested in learning more about our family history. Please contact me at ptjohnson81@cox.net.
This picture is just amazing. I’m one of the New Britain CT Tanguays. Emedy was my grandfather. He married Hulda Engstrom (of Swedish descent) and they, too, had 8 sons and one daughter. They are/were Harold, Herbert, Robert, Emedy, Jr., Raymond, George, Phillip, Donald and Irene. Irene died in 1946 at age 14 of a brain tumor or aneurism. That was the year I was born. Harold had no children; the next five each had one boy and one girl, Phillip had no children and Donald had two girls, Ivy and Amy. We all still go by the Tanguay name. Only Raymond, Phillip and George are still living.
The rest of the people in the picture are my great grandfather, (Louis Sr.) and my great uncles and aunt. Let’s share more information. You can reach me at ptjohnson81@cox.net.
Wow! The internet is truly an amazing thing isn’t it? I mean after all you found this picture again after 50 years! Amazing! I guess we’re related! I love looking at this picture, I did not think I looked like anyone in the family until I saw these old photos, in particular one of my grandfather and my grandmother ( Lillian’s son Wilfred) Of all the people in this picture I believe I look most like Archie. I can easily see I have the same build as he does. It’s odd to see people who you’re related to that you do not know and yet you resemble in some ways. Very sad to hear that Emedy took his life. Do you know why?
Also, do you know if anyone in our family was artistic? I seem to be one of the few.
So that would make you Richard’s sister (above)? Lillian had one child Wilfred (my grandfather) with William Cadrain. My grandfather had 4 daughters, Jeanne (my mother), Jerol, Diane, and Linda. My mother is the only one who has passed away and all of them live back east. Diane lives in Hartford and Jerol lives in NY. Linda lives in NC. I just spoke with my Aunt Jerol the other day in fact. I wonder what that makes us? 2nd cousins? 3rd cousins? It sounds like you are one generation earlier than I am so maybe you’re my grand cousin? :-)
I am in L.A. but I am originally from New Jersey.
Looking at this picture again my Aunt Jerol resembles the seated woman in the center although my aunt is prettier. I guess that’s my great great grandmother. Does anyone know her name? I also have the same receding hairline Emil has… although I’m not to happy to admit that.
Looks like my cousins are congregating! Milo, I so appreciate you putting up this picture to share with us. I see my dad (Donald, son of Emedy) in Lillian’s face. :)
Does anyone know anything about the mother in the picture? I have her name as Felixine Talbot but there is a census record with a Louis living under the same roof as a Catherine Talbot. Any guess as to where the parents might be buried?
Cool! I’m going to have to put her name in the descriptions now. I wondered what her name was…
Oh and you’re more than welcome Aimee, it’s fun to meet my relatives in whatever capacity it takes!
Hi. Patti again. Richard is my brother. We all called grampa “Pa”. He shot himself by putting a shotgun in his mouth and blowing his head off. He was tired of being alive without “Ma” (his wife who died in 1964 at age 72) and we believe he was also suffering from terminal cancer. I’m in touch with Ray, Jr., and Karen (both children of Uncle Ray, Emedy Sr’s son) and I’ll clue them into this website. Somehow Aimee has also found us. does anybody know how to get in touch with George’s kids, George, Jr. and Christine in florida? I”m also curious to find the name of my Grandfather’s mother and the location of both of their burials.
Hi everyone I am the grandson of Omar Tanguay(OJ) and I am from New Britan Ct. My grandfather had 3 children Lillian, Shirley and George.I am George Jr. Not the person Aimee is looking for.I now reside in Lake Park Fla.
Thank you Mike for posting the Picture It really brought me back..Tanger