Tor Bay (Torbé) Acadians' Honour Roll Inductions

from Société des Acadiens de la Région de Tor Baie on Jun 21, 2016

Tor Bay Acadians' Honour Roll Inductions

This initiative was begun as an attempt to share the profiles of individuals with roots in the Tor Bay (Torbé) Acadian communities and who have provided outstanding service and accomplishments here, or in the world at large. It is our desire to have all public domains represented as entries are made. Examples - sports, business, community service, military, religion, politics, medicine, education, the arts, etc. Each year since 2011, we have accumulated stories of 2 or 3 individuals who have made outstanding contributions in these previously named domains. A public presentation is made of these profiled people at a featured event during the opening night of our Festival Savalette held on the first Thursday of August. When possible, we have the inductees present, or someone connected to them participate in this ceremony. Each story is then carefully documented and added to a binder for public exposure and sharing. Someday, perhaps we can put these together in a book form.

We encourage suggestions of worthy stories and potential candidates and ask anyone to send these suggestions to us for consideration and future inductions. The main prerequisite, is that the individual either has roots to this Acadian region (not necessarily born here), served the area at some point, or has made major contributions to our/their communities, country or world.

Sandra (Pettipas) Perro

Sandra was born in Tracadie, Nova Scotia and daughter of Elmer and Sadie Fougère/Pettipas. In her youth, she spent much time with her Fougère grandparents in Larry's River and became “one of us” as she enjoyed her days “by the shore”.

Sandra is a retired Educator of the Deaf, with a lifetime involvement in Acadian Genealogy. Her research of the Petitpas and Fougère families have led her to writing a 300 page book entitled “Getting to the Roots of My Family Tree”. She facilitated workshops in our area during the 2004 Congrès Mondial Acadien and again in 2013. Much information and support continues to come from her pool of knowledge and personal archives. Sandra is well known in Acadian circles whether it is Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Louisiana or elsewhere. She and her retired military husband, Robert, are global travelers who now spend their winters in British Columbia and summers exploring all areas of our continent. A very talented musician, she is always ready to participate in music jams whenever possible.

Eileen Avery

Eileen Avery's roots run deep in Nova Scotia. She began researching her lineage in 1990. At that time, the Larry's River connection wasn't known, although her grandfather had been born there. Family stories provided both helpful clues and confusing misinformation. Findings, in parish and civil records, inspired Eileen to make a research trip Nova Scotia in 1992. That trip provided key insights to Torbé area connections. Eileen met cousins, Geneva (Avery) Fougere, Percy Pellerin, Gordon Pellerin, Jude Avery, and Marion (Hushard) Cerreto, who generously shared a wealth of genealogy research and family stories. The clues gathered on this trip, formed a foundation for further research. Over the next few years, Lloyd Boucher, also a cousin, opened the gateway to her family's Acadian ancestry. In 1999, Stephen A. White's Dictionnaire Génélogique des Familles Acadiennes added depth, breadth, and documentation to her Acadian roots.

As Eileen's research bore fruit, she shared the results through genealogy presentations about: the Petitpas family; the Charpentier family; the failed French settlement of îles Malouines [Falkland Islands] and the Acadians who were part of that; the use of mtDNA to trace and verify Acadian ancestral lines; Acadians held prisoner in Nova Scotia during the Seven Years War; filles de roi & filles de marier of Quebec.

Eileen's research continues to grow as she helps others connect their lineage and discovers new cousins.

Geneviève (Petitpas) Pellerin

Geneviève was born March 14, 1889 to Peter and Sophie (Linden) Petitpas and married Augustus (Justin) Pellerin February 5, 1907, by Père d'Auteuil. Her kind motherly ways earned her the nickname “Mémie” (grandma), a name reserved for special caring and loving ladies in a community. Known for her cooking skills and generosity, visitors could not leave her kitchen without samples of her delicious creations. Her mother, Sophie, was a mid-wife and taught her daughter the skills of this profession. Geneviève's career as mid-wife spanned 40 years and is credited in assisting in the births of 247 babies during that time. After the death of her husband in 1948, and the departure of her sons for employment reasons, she became dependent on her neighbour, Clarence Avery, to taxi her do her home visits. This was done by horse and wagon or sleigh. During the winter months, men would shovel snow when required to allow her to provide her skilled and loving service to an expecting mother. Her loving nature and self confidence brought a sense of calmness to all who anxiously awaited her arrival.