Elizabeth Ann VALLENCOURT

• Born: May 31, 1868, Decator, Van Buren, MI

• Married: March 31, 1889, Wexford County

• Died: November 23, 1916, Harlen, Michigan

Marriage Information:

Elizabeth married Wilbert DeWitt KENDALL,, son of William DeWitt  KENDALL and Bethany KING.

General Notes:

Elizabeth's parents moved from Decator, Michigan, southwest of Kalamazoo, to a farm in Harlan, Michigan, Wexford County. Elizabeth was 11 years old. She was left with the Evans family, who owned a large farm. There she learned housekeeping skills and attended school until she was 14 years old, and then joined her family in Harlan.

One story told about her life at school, is that she was nick-named "Canuck" for being French Canadian. Some boys threatened to push her off a foot bridge over a swamp she had to cross on her way home. She was so scared she hid in some bushes at the entrance of the bridge until dark, until Mr. Evans and a neighbor came with lanterns searching for her (.to her relief and all involved). [As told by her daughter, Lida, Orin's sister].

As most young women of her acquaintance in the 1880's, whose families were farmers, Elizabeth worked as a hired girl for neighboring farmers. Some such families were the Pelziers, Brodricks and the Sears. One requirement she had was that she be treated as a member of the family, not as a servant.

Square dances brought the young people together. Likewise meetings at church. To be popular at the dances one had to know the 'sashays' and the 'do-si-doos' of the caller's routine. At church one brought their own hymn book.

There was some rivalry for the attention of "Bert" Kendall [Wilbert]. Elizabeth related how a disappointed girl friend complained that Mr. Kendall didn't have eyes for anyone but that curly-headed French girl!"

Lida remembers one year the family attended a Christmas program at the school. Elizabeth, her mother, made her and Jessie dresses of plaid design of many bright colors (in the style then) and a low waistline with short pleated skirt. We loved those dresses. Years later Lida still had memory of Elizabeth working to finish those dresses by lamplight so they could wear them to the Christmas program.

Elizabeth always took time in her busy day to rock the baby to sleep in the one large rocking chair they owned. She would sing old time hymns such as Beulah Land, When the Roll is Called up Yonder, and We Shall Gather At the River.

One summer day Elizabeth came in from the garden to find a strange man in the summer kitchen. He was apparently reading the newspaper walls. Elizabeth spoke to get his attention, but failed. She moved around the stove to face him and asked, "Why are you here. What do you want?" Turning about, he shook his finger at her, and said only, "Just a minute, just a minute.", and resumed his gaze at the wall. She then realized that he was not in his right mind and told one of the children to ring the dinner bell to call Wilbert from the field. Meantime, she tried not to disturb the stranger from his interest in the news-papered wall. Before Wilbert returned in haste from the field, a horse-drawn rig and two white-coated men arrived looking for an inmate who had escaped the insane asylum in Traverse City. They were glad to find him, and Elizabeth was relieved of her vigil.

Elizabeth and 'Bert' found much enjoyment among old friends and relatives at Harlan. They would come to visit on Sundays, and the children got to know their cousins.

The telephone on the wall was like the TV to Lida's generation - a necessary part of life. Bert would visit with Mills Watson by the hour. Occasionally Mills would come to visit and bring his fiddle which he played for the dances when young.

(These remembrances are taken from paper written by Lida Kendall Cole on May 31, 1994)

In the fall of 1916 Elizabeth and Wilbert were remodeling the house, with the help of newlyweds Carrie and Hugh Allen, but, winter was approaching and Elizabeth became ill with pneumonia. With a weakened heart, recovery was in doubt. Everyone was overjoyed when Dr. Quinn announced that she had passed the crisis. Carrie and Lida prepared to give Elizabeth a bed bath. Lida was bending to lift her at the head of the bed, while Carrie helped on the other side. Suddenly Elizabeth fell back relapsed into unconsciousness. Elizabeth was gone. Her weakened heart could not survive.

Note from The North Misaukee Parish of United Methodist Church brochure says: Elizabeth VALLENCOURTS' family was from the Mesick area. [Wexford County]