Sepia Saturday 680. First in a new series focusing on letters written by my dad’s brother Frederic Mason Charboneau while in the US Army during WWII.
At the end of 2014 , I wrote a blog post titled Uncle Fred’s Letters highlighting a holiday letter sent home by my dad’s brother Frederic Mason Charboneau when he was serving in the US Army during World War II.
I promised then to share more about Uncle Fred, along with excerpts from his letters. Now, nine years later, I am finally keeping that promise — starting with an edited reprise of that earlier blog post.
Memories of Uncle Fred
I have no memory of meeting my Uncle Fred — Frederic Mason Charboneau — who was born on 13 March 1918. He was the youngest of my dad’s four older brothers and died after an illness on 12 Dec. 1952 when I was just a toddler.
Growing up, I remember hearing that Uncle Fred was a US Army veteran who received a Purple Heart for an injury during WW II. He married Jean Bastow, but they had no children.
That was about it — until 1992 when Dad and I began exploring our roots together and went on a two-day genealogy trip to Otter Lake, Dad’s hometown, in Forestport, Oneida Co., N.Y.
We stayed overnight with my Aunt Aline who still lived in the area. She was French-Canadian and the widow of my dad’s oldest brother Owen Albert Charboneau. We all called her “Gig.”
After wise-cracking around her kitchen table over a Pitch card game — which Aunt Gig won as usual — we got talking about family history. Aline and Dad shared stories about their youth in Otter Lake and fondly reminisced about our mutual ancestors.
Uncle Fred’s letters
Something about that visit must have touched them both — because the next time Dad went to see Aunt Gig, she gave him a cardboard box containing a treasure trove of family photos and documents.
Among the items in the box was a stack of Uncle Fred’s letters — written to his mother [my grandmother Mary “Molly” (Owen) Charboneau] during the war — along with some photos of him and his obituary.
When I read his letters for the first time I was struck by two things. Uncle Fred’s handwriting was amazingly like my dad’s. And much of his writing was not about the war but about family events back home.
The quest begins
Uncle Fred mentioned places and people in and around his Otter Lake hometown — some names familiar to me from Dad’s childhood stories, others because they were paternal relatives. That got me thinking.
Why not go through all of Uncle Fred’s letters to see what more I can learn about Fred and Dad’s childhood years and the people that surrounded them in that idyllic place — Otter Lake — that seemed to rise from the mist like Brigadoon whenever Dad told his tales?
What records can I find to supplement Uncle Fred’s narratives and create a fuller picture of Dad’s hometown and his family of origin?
Where might this Adirondack trail lead?
Up next: Stay tuned as this quest unfolds with the first of Uncle Fred’s letters. Meanwhile, please visit the intrepid bloggers over at Sepia Saturday.
© 2023 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.
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Molly,I have a class photo of 5th grade. I can send it to you. It has all of us kids. Best Gary Wallace
Molly,
I was in Mr. Harry Fenson’s class with you. I called him a couple years ago. Looked him up after reading your blogs. Unfortunately he died the end of May. You can find his obit by searching under Harry S. Fenson, Endwell, N.Y. I well remember those years. Class was more relaxed at the Methodist Church than at the Jr. High building. Great blogs🏆
Dear Molly,
Love your blog!!! I was in your 4th grade class with Miss George. I was the class dunce In 5th grade, we were in Harry S. Fenson’s class. Tom MacIntyre and I were the teachers pets. I never remember him yelling. I called him up a couple years ago. I looked him up to call again but he died May 2023. Search Harry Fenson for his Obit.
My wife is a semi pro genealogist.Mostly does Italian. She was director of the Orem Utah Public library, now retired. Our daughter Annie got married May 27. I really love your blogs💚💚💚. We are not far from the Salt Lake Family History library. We have free access to Ancestry.com, My Heritage, Find My Past sites, etc. Glad to look up anything for you.
I can’t believe we weren’t closer in school over all those years. Mostly I hung out with guys I guess. Sixth grade I was at ME High. Did you have Mrs. Holmes, or my class with the man? (Forgot his name). Folding doors between two rooms. More French classes!!
Best💚
Thanks for your comments, Gary. Always love hearing from a former classmate! I sent you an email reply.
It’s an interesting way of getting to know more about one’s family history (I say from experience…) And sharing with others also helps one to organize one’s own thoughts about it.
Thanks, Monica. Your ancestral post card series inspired me to give this a try. I am hoping my results will be as good as yours have been!
This sounds like a great new series. I like your Brigadoon metaphor. By coincidence I looked up Otter Lake on the map and realized that I’ve driven that route before. My wife and I have friends who once lived in Lowville, NY which is near there, so when visiting them we’ve explored the Adirondack region several times using that route to head east into Vermont.
Yes, that sounds like the route. Otter Lake is a small place and the hotel my grandparents once ran was torn down after a fire, but the cabins shown in the postcard are still there — as is the Adirondack spirit that imbues my Uncle Fred’s letters.
I am also looking forward to seeing more about how Uncle Fred wrote about his life and family and friends!
Thanks, Barb. I am thankful his letters have survived and I’m gratified to be sharing them here.
I think this will be fun and interesting – finding out more about your Uncle Fred & your Dad and their youth in Otter Lake. Looking forward to the next installment!!! 🙂
Thanks so much! It will be an adventure for me as well.