Soucie Minnie Belle

Family/Spouse: Trudeau Arthur. Arthur was born in Jan 1880 in IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Hanen Rosette on 26 Apr 1883 in Kankakee County, Il. Rosette (daughter of Hanen Thomas J. and Brown Melinda Ellen) was born on 23 Sep 1868 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; died on 18 Nov 1947 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; was buried in St Anne Protestant Cemetery, St. Anne, Kankakee County, IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married Brown Melinda Ellen on 18 Oct 1861 in Kankakee County, IL. Melinda (daughter of Brown Erasmus Darwin and Loghry Lettice Lorena) was born on 22 Sep 1844 in Shawnee, Fountain County or Benton Co., IN; died on 16 Feb 1922 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; was buried in St. Anne Cemetery, St. Anne, Kankakee County, IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The large grey granite tombstone denotes the Hanen plot in which is written the following: "Thy will be done." The family plot is located in the St. Anne Protestant Cemetery, St. Anne, Kankakee County, IL.

Notes:

Erasmus Darwin left Stillwater, NY early as a youngster with his family. They lived in several different places, including, Ballson Spa, Albany, Auburn and Caniesteo, Steuben Co. and Dresden, Yates County, NY.

He went to live briefly in Ohio, where Letty was living with the Schock family, in-laws of her brother, George. He and Letty were married about 1834 in New York. Their first two daughters were born in New York state.

He and Letty moved their small family to Shawnee, Fountain county, Indiana around 1838 where his third child, Mary, was born. His son, Allen, born in 1844 was his last child born in Indiana.

'Dar' and his familiy finally moved to the state of Illinois and settled in the wilderness area known as St. Anne sometime between 1844 and 1846 where his son, Samuel was born. Dar's brother, Achilles and his wife, Lucy, also came to IL.

An article written in the old book of the county history, 'Kankakee County History' is the following:

"Few of the early settlers or families of Kankakee County are better represented in its second generation both among its relief and active citizens, then that established here by Erasmus Brown and Letty Loughry Brown, the former born in New York in 1808. This worthy couple to whom in early life came the desire to travel West and ally their fortunes with its undeveloped strength, left their native New York state and settled in the Wilderness of what then was St. Anne but now is Pembroke township, Kankakee County. Loneliness and deprivation were their portion for they had little of this world's goods and there were few neighbors to whom they could turn for counsel or sympathy. Nevertheless, they had grit and determination and their farm yielded of its fertility in response to their untiring labor.

With the passing of years their family increased until seven children played around their hearthstone. Of these, Jane was the oldest." We know that eventually there were ten children born to this couple.

Sometime around 1856, Dar and Achilles were joined by their youngest brother, Samuel Right Brown, Jr. and his wife, Sally Ann Coss but wanting to move closer to his inlaws, Sally's sisters and other cousins, Samuel moved north to Algonquin after several years in the Iroquois-Kankakee county area and later to neighboring Cary, McHenry County, IL where he made his final home. His descendants live in that area today.

Erasmus married Loghry Lettice Lorena about 1834 in Oscaloosa, Mahaska County, OH. Lettice (daughter of Loghry Joseph Leander and Santee Mary) was born about 1820 in Cameron, Steuben Co., NY; died on 21 Dec 1893 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; was buried in Old Brown-Hanen Cemetery four miles east of Witchert in Pembroke Township on the old Brown farm.IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Letty was only 11 yrs old when her father, Joseph Loghry died in 1831. Her mother having died the year before.

A guardian was appointed for her and she was sent to live with Christian Schock and his wife, Catherine and their family. Christian and Catherine were parents of Esther, who was married to George Loghry (Letty's brother) at the time of Joseph's death. Why she was sent to live with them and not her brother is anyone's guess.

In a letter from Virginia Dickey, County Clerk at Bath, Steuben County, NY, she writes that Lettice was born in 1808. However, there was a guardianship appointed for her after her father's death and at the time she was thirteen, two years after his death. Also, according the 1850 census of St. Anne,Iroquois County,Illinois, it lists Letty as being 30 yrs. old and her husband, Erasmus as 42 yrs. old. This would make her birth date 1820.

Erasmus Darwin Brown, Letty's husband, went to live briefly in Ohio, where Letty was living with the Schock family, in-laws of her brother, George. He and Letty were married about 1834. It isn't certain if they were married in NY or Ohio but their first two daughters were born in New York state.

He and Letty moved their small family to Rob Roy, Fountain county, Indiana around 1838 where his third child, Mary, was born. His son, Allen, born in Shawnee, Fountain County, in 1844 was his last child born in Indiana.

'Dar' and his familiy finally moved to the state of Illinois and settled in the wilderness area known as St. Anne sometime between 1844 and 1846 where his son, Samuel was born.

An article written in the old book of the county history, 'Kankakee County History' is the following:

"Few of the early settlers or families of Kankakee County are better represented in its second generation both among its relief and active citizens, then that established here by Erasmus Brown and Letty Loughry Brown, the former born in New York in 1808. This worthy couple to whom in early life came the desire to travel West and ally their fortunes with its undeveloped strength, left their native New York state and settled in the Wilderness of what then was St. Anne but now is Pembroke township, Kankakee County. Loneliness and deprivation were their portion for they had little of this world's goods and there were few neighbors to whom they could turn for counsel or sympathy. Nevertheless, they had grit and determination and their farm yielded of its fertility in response to their untiring labor.

With the passing of years their family increased until seven children played around their hearthstone. Of these, Jane was the oldest." We know that eventually there were ten children born to this couple.