The Chiasson Story

Mabel Chiasson's family (Joe, Jeanette, Evone & Doris' mother) can be traced back as far as 1660 when Guyon Chiasson traveled with his wife, Jeanne Bernard, from LaRochelle, France, to Canada in the King of France's efforts to establish a "new" France. Guyon was the son of Marie Peroche' and Pierre Chiasson and Jeanne was the daughter of Antoine Bernard and Andrea Guyon. Those from France who established homes in Canada were considered Acadians.

Many generations later your Grandma was born to Andre' Chiasson & Beatrice Hache' in St. Raphael on Lameque Island, New Brunswick, Canada. She was the 3rd of 6 children. Story is that Mabel was not able to attend school and stayed home to help her mother. As a result she became an extraordinary baker and cook.

Mabel was raised as a devote Catholic. Her religious beliefs were the foundation of choices she made for her life. When she left home at a young age she worked as both a "nanny" & baker/cook. By the 1930s she secured a job as a cook in a lumber camp in Dalhousie, New Brunswick. This is where she met and fell in love with your Grandfather, Jim Landry.

James (Jim) Landry was from a family of 16 who were also considered Acadians as well as devote Catholics. The Landry clan were landowners and farmed on the shore off the Bay of Chelure in Carleton, Quebec. Both the Landrys & Chiassons were happy with the planned union so they married in February of 1932. Within the first year, following French tradition, their first child, Joe, was born.

By 1934 work was hard to find and the size of the Landry family did not allow for all offspring to work the land. Subsequently James and his brother, Felix, found employment with Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan. A move to the United States was planned, despite Mabel being pregnant with their 2nd child, Jeanette.

The green card immigrants settled in Detroit amongst a group of French Canadians. Grandma taught herself to speak English and their children were raised in the "American" way. They had a 3rd child, Evone, who was born in 1941 and their 4th, Doris, in 1948. James' health became of concern in 1950 and he never fully embraced doctor's orders to take better care of his heart. Subsequently, he died in 1954. Mabel overcame this tragedy and married Leslie Lew who had also been widowed, was a member of the same church congregation and lived 2 city blocks away.

Mabel & Leslie Lew were married 34 years. They enjoyed living just 5 houses away from St. Peter & Paul in Detroit, which allowed them to surround themselves with church activities. They retired together and enjoyed senior living. Leslie died in 1989 at age 88 and Mabel's dementia began to be of concern. After 10 years of living alone she moved to Hartland Assisted Living in 1998 where she was cared for by the best. Mabel died peacefully, one month shy of turning 96, surrounded by

family & caregivers.

...And her story lives on through her many offspring.