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FAMILY

On the 22nd of August 1679, at L'Isle-aux-Grues or at L'Islet-sur-Mer, Damien then 32 years of age married Jeanne Savonnet (sometime written Savonet or Sauvenier). Jeanne, daughter of Jacques and of Antoinette (Thoinette) Babilotte, originated from Paris and she was 29 years old.

Jeanne is the widow of Jean Soucy dit La Vigne. She already had 4 children. She will have another 6 children with Damien:(1) (2) Jeanne-Marguerite, Pierre, Ignace, Marie-Josephte, Thérèse and Mathurin, born posthumous.

Damien died on the 7th of March 1688, followed on the next day by two of his daughters, Thérèse and Marie, under circumstances still unknown. They may have been victims of the smallpox epidemic which decimated the New-France during that year.

Death certificate

The transcript of the death certificate, found below, is based on the reproduction published in the bulletin La Source de "L'Association des familles Soucy inc."(4) Father Pierre de Francheville, missionary-priest at Rivière-Ouelle in 1685 to 1691,(5) omitted to sign it.

Anno Domini 1688 7^a martii obiit Damianus barubé omnibus sacramentis ecclesie premunitus sepultusque et octavo die eiusdem mensis prope patrum sepultus teresa barubé duorum annorum item maria barubé eius soror quinque annorum circiter

English translation:

In the year of our Lord 1688, on the 7th of March Damien Bérubé died and was buried having been provided with all of the sacraments of the Church and on the 8th of the same month, near their father, buried were Thérèse Bérubé, two years of age, as well as Marie Bérubé, her sister, of about 5 years of age.(6)

Jeanne and Damien rest in the parish cemetery of Rivière-Ouelle.

In 1988, Bérubé descendants erected a monument in the cemetery in honour of Damien.

(Clik to enlarge)

(1)	The number of children in the Tome I "Les Berube d'hier et d'aujourd'hui" at p. 36, was inspired by the data of Tanguay Dictionary ("Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes", 1871, p. 49). A seventh child was added by the name of Marie, a name which can be found in the death certificate of Damien. She must have been born in 1683, the same year as Ignace, as she was around 5 years old in 1688. On the other hand, Jetté mentions six children in its "Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec", published in 1983 (p. 96). In fact, it seems that the Marie named in the death certificate is Marie-Josephe as we can not find any trace of her after 1688 and furthermore, in 1708, the land belonging to Jeanne was divided amongst four Berube children: Jeanne-Marguerite, Pierre, Ignace and Mathurin. We also find this addition in the article "Décès de Jeanne Savonnet le 12 mars 1721" in "La Source", August 2004, p. 70, where it is written that she had seven children with Damien.
(2)	"La concession de Damien Bérubé et de ses descendants" Les Bérubé d'hier et d'aujourd'hui, Tome I, Association des familles Bérubé, Québec, 1988 p. 40.
(3)	Hudon, Paul-Henri, "Le jeune homme et la veuve", Les Bérubé d'hier et d'aujourd'hui Tome I, Association des familles Bérubé, Québec, 1988 p. 36.
(4)	Soucy-Roberge, Monique, Acte de sépulture de Damien Bérubé incluant Marie-Josèphe et Thérèse Bérubé du 7 mars 1988, La Source, août 2004, p. 43.
(5)	Le Canada ecclésiastique 1918, paroisse de Rivière-Ouelle.
(6)	Transcription by Monique Soucy-Roberge, member of the "Association des familles Soucy inc.", in collaboration with Roland Roy, AFB inc. English translation by Richard.