How religious was the family of Joseph and Mary Ann Jesmer?
How religious was the family of Joseph and Mary Ann Jesmer?
These are my great-great grandparents. They are of french Canadian descendant and migrated from upper State New York to Greenbush Township Minnesota in 1867. They were very devout Catholics. Before a church was built in their township, they opened up their house to be a meeting place for the church. When it was time for a church to be built, Joseph donated some his land for a church and cemetery to be built. When two infants died they wrote a Christian epitaph. Mary Ann wanted her faith expressed on her own tomb stone.
They conceded to allow two of their unbaptized babies be buried at the edge of the Greenbush cemetery. On Mary Ann’s tombstone are the words “We are sinners. Jesus Christ have mercy on us. Holy Mary pray for us.” Joseph and MaryAnn lost two children in infancy. Obviously their Catholic faith meant a lot to them. It also shows their faith. They felt that their children, passing on in infancy, was being “blest” by God because they will be with Jesus forever in heaven. On the gravestone they have a popular epitaph which reads, “Happy infant, early blest, rest in peaceful slumber rest”. On Mary Ann’s grave stone the following is written, “We are sinners. Jesus Christ have mercy on us. Holy Mary pray for us.” Joseph A. Jesmer had no religious words at all.
At least two of their grandchildren became nuns (Eugenia’s daughters) and one grandson became a Catholic “Brother” (Hubert’s son).
As of 2014 I know of some descendants of Joseph and Mary Ann are Catholic, United Church, Non denominational Christian, Jehovah’s Witness and some espouse no faith in God at all.
link to the graves of the two babies
Link to the Greenbush Catholic cemetery
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