- Callixte Amedee Labossiere was born May 6, 1893 at St. Leon, Manitoba to Amedee Labossiere, and Marie Anne Chretien. His forenames appear to be Callixte Amedee from his baptism certificate, but by the time he signed up for WWI, he was using Amedee Calixte thus reversing his forenames.
His father, also, Amedee, was killed in an accident about four months before Amedee was born, so he entered life with only one parent. He attended school and grew up in St. Leon and Somerset, but moved to Winnipegby about 1911.
1901 Canada Census image z000015380 Manitoba Lisgar District C2 Lorne Townships 5-6 Range 9W page 9 Lines 18-24: Stepfather, Harry E. Teissen,25; mother, Mary A. Teissen, 39, (nee Chretien); five Labossiere children: Ulric, 17; Emma, 15; Oscar, E,13; Damien, 10; Amedee, 7. [1] census date: April 3, 1901.
1906 Canada Census image e001202834 Manitoba MacDonald Township 5 Range9 West Somerset page 10 Lines 30-36; Mary Labossiere, 36 (nee Chretien): 6 children: Eric Labossiere, 22 (Ulric_; Ocor (Oscar) Labossiere, 17; Damien Labossiere, 15; Amedee Labossiere; Emma Tyson, 5; Annie Tyson,3. [2] Census date: June 26, 1906.
1911 Canada Census image e001948356 Manitoba MacDonald 18 B10 Page 10 Lines: 30-34: Mary Anne Labossiere, 51, (nee Chretien); four children: Damian 26;medee, 18; Emma, 9; Maria, 6. [3] Census date: June 21, 1911.
When WWI broke out, Amedee quickly signed up by Feb. 1915 and went overseas the same year. He served in Belguim and France with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His address in 1915 at sign-up for W.W. I was 41 1/2 Marion Street, Norwood Groves, Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is a main street, running east - west from the Red River, just south of the St. Boniface Cathedral. He served near Vimy Ridge, but his unit was part of thesupply train; C.A.S.C., (Canadian Army Service Corps), 2nd. Division Train, 8th. Company. He was a supply wagon driver and a steam train operator.
1916 Census of the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. L.A.C. image 31228_4363956-00343: Manitoba, District 4 Macdonald, Subdistrict 10, Page 26, Family 256, Lines 33-36: Marie Tyson, 54, (nee Chretien); Amide, 22(Amedee), is recorded in thiscensuseven though he was in France in W.W.I. He was noted as in France; half sisters; Emma Tyson, 15; Maria Tyson, 14. [4] No date on census sheet.
He was invalided back to England after the war and married an English woman, Emily Anscomb in Feb. 1919 in south London. He returned to Canadawith his wife, Emily in 1919 on the White Star Liner, S.S. Baltic and landed at Pier 21, Halifax on August24th. In 1919, upon his discharge from the army, his forwarding address from the ship's records was givenas Norwood, Manitoba. Amedee and Emily had three children; a son namedErnest, who later lived in Winnipeg and two daughters, Francis and Alrdesne Mm Fi?rt),bres18 Rivitab» «tab»ice.
1921 Census of Canada image e002888871 Manitoba, District 37 Springfield, Enumeration District 56 in the City of St. Boniface image 16 of 58, family 159 lines 8-10: Amedee LaBossiere, 38; wife, Emily LaBossiere, 26, (nee Anscomb); son, Ernest Amedee LaBossiere, 5 months. [5] No census date.
1926 Canada Census image e0011229931 Manitoba WInnipeg North Page 22 Lines 24-28 Amedee Labossiere, 332; Emily, 30, (nee Anscomb); 3 children:Amedeee, 5; Francis, 3; Ellis, 2 Alice). [6] June 1, 1926.
Amedee and Emily divorced in 1936.
Emily re-married an Ernest Grindrod and they later moved to Vancouver, B.C. where Ernest died. Emily eventually moved back to Winnipeg and lived with her son, Ernest for awhile, and then with her daughter, Alice at Kenora, Ontario before goinginto a care home. Emily died at Kenora in1994 just shy of 100 years old.
Amedee married his second wife, Martha Reich on Jan. 2, 1937 at Transcona, Winnipeg, during the depression. Amedee and Martha had one child, ason, Darrell, who was born in Victoria in 1939. In 1940, Amedee rejoined the Canadian army for WWII.On hisW.W.II sign-up papers, March 1940,he stated that he had lived in Winnipeg until 1936, working as a painter and decorator. His address at sign-up was 39 Ontario Street, Victoria, B.C. This is near Dallas Road, in the James Bay area of Victoria. Shortly after his W.W.II sign-up, his wife, Martha moved back to Winnipegand lived at 463 Elgin Avenue, Winnipeg. After, the war, Martha moved back to B.C. and married Alexander Benekretis. They had two sons and a daughter before divorcing. Martha married a third time to William J. Murray. She died at their home in Penticton, B.C. on April 28, 1981 and was buried there at Lakeview Cemetery on May 1, 1981.
Amedee was too old to serve in active duty in WWII, so he was posted toAldershot, near London, England. He divorced Martha by mail during thewar and married his third wife, Gladys Winifred Amelia Turner on July 4, 1944 in London. Amedee and Gladys had two children, both sons, Laurence and James. Laurence, the first was born in London during an air raid, before the end of the war. After the war, Amedee had to leave Gladysand her baby son in Wales with Gladys' father and go back to Canada tobuild their new home at Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. The British government would not let the War Brides leave until there was some assurance of a home for them to go to. Gladys and Laurence re-joined Amedee in the Summer of 1946.
In later years at Cobble Hill, Amedee was known as Bill and was a general home renovator, a painter and a carpenter around Duncan and Cobble Hill. He died of a heart attack on Jan. 5, 1955 and is buried at the Anglican Church Cemetery in Cobble Hill. He was awarded six war medals, three each for the First and Second World Wars. He had served a total of nine years or almost 15% of his 61 year life in the Canadian Army overseas for two World Wars. His WWI Regimental No. was 3133 and his WWII Regimental No. was K92040. Amedee was also known for his fine singing voice and his guitar playing. He had only lived for 61 years and exactly 8months.
Sources
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??? https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1906&op=pdf&id=e001202834
??? https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1911&op=pdf&id=e001948356
??? https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1916&op=pdf&id=31228_4363956-00343
??? https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1921&op=pdf&id=e002888871
??? https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=census1926&op=pdf&id=e011229931
St. Leon Parish, St. Leon, Manitoba, Canada. Certified copy of Baptismal Certificate of Callixte Amedee Labossiere. Born May 6, 1893 at St. Leon, Manitoba; Baptized May 14, 1896. Obtained on Nov. 1, 1976.
Manitoba Dept. of Health and Social Development, Manitoba Birth Certificate of Callixte Amedee Labossiere May 6, 1893 at Somerset, Manitoba. No. 14483 Series H, Obtained Nov. 15, 1976. (Although the official birthcertificate states place of birth as Somerset, this is known to be incorrect from the baptismal certificate.)
Death Registration from B.C. dept. of Vital Statistics. 55-09-001081 Jan. 7, 1955
War Records from WWI and WWII from Library and Archives Canada (L.A.C.).
University of Alberta Libraries, Peel's Prairie Provinces, Henderson's Directories, Manitoba, Winnipeg, various years when Amedee was known orexpected to be found in these places. http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/henderson.html
Vancouver Public Library, British Columbia City Directories. http://bccd.vpl.ca/ various years when Amedee was known or expected to be found in these places.
Source: S1664 B.C. Archives Repository: Call Number: Media: Book
Source: S1666 Baptismal Certificate, St. Leon Catholic Church. St. Leon, Manitoba Repository: Call Number: Media: Book
Source: S1677 Manitoba Vital Statistics Repository: Call Number: Media:Book
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