Jean Baptiste Desmarais
1845 - 1914 (68 years)-
Name Jean Baptiste Desmarais Born 21 Aug 1845 Québec, Canada 
Gender Male Died 08 Aug 1914 Red Lake Falls, Red Lake Co, Minnesota Person ID I361792 Little Chute Genealogy Last Modified 26 Jun 2014
Father Jean Baptiste Desmarais, b. 25 Oct 1820 Mother Luce Charbonneau, b. 02 Jan 1823 Married 12 Jan 1841 Québec, Canada Family ID F138603 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Adelina Magnan, b. 1848, d. 10 Jun 1921, Baudette, Lake of the Woods Co, Minnesota (Age 73 years) Married 04 Nov 1866 Rhode Island Children 1. Henri Joseph Desmarais, b. 07 Sep 1869, Providence, Providence Co, Rhode Island , d. 08 Jun 1968, Grand Rapids, Itasca Co, Minnesota (Age 98 years)2. Jean Baptiste Desmarais, b. 28 May 1873, Stillwater, Providence Co, Rhode Island , d. 25 Nov 1958, Crookston, Polk Co, Minnesota (Age 85 years)3. Louis Philippe Desmarais, b. 28 Nov 1874, Québec, Canada , d. 12 Oct 1952, Thief River Falls, Pennington Co, Minnesota (Age 77 years)4. Mary Martha Desmarais, b. 26 Sep 1876, Red Lake Falls, Red Lake Co, Minnesota 5. Charlotte Desmarais, b. 09 Nov 1878, Red Lake Falls, Red Lake Co, Minnesota , d. 15 Sep 1901, Red Lake Falls, Red Lake Co, Minnesota (Age 22 years)6. William Desmarais, b. 10 Nov 1880, Red Lake County, Minnesota 7. Joseph Medore Desmarais, b. 17 Feb 1882, Red Lake County, Minnesota , d. Yakima, Yakima Co, Washington 8. Louis Desmarais, b. 09 Jan 1885, Red Lake County, Minnesota , d. 11 Nov 1926, Shevlin, Clearwater Co, Minnesota (Age 41 years)9. Parmelia Georgiana Desmarais, b. 17 Dec 1886, Red Lake County, Minnesota , d. Calgary, Alberta, Canada 10. Arthur Desmarais, b. 21 Nov 1888, Red Lake County, Minnesota , d. Dec 1979, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co, Minnesota (Age 91 years)11. Emily Marie Desmarais, b. 18 Oct 1891, Red Lake County, Minnesota , d. 18 May 1986, Grand Forks, Grand Forks Co, North Dakota (Age 94 years)Last Modified 21 Jul 2022 Family ID F138604 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Notes - From: "A History Of Red Lake County" as related by Walter Demarais
JOHN B. DEMARAIS
John B. Demarais was one of the first settlers in what today is Red Lake County. I really got to know my grandfather back in the spring of 1911. At that time in order to receive First Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, you had to go to religious instruction prior to the event. Because our family lived some five miles out in the country, I stayed with my grandfather John in Red Lake Falls, on the corner of Main and Chicago Streets. After my homework in the evenings, Grandpa J.B. would relate stories to me of some of his experiences during the Civil War, his returning home, and getting married to my grandmother whose name was Delina Magnon.
He had gone to Michigan for a short lime, then left there and went west to St. Anthony Falls, now St. Paul. He worked there for a few years and met a man by the name of Pierre Bottineau and they became very good friends. Pierre Bottineau convinced Grandpa J.B. that there was a beautiful area close to the mouth of the Clearwater River which empties into Red Lake, and that the land there was very fertile and that there was plenty of timber around. The nearest place to gel their supplies at that time was Crookston.
In the spring of 1876 grandfather left St. Anthony Falls to go north with his family, leaving in a covered wagon drawn by an ox and a horse, with his cow tied behind. At the time they had four children: Henry, John, Mary, and my father, Phillip, who was eighteen months old, born November 27, 1874. Father lived all his life in Red Lake County, passing away October 12, 1952. He married Anna Vaudrin, my mother, who is 96 and still residing in Red Lake Falls.
Grandfather related quite a few hectic experiences that he had, such as fording rivers and roads. One experience that interested me very much was the account of their trek north. The mosquitoes were so bad that at night when they camped, their cow broke loose and started back on the trail going south. Well, as grandpa told me they had to have their cow, as they had to have milk for the youngsters, so he took his horse and pack-trailed for two days until he found the animal. Then he returned to his family and proceeded to Crookston just as their supplies were getting low. They arrived at Crookston and camped there for a few days and replenished their food stock, then followed a single wagon track to what today is Red Lake Falls. Here in the spring of 1876 he was welcomed by Pierre Bottineau and treated to a nice sturgeon supper.
There were still some Indians in the area but grandpa said they were friendly, but sometimes grandpa found things missing.
He then acquired the farm one mile south of town, which today, I think, belongs to Clarence Vatthauer. They lived there for some time; then he sold out and moved on what was the F. B. Dailey place, now owned also by one of the Vatthauers. They lived there quite some time then he sold out and moved into Red Lake Falls. He invested in the store building where Max lngber had his store, finally selling the building to Max.
My grandfather was a very good man. He may not have acquired much wealth measured in dollars and cents, but he raised a big family of thirteen children: Henry, John, Mary, Phillip, Delia. William, Medore, Pearl, Louis, Arthur, and Emily (two died in infancy). This family all contributed their time and efforts in helping build the community to what it is today. Of the above family only two survive: Arthur and Emily (Lizotte) who are well known in Red Lake Falls. Many will remember Henry who drove a horse and buggy from Grand Rapids to Red Lake Falls in 1951.
- From: "A History Of Red Lake County" as related by Walter Demarais