George M. GALLANT (5 Mar 1888-9 Nov 1973) +
Marie Anne Ida ARSENAULT (6 Mar 1890-7 Nov 1964)

Alfred Albert “Speed” (1917-1997)

Joseph Georges “Puggy” (28 Aug 1919-6 Jun 2004) — m. Delores May Keith in 194x

Joseph John “Pete” (7 Dec 1920-6 Jul 2013) — m. Lillian Irene Burchanski after 1940

Mike Edward “Elwee” (31 Aug 1922-Dec 1983) — m. Violet M. Waite (I think) on 26 Jun 1944; m. Elaine F. Maillet on 1 Oct 1960

Clarence Joseph “Yap” (28 May 1924-17 Jan 2004) — never married

Joseph Ernest “Pea Soup” (27 Jul 1926-26 Nov 2001)

Marion Doris “Doris” (22 May 1928-1 Dec 2022) — m. Maurice C. Gallant on 11 Nov 1950

Marie Rita “Rita” (1930-Oct 2023) — m. William John “Willie” Perry

Joseph Walter “Butsy” (19 Jul 1931-23 Feb 2009) — never married

Mary Ida “Ida” (1935) — m. Charles Eldon Luther III in 1959

George was born in Kingston (now Rexton), just south of the larger town of Richibucto, Kent County, New Brunswick, the fifth of seven children to John/Jean Gallant and Mary Ann Doiron dit Gould. His family moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts in 1891 or 1892. His mother and youngest sibling, Charles, died there in December 1894, and George reportedly spent some time in foster care. His father moved the family back to New Brunswick and, in 1896, re-married. They disappear from the records after 1901, but there’s a family recollection that George worked with his father in lumber camps.

Ida was born in Rogersville, Northumberland County, New Brunswick, the second of ten children to Marc Arsenault and Marie Adéline Arsenault. Her godparents were Sylvestre Johnson and Marie Anne Martin. Her family moved to Massachusetts several times, always returning to New Brunswick. Sometime between 1907 and 1916, they settled in Mexico, Maine.

George and Ida married on 2 Dec 1916 in Rumford, Maine.

A 12 Sep 1918 draft registration listed George Gallant, shipper & caulker working for the Atlantic Corp. in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His data: born 15 Jan 1885 in Canada; medium height, medium build, brown hair, brown eyes; wife Ida Gallant of Bridge St., Mexico, Maine. Some of the details don’t fit – date and year of birth, eye color – but enough do to be confident it was him.

George (34) and Ida (29) appeared in the 1920 census for Rumford, with children Alfred (2) and George (infant). Staying with them was nephew Douglas Webster (22), born in Massachusetts.

[John Douglas Webster, the son of Mary Jane Gallant Webster, was the clue that first led to George’s family. His appearance in the census indicated that George had an older sister who married someone named Webster and lived in Massachusetts. That was enough for a productive search.]

The 1930 census for Rumford listed George (38 – wrong) and Ida (40), with children Alfred (12), George (10), John (9), Edward (7), Clarence (5), Ernest (3¾), and Doris (10 months). It said George was born in Massachusetts, which, like his age, is not correct. It also says that his father was from French Canada and his mother from English Canada, which seems like a pointless bit of hair-splitting if you’re not from there yourself.

The 1940 census for Rumford listed George Gallant (53), steam fitter; Ida (50); and nine of their ten children: George (20), John (19), Edward (17), Clarence (15), Ernest (13), Doris (11), Rita (9), Walter (8), and Ida (5).

The 1950 census didn’t find the family. It did list “no one at home” for numerous Rumford addresses.

George and Mary Ida are buried in St. John’s Cemetery, Rumford, Oxford County, Maine in the southeastern part of the cemetery, along with four of their seven sons. Many other Gallant families are also in St. John’s.

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