Featured Photo Gallery
Constant & Amelie (Delforge) Thiry
Constant Jean Baptist Thiry (1827-1909)
Constant was born June 24, 1827 in Wavre in southern Brabant province in Belgium. He came to the United States with his brother Celestin. Constant claimed 200 acres of land in 1856 in the south east portion of the town of Red River. He then returned to Belgium for his wife and three children. Constant was an educated as a civil engineer and worked as a surveyor. He also held in public offices for Red River and Kewaunee County.
Amelie Delforge Thiry (1827-1898)
Constant married Amelie Delforge in 1852 in Monseau-sur-Sombre in Hainaut, Belgium. They immigrated to the US in 1856 with their children Alice, Jule and Ernest L. They later had five more children; Emma, Edmond, Augustine, Juliette and Constant II.
Original Log Home
This log cabin was built by Constant and Amelie in 1857 out of logs cleared from their land using hand tools. It served as the family home until 1918 and was then used as a chicken coop and workshop. The building survived the Great Fire in 1871 and stood until 2005.
Fr. Eduard Daems, O.S.C.
Fr. Daems was a Crosier priest from Belgium who served at Holy Cross Church in nearby Bay Settlement. He was instrumental in bringing Belgians to settle in the area and was more than their priest; he a was their friend and advisor.
Community Chooses a Name
Needing a name for the post office in the settlement, some in the community wanted to name it for the Thiry family as the first settlers and others wanted to name it for Fr. Daems who helped settlers find their way to the area. The solution was the name Thiry Daems. This is the community today.
St. Odile’s Church and Cemetery
So that Fr. Daems could share mass with area settlers, Constant and Amelie donated five acres of land for a church and cemetery. The first of two log churches was built in 1858. This brick church was constructed in 1914. Constant and Amelie are both buried there.
Thiry Daems Tavern
For forty years, Constant and Amelie ran this tavern, with residence, dance hall and boarding house. It was built in the late 1860’s and destroyed by fire in the 1970s. This photo shows the tavern during the Kermiss in about 1897.
Thiry Daems Brass Band
Constant organized the Thiry Daems Brass Band and was an active member for 45 years. He was an accomplished musician, passing this talent to some of his sons and grandsons. The brass band is shown here at the Kermis. Constant is holding a clarinet. Jule Petry (husband of Constant’s daughter, Julliette) is holding a chicken on a pole for a Kermiss game.
Thiry Family
Constant’s son, Ernest Thiry is at left in bowler hat with hand in his pocket. His wife, Lena (Villers) is holding a child in a white dress. At Ernest’s right is his brother Edmund. Edmund’s wife Theresa (Vandeveld) is at the far right with their children.
Generations
Standing in front of Constant and Amelie’s original log cabin are two men who were both born there. On the right is Louis Thiry. Louis was born in 1896 to Constant’s son Ernest while he and his wife Lena lived at the log home with Constant and Amelie. On the left is Walter Dalebroux who was born at the log home in 1912. His father Ernest Dalebroux bought the home from Constant and his son Ernest. Picture was taken October 22, 1986.