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Francois & Angelique (DeKeyser) Pierre
Francois & Angelique (DeKeyser) Pierre
Francois and Angelique - 1893 Information about their life is excerpted from a book by Joseph J Pierre Jr. published in 1976. Francois and Angelique Pierre attended the World Exposition (World Fair) in Chicago in 1893 where this photo was taken. They traveled to Green Bay on a stagecoach which was a wagon with two seats, and to Chicago and back on a train.
Francois Joseph Pierre 1836-1914
Francois Joseph Pierre was born October 29th 1836 in the commune of Noville-Sur-Mehaigne in the Province of Brabant to Jean Joseph Pierre and Marie Francois LaRose. On March 16, 1856 he left for America with his parents and brother, Alexander Joseph, Francois Pierre, Alexander, and their mother arrived in the area now known as Brussels Township in the summer of 1858.
Angelique (DeKeyser) Pierre 1840-1916
Angelique was born on 25 April 1840 in La Hulpe, Brabant Wallon Province, Belgium to Gabriel and Rosalie (Spreutels) DeKeyser. Francois and Angelique were married on October 1, 1861. Late in that same year of 1861, Francois and Angelique opened a tavern on their land, one half mile west of the present village of Brussels. Up to this time there had been no business activity in the area. Also, the post office which had been located at Sugar Creek, in Michael Smith’s store for nearly three years, was transferred to the tavern, and Francois Pierre became the first postmaster. The area and the post office were given the name Brussels, Wisconsin. Francois retained the postmaster’s job there for forty years.
Family Home circa 1929
The Pierre home burned in about 1880. A large new wooden frame house was built across the road. About one-half of the second floor was used as a dance hall, and the balance was used for lodging rooms. Later the entire floor was converted to a total of ten bedrooms. The first floor consisted three bedrooms, a large kitchen, a sitting room, and a large dining room between the kitchen and the tavern with connecting doors between them. The tavern was a large room on the west end of the building with double doors to the outside. A small room on the south end of the tavern was the post office. The basement had stone walls and an earth floor. It was an ideal place to store beer, fruit, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Shelves in the basement were also a good place to store many Belgian pies and other pastries prepared for special occasions such as weddings and the Kermiss.
Pierre Brewery
Pierre’s Tavern, located on the route which had formerly been an Indian path near their home, served as a kind of halfway house where stagecoach passengers and others could stop for food and refreshments. A barn was built so that the horses could be stabled and fed, and a few guest rooms were made available for overnight accommodations. During inclement weather several Indians would sometimes spend the night in the tavern. They would generally sleep on the floor. The brewery building was used form 1901 to 1920.
Pierre Farm
The land was bought from the government, over a period of several years, at prices that varied from fifty cents to one dollar and a quarter per acre. Much of this land was later sold to immigrants who arrived in the years that followed. The date of the claim on a part of the home farm, which was purchased by Francois, is listed as November 8, 1858. This land was paid for on January 3, 1860, and it has remained in the family through four generations. Phil Pierre and his family now own and operate the farm.
Family Businesses
Picture at the five corners in 1918. Brussel House, left, was built by their son, Frank Pierre in 1900. The center building is General store built by another son, Gabe Pierre in 1906-1907. The post office was in the back of this store. On the right is a machine shop built by Gabe Pierre in 1900. The Brussel House burned in1923. The general store is running now as Pioneer Pantry.
Golden Anniversary
On August 18, 1912, Francois and Angelique celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. A son, Alphonse, had arranged for church services, a big dinner, other refreshments, and a family photo at Oconto. People from Brussels rode a steamboat, the Nettie Dennisen, from Chaudoir’s Dock to Oconto and back. Pictured: Back row: Sons Joseph, Gabe, Alphonse, Henry, Frank, Jule; Front row: Daughters Mary Baudhuin, Francois, Lizzie Swoboda, Angelique, and Ellen.
Son Joseph and family
Joseph Pierre Sr. and his wife Mary LeRoy with their four oldest children, left to right, Evangeline (Jean), William, Lillian and Arthur taken 1909.
Mary Pierre and family
1939 photo of Mary Pierre, wife of Joseph Sr with their children; Jean, William, Mary, Joseph, Lillian, Arthur, and Blanche. Mary and Joseph took over the farm from Francois & Angelique.
Grandson Joseph Jr.
Family of Joseph Pierre Jr, who compiled the genealogy and the story, 50th anniversary gathering in 1982: Back row; Diane Rowader, Deborah Thorsen, Doug, Pat Tweedale, Dale; Front row: Donald, Denise Fitzgerald, Odile and Joseph, and Mary.
Grave Marker St Mary of the Snows Cemetery
In March of 1914, Francois and Angelique went to visit daughter Mary and family in Abrams. While there, Francois became ill. He died there June 14, 1914. On May 25, 1916, Angelique went shopping in Green Bay with Alphonse and his wife, Lucy. She became ill while they were shopping so they stopped to see a doctor; then they walked to DeLair’s Restaurant for lunch. When she sat in the booth at the restaurant, she suddenly slumped over and died almost instantly.