Donat Joseph Bedard was born on December 11, 1912, in Lotbinière County, Québec, on the south side of the Saint Lawrence River in a small village called Issoudun. The sixth of Hildevert and Rose Anna Bédard's 11 children, he was christened 'Joseph Donat' at the local church (L'Église de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur) by a priest from nearby Saint-Flavien; and his godparents were Léonidas and Rose Anna (Coté) Bédard, his dad's brother and sister-in-law.
Don's parents had met and married in Willimantic, Connecticut at the beginning of the century, where their four eldest children were subsequently born; but in 1908, they moved back to Québec, settling in Lotbinière, and by 1920 the family had grown to include seven more children. In the summer of '23, when Don was a boy of ten, his mom passed away unexpectedly at age 41; and by the end of the year his dad had moved back to Willimantic. Three years later (in early August of '26) Hildevert Bédard remarried, after which he sent for his family; and on August 25, 1926, at age 13, Don immigrated to the U.S., arriving on the Credit Valley Railway at St. Albans, Vermont.
In his youth, Don went to work as a 'velvet weaver' in one of Willimantic's textile mills; and in February of '32, he filed papers in the Windham Superior Court declaring his intention to seek U.S. citizenship. Nearly four years would pass before his application was given a final stamp of approval; and on December 16, 1935, a few days after his 23rd birthday, Donat J. Bedard took the Oath of Allegiance and was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
By 1937, Don had moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he bedded down at 36 Jewelry Street in the city's south end and found employment as a bench operator at the now-defunct American Brass Company. More importantly, however, is that by the close of the decade he had started courting a 19-year-old French gal named Arline Baribault. In early 1939, Don's dad (who had remained in Willimantic) passed away at age 58; and by 1940, Don had moved from Jewelry Street to an apartment at 480 South Main, which he shared with his brother Ray and sister Lucie. He was earning about $30 a week at that time (the equivalent of $550 today); and one might presume that he was splitting the rent with his brother, a mere $16 a month (about $285 today).
In the spring of 1940, Don Bedard and Arline Baribault exchanged wedding vows at Saint Anne's Church in Waterbury, after which the couple took up housekeeping down the street at 699 South Main, not far from Arline's parents. By the early '50s, the Bedards had moved again — to 79 Southview Street, where they remained for a decade or so; and by the early '60s they had quit Waterbury and purchased a home in the Oakville section of Watertown.
In the 1980s, Don's health had started failing; and in the summer of '86, he passed away at age 73. In addition to his beloved wife of 46 years, he was survived by his five children (three sons and two daughters), two daughters-in-law, six grandsons, his two sisters, and three of his eight brothers.
Rest in peace, Monsieur Bédard.
DONAT BEDARD's FAMILY
His Wife:
Arline M. (Baribault) Bedard 1920-2008 [age 87]
married on April 20, 1940
at St. Anne's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut
Note: At the time of Donat's death in 1986, he and Arline had been married 46 years.
Their 5 Children:
► Dianne L. (Bedard) Lappin
► Donald W. 'Don' Bedard 1943-2020 [age 76]255004172
► Francis A. 'Frank' Bedard 1945-2023 [age 77]
► Kathleen D. 'Kathy' (Bedard) Michaud
► Peter J. Bedard
Their Grandson:
Donald W. Bedard, Jr. 1968-1996 [age 27]
His Parents:
Hildevert J. Bédard 1880-1939 [age 58]
and Rose Anna (Bertrand) Bédard 1882-1923 [age 41]
married on January 31, 1903
at Saint Mary's Church in Willimantic, Connecticut
His Stepmother:
Élise 'Alice' (Boucher) Bédard 1888-1943 [age 55]
Notes:
1. Hildevert was christened 'Joseph Hildevert Bédard'. A son of Joseph and Julie (Ferland) Bédard, he was born and baptized on June 30, 1880, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Rose Anna was christened 'Marie Rose Georgiana Bertrand'. A daughter of Napoléon and Georgiana (Robert) Bertrand, she was born on August 20, 1882, and baptized on August 22 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
3. Hildevert Bédard remarried (to Élise Boucher) on August 9, 1926, in Willimantic, Connecticut.
His 10 Siblings:
► Léonard Bedard 1903-1966 [age 62] - place of burial unknown
Léonard was born on November 30, 1903, in Willimantic, Connecticut. He passed away on June 11, 1966, at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci hospital in Montréal, Québec, Canada and was interred at a cemetery in the Vimont district in Laval, Québec (probably Cimetière St-Elzéar, but unconfirmed).
► Wilfred Bedard 1904-1965 [age 60]
► Rosario J. 'Rosie' Bedard 1906-1966 [age 60]
► William Bedard 1907-1996 [age 89]
'Brother William Bedard', Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.), Watertown, New York
William was born on April 4, 1907, in Willimantic, Connecticut, and passed away on November 1, 1996, in Québec, Canada. His place of burial is unknown.
► Antonio A. Bedard 1909-1983 [age 74]
Born on March 22, 1909, in St-Apollinaire, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Antonio was christened 'Joseph Antonio Apollinaire' on March 23 at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur in Issoudun, Lotbinière. He passed away on August 16, 1983, in Beauport, Québec; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Beauport).
► Avila J. 'Pancho' Bedard 1914-1966 [age 52]
► Émile J. Bedard 1915-2003 [age 87]
Born on July 7, 1915, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Émile was christened 'Joseph Émile' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on January 24, 2003, in Waterbury, Connecticut; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury).
► Raymond J. Bedard 1916-1993 [age 76]
Born on July 14, 1916, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Raymond was christened 'Joseph Raymond' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on March 12, 1993, in Kemah, Texas; but his place of burial is unknown.
► Rosa M. Bedard 1918-2012 [age 94]
'Sœur Lucie de l'Immaculée' of La Présentation de Marie in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
► Lucie A. (Bedard) Beaudoin 1920-2005 [age 85]
His Grandparents:
► Joseph F. Bédard 1856-1926 [age 70]
and Julie E. (Ferland) Bédard 1850-1927 [age 76]
married on July 17, 1876
at L'Église de St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Joseph was christened 'Joseph Flavien Bédard'. A son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie Adélaïde (Desrochers) Bédard, he was born and baptized on April 18, 1856, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Julie was christened 'Marie Julie Esther Ferland'. A daughter of Abraham and Esther (Roger) Ferland, she was born and baptized on November 14, 1850, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
► Napoléon L. Bertrand 1858-1936 [age 77]
and Georgiana A. (Robert) Bertrand 1864-1933 [age 68]
married on October 25, 1881
at L'Église de St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Napoléon was christened 'Joseph Louis Napoléon Bertrand'. A son of Vital and Amable (Robert) Bertrand, he was born on March 24, 1858, and baptized on March 26 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
2. Georgiana was christened 'Georgiana Adelphine Robert'. A daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Adelphine (Gingras) Robert, she was born on April 1, 1864, and baptized on April 3 at St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
CEMETERY INFORMATION
Type of Marker: Headstone (monument)
Location:
Don and his wife Arline are buried in Section 7 — just a short distance from the flagpole. Easy to find. This is a four-grave plot with the family name (BEDARD) engraved on both sides of the monument; but Don and Arline are buried on the backside of the monument. [Their son's name (Peter) is engraved on the side facing the road.]
Directions:
Enter the cemetery from Platt Road; bear right and drive around the flagpole island; then take the first righthand turn, pull up about 50 feet, and park. The Bedard plot is in the section off to your left, the second row back from the road (just to the left of the locust tree).
Click 'Show Map' in the Burial information at the top of this page; then switch it to 'Satellite View'. The Bedard plot is pinpointed with a red icon.
Don's parents had met and married in Willimantic, Connecticut at the beginning of the century, where their four eldest children were subsequently born; but in 1908, they moved back to Québec, settling in Lotbinière, and by 1920 the family had grown to include seven more children. In the summer of '23, when Don was a boy of ten, his mom passed away unexpectedly at age 41; and by the end of the year his dad had moved back to Willimantic. Three years later (in early August of '26) Hildevert Bédard remarried, after which he sent for his family; and on August 25, 1926, at age 13, Don immigrated to the U.S., arriving on the Credit Valley Railway at St. Albans, Vermont.
In his youth, Don went to work as a 'velvet weaver' in one of Willimantic's textile mills; and in February of '32, he filed papers in the Windham Superior Court declaring his intention to seek U.S. citizenship. Nearly four years would pass before his application was given a final stamp of approval; and on December 16, 1935, a few days after his 23rd birthday, Donat J. Bedard took the Oath of Allegiance and was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
By 1937, Don had moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he bedded down at 36 Jewelry Street in the city's south end and found employment as a bench operator at the now-defunct American Brass Company. More importantly, however, is that by the close of the decade he had started courting a 19-year-old French gal named Arline Baribault. In early 1939, Don's dad (who had remained in Willimantic) passed away at age 58; and by 1940, Don had moved from Jewelry Street to an apartment at 480 South Main, which he shared with his brother Ray and sister Lucie. He was earning about $30 a week at that time (the equivalent of $550 today); and one might presume that he was splitting the rent with his brother, a mere $16 a month (about $285 today).
In the spring of 1940, Don Bedard and Arline Baribault exchanged wedding vows at Saint Anne's Church in Waterbury, after which the couple took up housekeeping down the street at 699 South Main, not far from Arline's parents. By the early '50s, the Bedards had moved again — to 79 Southview Street, where they remained for a decade or so; and by the early '60s they had quit Waterbury and purchased a home in the Oakville section of Watertown.
In the 1980s, Don's health had started failing; and in the summer of '86, he passed away at age 73. In addition to his beloved wife of 46 years, he was survived by his five children (three sons and two daughters), two daughters-in-law, six grandsons, his two sisters, and three of his eight brothers.
Rest in peace, Monsieur Bédard.
DONAT BEDARD's FAMILY
His Wife:
Arline M. (Baribault) Bedard 1920-2008 [age 87]
married on April 20, 1940
at St. Anne's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut
Note: At the time of Donat's death in 1986, he and Arline had been married 46 years.
Their 5 Children:
► Dianne L. (Bedard) Lappin
► Donald W. 'Don' Bedard 1943-2020 [age 76]255004172
► Francis A. 'Frank' Bedard 1945-2023 [age 77]
► Kathleen D. 'Kathy' (Bedard) Michaud
► Peter J. Bedard
Their Grandson:
Donald W. Bedard, Jr. 1968-1996 [age 27]
His Parents:
Hildevert J. Bédard 1880-1939 [age 58]
and Rose Anna (Bertrand) Bédard 1882-1923 [age 41]
married on January 31, 1903
at Saint Mary's Church in Willimantic, Connecticut
His Stepmother:
Élise 'Alice' (Boucher) Bédard 1888-1943 [age 55]
Notes:
1. Hildevert was christened 'Joseph Hildevert Bédard'. A son of Joseph and Julie (Ferland) Bédard, he was born and baptized on June 30, 1880, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Rose Anna was christened 'Marie Rose Georgiana Bertrand'. A daughter of Napoléon and Georgiana (Robert) Bertrand, she was born on August 20, 1882, and baptized on August 22 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
3. Hildevert Bédard remarried (to Élise Boucher) on August 9, 1926, in Willimantic, Connecticut.
His 10 Siblings:
► Léonard Bedard 1903-1966 [age 62] - place of burial unknown
Léonard was born on November 30, 1903, in Willimantic, Connecticut. He passed away on June 11, 1966, at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci hospital in Montréal, Québec, Canada and was interred at a cemetery in the Vimont district in Laval, Québec (probably Cimetière St-Elzéar, but unconfirmed).
► Wilfred Bedard 1904-1965 [age 60]
► Rosario J. 'Rosie' Bedard 1906-1966 [age 60]
► William Bedard 1907-1996 [age 89]
'Brother William Bedard', Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.), Watertown, New York
William was born on April 4, 1907, in Willimantic, Connecticut, and passed away on November 1, 1996, in Québec, Canada. His place of burial is unknown.
► Antonio A. Bedard 1909-1983 [age 74]
Born on March 22, 1909, in St-Apollinaire, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Antonio was christened 'Joseph Antonio Apollinaire' on March 23 at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur in Issoudun, Lotbinière. He passed away on August 16, 1983, in Beauport, Québec; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Beauport).
► Avila J. 'Pancho' Bedard 1914-1966 [age 52]
► Émile J. Bedard 1915-2003 [age 87]
Born on July 7, 1915, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Émile was christened 'Joseph Émile' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on January 24, 2003, in Waterbury, Connecticut; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury).
► Raymond J. Bedard 1916-1993 [age 76]
Born on July 14, 1916, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Raymond was christened 'Joseph Raymond' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on March 12, 1993, in Kemah, Texas; but his place of burial is unknown.
► Rosa M. Bedard 1918-2012 [age 94]
'Sœur Lucie de l'Immaculée' of La Présentation de Marie in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
► Lucie A. (Bedard) Beaudoin 1920-2005 [age 85]
His Grandparents:
► Joseph F. Bédard 1856-1926 [age 70]
and Julie E. (Ferland) Bédard 1850-1927 [age 76]
married on July 17, 1876
at L'Église de St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Joseph was christened 'Joseph Flavien Bédard'. A son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie Adélaïde (Desrochers) Bédard, he was born and baptized on April 18, 1856, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Julie was christened 'Marie Julie Esther Ferland'. A daughter of Abraham and Esther (Roger) Ferland, she was born and baptized on November 14, 1850, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
► Napoléon L. Bertrand 1858-1936 [age 77]
and Georgiana A. (Robert) Bertrand 1864-1933 [age 68]
married on October 25, 1881
at L'Église de St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Napoléon was christened 'Joseph Louis Napoléon Bertrand'. A son of Vital and Amable (Robert) Bertrand, he was born on March 24, 1858, and baptized on March 26 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
2. Georgiana was christened 'Georgiana Adelphine Robert'. A daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Adelphine (Gingras) Robert, she was born on April 1, 1864, and baptized on April 3 at St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
CEMETERY INFORMATION
Type of Marker: Headstone (monument)
Location:
Don and his wife Arline are buried in Section 7 — just a short distance from the flagpole. Easy to find. This is a four-grave plot with the family name (BEDARD) engraved on both sides of the monument; but Don and Arline are buried on the backside of the monument. [Their son's name (Peter) is engraved on the side facing the road.]
Directions:
Enter the cemetery from Platt Road; bear right and drive around the flagpole island; then take the first righthand turn, pull up about 50 feet, and park. The Bedard plot is in the section off to your left, the second row back from the road (just to the left of the locust tree).
Click 'Show Map' in the Burial information at the top of this page; then switch it to 'Satellite View'. The Bedard plot is pinpointed with a red icon.
Donat Joseph Bedard was born on December 11, 1912, in Lotbinière County, Québec, on the south side of the Saint Lawrence River in a small village called Issoudun. The sixth of Hildevert and Rose Anna Bédard's 11 children, he was christened 'Joseph Donat' at the local church (L'Église de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur) by a priest from nearby Saint-Flavien; and his godparents were Léonidas and Rose Anna (Coté) Bédard, his dad's brother and sister-in-law.
Don's parents had met and married in Willimantic, Connecticut at the beginning of the century, where their four eldest children were subsequently born; but in 1908, they moved back to Québec, settling in Lotbinière, and by 1920 the family had grown to include seven more children. In the summer of '23, when Don was a boy of ten, his mom passed away unexpectedly at age 41; and by the end of the year his dad had moved back to Willimantic. Three years later (in early August of '26) Hildevert Bédard remarried, after which he sent for his family; and on August 25, 1926, at age 13, Don immigrated to the U.S., arriving on the Credit Valley Railway at St. Albans, Vermont.
In his youth, Don went to work as a 'velvet weaver' in one of Willimantic's textile mills; and in February of '32, he filed papers in the Windham Superior Court declaring his intention to seek U.S. citizenship. Nearly four years would pass before his application was given a final stamp of approval; and on December 16, 1935, a few days after his 23rd birthday, Donat J. Bedard took the Oath of Allegiance and was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
By 1937, Don had moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he bedded down at 36 Jewelry Street in the city's south end and found employment as a bench operator at the now-defunct American Brass Company. More importantly, however, is that by the close of the decade he had started courting a 19-year-old French gal named Arline Baribault. In early 1939, Don's dad (who had remained in Willimantic) passed away at age 58; and by 1940, Don had moved from Jewelry Street to an apartment at 480 South Main, which he shared with his brother Ray and sister Lucie. He was earning about $30 a week at that time (the equivalent of $550 today); and one might presume that he was splitting the rent with his brother, a mere $16 a month (about $285 today).
In the spring of 1940, Don Bedard and Arline Baribault exchanged wedding vows at Saint Anne's Church in Waterbury, after which the couple took up housekeeping down the street at 699 South Main, not far from Arline's parents. By the early '50s, the Bedards had moved again — to 79 Southview Street, where they remained for a decade or so; and by the early '60s they had quit Waterbury and purchased a home in the Oakville section of Watertown.
In the 1980s, Don's health had started failing; and in the summer of '86, he passed away at age 73. In addition to his beloved wife of 46 years, he was survived by his five children (three sons and two daughters), two daughters-in-law, six grandsons, his two sisters, and three of his eight brothers.
Rest in peace, Monsieur Bédard.
DONAT BEDARD's FAMILY
His Wife:
Arline M. (Baribault) Bedard 1920-2008 [age 87]
married on April 20, 1940
at St. Anne's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut
Note: At the time of Donat's death in 1986, he and Arline had been married 46 years.
Their 5 Children:
► Dianne L. (Bedard) Lappin
► Donald W. 'Don' Bedard 1943-2020 [age 76]255004172
► Francis A. 'Frank' Bedard 1945-2023 [age 77]
► Kathleen D. 'Kathy' (Bedard) Michaud
► Peter J. Bedard
Their Grandson:
Donald W. Bedard, Jr. 1968-1996 [age 27]
His Parents:
Hildevert J. Bédard 1880-1939 [age 58]
and Rose Anna (Bertrand) Bédard 1882-1923 [age 41]
married on January 31, 1903
at Saint Mary's Church in Willimantic, Connecticut
His Stepmother:
Élise 'Alice' (Boucher) Bédard 1888-1943 [age 55]
Notes:
1. Hildevert was christened 'Joseph Hildevert Bédard'. A son of Joseph and Julie (Ferland) Bédard, he was born and baptized on June 30, 1880, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Rose Anna was christened 'Marie Rose Georgiana Bertrand'. A daughter of Napoléon and Georgiana (Robert) Bertrand, she was born on August 20, 1882, and baptized on August 22 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
3. Hildevert Bédard remarried (to Élise Boucher) on August 9, 1926, in Willimantic, Connecticut.
His 10 Siblings:
► Léonard Bedard 1903-1966 [age 62] - place of burial unknown
Léonard was born on November 30, 1903, in Willimantic, Connecticut. He passed away on June 11, 1966, at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci hospital in Montréal, Québec, Canada and was interred at a cemetery in the Vimont district in Laval, Québec (probably Cimetière St-Elzéar, but unconfirmed).
► Wilfred Bedard 1904-1965 [age 60]
► Rosario J. 'Rosie' Bedard 1906-1966 [age 60]
► William Bedard 1907-1996 [age 89]
'Brother William Bedard', Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.), Watertown, New York
William was born on April 4, 1907, in Willimantic, Connecticut, and passed away on November 1, 1996, in Québec, Canada. His place of burial is unknown.
► Antonio A. Bedard 1909-1983 [age 74]
Born on March 22, 1909, in St-Apollinaire, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Antonio was christened 'Joseph Antonio Apollinaire' on March 23 at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur in Issoudun, Lotbinière. He passed away on August 16, 1983, in Beauport, Québec; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Beauport).
► Avila J. 'Pancho' Bedard 1914-1966 [age 52]
► Émile J. Bedard 1915-2003 [age 87]
Born on July 7, 1915, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Émile was christened 'Joseph Émile' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on January 24, 2003, in Waterbury, Connecticut; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury).
► Raymond J. Bedard 1916-1993 [age 76]
Born on July 14, 1916, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Raymond was christened 'Joseph Raymond' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on March 12, 1993, in Kemah, Texas; but his place of burial is unknown.
► Rosa M. Bedard 1918-2012 [age 94]
'Sœur Lucie de l'Immaculée' of La Présentation de Marie in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
► Lucie A. (Bedard) Beaudoin 1920-2005 [age 85]
His Grandparents:
► Joseph F. Bédard 1856-1926 [age 70]
and Julie E. (Ferland) Bédard 1850-1927 [age 76]
married on July 17, 1876
at L'Église de St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Joseph was christened 'Joseph Flavien Bédard'. A son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie Adélaïde (Desrochers) Bédard, he was born and baptized on April 18, 1856, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Julie was christened 'Marie Julie Esther Ferland'. A daughter of Abraham and Esther (Roger) Ferland, she was born and baptized on November 14, 1850, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
► Napoléon L. Bertrand 1858-1936 [age 77]
and Georgiana A. (Robert) Bertrand 1864-1933 [age 68]
married on October 25, 1881
at L'Église de St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Napoléon was christened 'Joseph Louis Napoléon Bertrand'. A son of Vital and Amable (Robert) Bertrand, he was born on March 24, 1858, and baptized on March 26 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
2. Georgiana was christened 'Georgiana Adelphine Robert'. A daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Adelphine (Gingras) Robert, she was born on April 1, 1864, and baptized on April 3 at St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
CEMETERY INFORMATION
Type of Marker: Headstone (monument)
Location:
Don and his wife Arline are buried in Section 7 — just a short distance from the flagpole. Easy to find. This is a four-grave plot with the family name (BEDARD) engraved on both sides of the monument; but Don and Arline are buried on the backside of the monument. [Their son's name (Peter) is engraved on the side facing the road.]
Directions:
Enter the cemetery from Platt Road; bear right and drive around the flagpole island; then take the first righthand turn, pull up about 50 feet, and park. The Bedard plot is in the section off to your left, the second row back from the road (just to the left of the locust tree).
Click 'Show Map' in the Burial information at the top of this page; then switch it to 'Satellite View'. The Bedard plot is pinpointed with a red icon.
Don's parents had met and married in Willimantic, Connecticut at the beginning of the century, where their four eldest children were subsequently born; but in 1908, they moved back to Québec, settling in Lotbinière, and by 1920 the family had grown to include seven more children. In the summer of '23, when Don was a boy of ten, his mom passed away unexpectedly at age 41; and by the end of the year his dad had moved back to Willimantic. Three years later (in early August of '26) Hildevert Bédard remarried, after which he sent for his family; and on August 25, 1926, at age 13, Don immigrated to the U.S., arriving on the Credit Valley Railway at St. Albans, Vermont.
In his youth, Don went to work as a 'velvet weaver' in one of Willimantic's textile mills; and in February of '32, he filed papers in the Windham Superior Court declaring his intention to seek U.S. citizenship. Nearly four years would pass before his application was given a final stamp of approval; and on December 16, 1935, a few days after his 23rd birthday, Donat J. Bedard took the Oath of Allegiance and was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
By 1937, Don had moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where he bedded down at 36 Jewelry Street in the city's south end and found employment as a bench operator at the now-defunct American Brass Company. More importantly, however, is that by the close of the decade he had started courting a 19-year-old French gal named Arline Baribault. In early 1939, Don's dad (who had remained in Willimantic) passed away at age 58; and by 1940, Don had moved from Jewelry Street to an apartment at 480 South Main, which he shared with his brother Ray and sister Lucie. He was earning about $30 a week at that time (the equivalent of $550 today); and one might presume that he was splitting the rent with his brother, a mere $16 a month (about $285 today).
In the spring of 1940, Don Bedard and Arline Baribault exchanged wedding vows at Saint Anne's Church in Waterbury, after which the couple took up housekeeping down the street at 699 South Main, not far from Arline's parents. By the early '50s, the Bedards had moved again — to 79 Southview Street, where they remained for a decade or so; and by the early '60s they had quit Waterbury and purchased a home in the Oakville section of Watertown.
In the 1980s, Don's health had started failing; and in the summer of '86, he passed away at age 73. In addition to his beloved wife of 46 years, he was survived by his five children (three sons and two daughters), two daughters-in-law, six grandsons, his two sisters, and three of his eight brothers.
Rest in peace, Monsieur Bédard.
DONAT BEDARD's FAMILY
His Wife:
Arline M. (Baribault) Bedard 1920-2008 [age 87]
married on April 20, 1940
at St. Anne's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut
Note: At the time of Donat's death in 1986, he and Arline had been married 46 years.
Their 5 Children:
► Dianne L. (Bedard) Lappin
► Donald W. 'Don' Bedard 1943-2020 [age 76]255004172
► Francis A. 'Frank' Bedard 1945-2023 [age 77]
► Kathleen D. 'Kathy' (Bedard) Michaud
► Peter J. Bedard
Their Grandson:
Donald W. Bedard, Jr. 1968-1996 [age 27]
His Parents:
Hildevert J. Bédard 1880-1939 [age 58]
and Rose Anna (Bertrand) Bédard 1882-1923 [age 41]
married on January 31, 1903
at Saint Mary's Church in Willimantic, Connecticut
His Stepmother:
Élise 'Alice' (Boucher) Bédard 1888-1943 [age 55]
Notes:
1. Hildevert was christened 'Joseph Hildevert Bédard'. A son of Joseph and Julie (Ferland) Bédard, he was born and baptized on June 30, 1880, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Rose Anna was christened 'Marie Rose Georgiana Bertrand'. A daughter of Napoléon and Georgiana (Robert) Bertrand, she was born on August 20, 1882, and baptized on August 22 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
3. Hildevert Bédard remarried (to Élise Boucher) on August 9, 1926, in Willimantic, Connecticut.
His 10 Siblings:
► Léonard Bedard 1903-1966 [age 62] - place of burial unknown
Léonard was born on November 30, 1903, in Willimantic, Connecticut. He passed away on June 11, 1966, at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci hospital in Montréal, Québec, Canada and was interred at a cemetery in the Vimont district in Laval, Québec (probably Cimetière St-Elzéar, but unconfirmed).
► Wilfred Bedard 1904-1965 [age 60]
► Rosario J. 'Rosie' Bedard 1906-1966 [age 60]
► William Bedard 1907-1996 [age 89]
'Brother William Bedard', Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.), Watertown, New York
William was born on April 4, 1907, in Willimantic, Connecticut, and passed away on November 1, 1996, in Québec, Canada. His place of burial is unknown.
► Antonio A. Bedard 1909-1983 [age 74]
Born on March 22, 1909, in St-Apollinaire, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Antonio was christened 'Joseph Antonio Apollinaire' on March 23 at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur in Issoudun, Lotbinière. He passed away on August 16, 1983, in Beauport, Québec; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Beauport).
► Avila J. 'Pancho' Bedard 1914-1966 [age 52]
► Émile J. Bedard 1915-2003 [age 87]
Born on July 7, 1915, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Émile was christened 'Joseph Émile' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on January 24, 2003, in Waterbury, Connecticut; but his place of burial is unknown (presumably in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury).
► Raymond J. Bedard 1916-1993 [age 76]
Born on July 14, 1916, in Issoudun, Lotbinière, Québec, Canada, Raymond was christened 'Joseph Raymond' at Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur. He passed away on March 12, 1993, in Kemah, Texas; but his place of burial is unknown.
► Rosa M. Bedard 1918-2012 [age 94]
'Sœur Lucie de l'Immaculée' of La Présentation de Marie in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
► Lucie A. (Bedard) Beaudoin 1920-2005 [age 85]
His Grandparents:
► Joseph F. Bédard 1856-1926 [age 70]
and Julie E. (Ferland) Bédard 1850-1927 [age 76]
married on July 17, 1876
at L'Église de St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Joseph was christened 'Joseph Flavien Bédard'. A son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie Adélaïde (Desrochers) Bédard, he was born and baptized on April 18, 1856, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
2. Julie was christened 'Marie Julie Esther Ferland'. A daughter of Abraham and Esther (Roger) Ferland, she was born and baptized on November 14, 1850, at St-Antoine-de-Tilly in Lotbinière, Québec, Canada.
► Napoléon L. Bertrand 1858-1936 [age 77]
and Georgiana A. (Robert) Bertrand 1864-1933 [age 68]
married on October 25, 1881
at L'Église de St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada
Notes:
1. Napoléon was christened 'Joseph Louis Napoléon Bertrand'. A son of Vital and Amable (Robert) Bertrand, he was born on March 24, 1858, and baptized on March 26 at Ste-Marie-de-Monnoir in Marieville de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
2. Georgiana was christened 'Georgiana Adelphine Robert'. A daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Adelphine (Gingras) Robert, she was born on April 1, 1864, and baptized on April 3 at St-Ange-Gardien in L'Ange-Gardien de Rouville, Québec, Canada.
CEMETERY INFORMATION
Type of Marker: Headstone (monument)
Location:
Don and his wife Arline are buried in Section 7 — just a short distance from the flagpole. Easy to find. This is a four-grave plot with the family name (BEDARD) engraved on both sides of the monument; but Don and Arline are buried on the backside of the monument. [Their son's name (Peter) is engraved on the side facing the road.]
Directions:
Enter the cemetery from Platt Road; bear right and drive around the flagpole island; then take the first righthand turn, pull up about 50 feet, and park. The Bedard plot is in the section off to your left, the second row back from the road (just to the left of the locust tree).
Click 'Show Map' in the Burial information at the top of this page; then switch it to 'Satellite View'. The Bedard plot is pinpointed with a red icon.
Inscription
BEDARD
DAD
DONAT
DEC. 11, 1912
AUG. 16, 1986
Family Members
Siblings
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Léonard Bédard
1903–1966
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Wilfred Bedard
1904–1965
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Rosario Bedard
1906–1966
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Frère William Bédard
1907–1996
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Joseph-Antonio-Apollinaire Bédard
1909–1983
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Avila J. "Pancho" Bedard
1914–1966
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Émile Joseph Bedard
1915–2003
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Raymond J Bedard
1916–1993
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Rosa M. Bédard
1918–2012
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Lucie Aurore Bedard Beaudoin
1920–2005
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