Flavien and
Zelia Croteau
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On February 14, 1872 Flavien married Zelia Filteau, the daughter of Antoine Filteau and Marie Cecile Pandelet dite Plaissance, who was also from Canada. They were married by Father P.F. Glenn at the St. Peter's Church in Mendota, MN. The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Besnier and Zelia’s sister Zeniade Filteau.
Flavien and Zelia’s first child Josephine Croteau was born in November of 1873. She was baptized on January 3, 1874 at St. Peter’s Church. Lucina was born on February 2, 1875 and then the next year, on December 25, 1876 twin boys, Anthime and Emile were born. The two boys were baptized together at St. Peter’s Church the next day. Joseph was born October 17, 1879 followed by Albert on August 7, 1880 and three years later their daughter Octavie was born in 1883. Adele Croteau, Flavien’s sister was living with them helpinh with housework.
Flavien’s sister, Adele Croteau, an unmarried woman, had already fulfilled the requirements under the Homestead Act and was awarded the Patent for her land, the SE ¼ of Section 22 in the Baxter Township in 1895. One of the three schools in the Baxter Township was in a building on Adele’s land and became known in the Clerk's Records of St. John School as the "Croteau School" - serving District No. 3 of sections 19 through 36. In April of 1889 a meeting of the school board resulted in the purchase of this land from Adele. Flavien was well associated with the schools of the Baxter township. At first his involvement was limited to providing material and labor for various building projects. He supplied the schools with firewood for heating and also arrived early in times of cold to light fires to keep the students warm. The Clerks "Record of Warrants Drawn" on the account of the St. John School listed many payments to "John" Croteau. Flavien worked hard to ensure his children an education. In the 1892 School Officers Election he was elected Director of the school board for a term of 3 years. On June 29, 1891 he received the patent for his land meaning he now owned the land with exception to any mineral and forestry rights. For $14 Flavien and Zelia had secured their claim to their 2 quarters of land. Their 7th daughter Angeline was born January 3, 1892. They mortgaged their property on October 10, 1892 for $450 worth of promissory notes from the Middlesex Banking Company of Minnesota. This allowed them to buy much needed farm equipment to bolster their farm. Two years later, on May 27, 1893, they lost the title to their land. Having defaulted on their mortgage the County Sheriff seized the land for a public auction in front of the Rolla Post Office. The couple then moved onto land in Section 22 which was owned by Adele, Flavien’s sister. Her farm was located just south of the present location of the Holy Cross Cemetery outside the Village of St. John, ND. January 24, 1894 marked the birth of another daughter, Evelyn. On October 29, 1894 Flavien received his US Citizenship in the Dakota's after completing the 2nd stage at the District Court of County of Rolette, the name on his certificate was John Croteau. Leonie Croteau was born October 23, 1895 and she would later grow up and marry local lawman, Sherrif Frank Fitzharris. A son, Henri, was born two years later on April 8, 1897 and was followed by the last child of Flavien and Zelia, Marie who was born on April 20, 1899.
Flavien and Zelia moved to Thorne, just outside Rolla and soon after on April 16, 1926 Flavien died at the age of 80 from complications related to his asthma. Zelia moved back to Rolla and lived with a daughter until her death in 1946. The couple is buried in a family plot in the Holy Cross Cemetery near St. John that includes the graves of their children Alice and Alfred Croteau, Josephine Jalbert, and Angeline St. Louis, Henry and Ernestine Croteau and also Flavien's mother Eleonore Meunier dit Lagasse. |
Flavien worked as a laborer for several years in and
around Mendota and then found a new job with the Northern Pacific
Railway as it expanded westward from Minneapolis into the Dakota
Territory. He declared his intention to become a Citizen of the United
States on November 6, 1876 in the neighboring Ramsey County Court.
Flavien could not write so the Court Recorder penned in the name "John
Croteau," just below the "X" which Flavien had marked. The name "John"
appears in all of his dealings with the United States government.
The couple decided to move to the Dakota Territory and try
to secure a homestead. They arrived in the small community of St. John,
North Dakota around 1883 to a small patch of land in Section 12 of the
Baxter Township. Soon they built a log home of poplar and oak. In
December of 1883 their daughter Octavie was born. Later 3 additions
were made as well as a log stable and grainery. Hard work planting
crops yielded a harvest in 1884 of potatoes, turnips, and other
vegetables from one acre of land.
Religion was an integral part of
the children's upbringing and was very important to Zelia, who taught
all of her sons their Catechism. At the St. Claude Chapel her twin sons
Anthime and Emile were the first alter boys. Zelia’s sister, a nun in
an Order of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul, MN, often came out to
the Dakotas to teach and would visit Zelia’s children bringing them
gifts of religious medallions.
In 1911 Flavien's son Albert acquired his Aunt Adele
Croteau’s land in Section 22 and later sold it to his parents. Zelia
and Flavien adopted a daughter, Saraphine Gagnon, whose parents had
died. Saraphine’s mother and Zelia’s mother were relatives. Zelia was
her Godmother.