Frain Family Tree - Illinois Branch

Constant and Felicia Lambin

The following is from my memory starting with the marriage of my father, Joseph William Frain to Louise Lambin Houston  in Dec. of 1945.  I was 8 years old at the time. Some dates and places are from my memory and perhaps not absolute fact.  Some birth and death dates were verified from the Social Security Index.  Found Louise's mother and father on a ship's passenger list and the 1920 U.S. Census. 

What matters most is that we were all family.  Everyone was a big part of my life and created many wonderful memories.  We went fishing and hunting a lot.  With a family of this size, Christmas was a big event with food, presents and the chance for all to be there and visit.  We went to church for midnight mass.  Lots of memories.

Constant and Felicia Lambin were born and married in France. They had 3 children; Constant "Conse" and Marian who were born in France and Louise who was born in the U.S.

Found that Constant,  wife Felecia, son Constant and daughter Marian are on a New Your passenger list.  Manifest entry data from the ship Noordam follows.

Constant was 30 years old on arrival at Ellis Island from Rotterdam on the ship Noordam on April 3, 1913.  Felicia was 27 years old.  Both last lived in Grenay, France.  Emilienne, age 4yrs 6 months and Constant, age 3yrs 6 months were listed and are, obviously their children.  Emilienne later became Marian.  They were traveling with a 19 year old single person, Auguste Brandt from Grenay, as well.  Could this be Felicia's brother, thus providing her maiden name?

I found two towns named Grenay, France.  One is not far from Lyon in the South of France and the other is not far from Pas-de-Calais in Northwest France.

The following was found on the 1920 US Census in the Villiage of Humphrey, South Fork Township, Christian County, Illinois:  Village of Humphrey later became Tovey.

Constant Lambin  - HH - born in France, age 37, laborer
Felicia Lambin   - wife - born in France, age 34, home
Marina Lambin - daughter - born in France, age 16, home
Constant Lambin  - son - born in France, age 13, home
Lodoeska Lambin  - daughter - born in Kansas, USA, age 6

We know census data is not always correct.  We see that Marina became Marian and was most likely a misspelling, however, Lodoeska became Louise and I know that happened.  Occasionally, I heard her mother call her that, Of course, it could have been a nickname?

Also, there are age differences between the ship's manifest and the 1920 census, about 5 years for Marian and about 3 years for young Constant.  Older Constant and Felicia ages are the same in both documents.  A comment that means nothing:  do you think Constant and Felicia got a passage fare break by saying the children were younger than they really were?

The way from Grenay, France in 1913 to Tovey, Illinois in 1920 included a stop in Kansas where Lodoeske was born.

Constant died Oct. 14, 1941.  Felicia married Alcide J. Caty. Alcide was also from France. Do not know when the marriage took place. When my dad and Louise, were married Dec. 1945, Alcide and Felicia were already married.  According to the Social Security Death Index Felicia Caty was born June 25, 1886 and died Aug., 1975 in Tovey, Christian County, Illinois, .Alcide J. Caty died Dec. 25, 1961.  Constant, Felicia and Alcide are all buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Taylorville, IL.

Constant Lambin, born Feb. 2, 1908, married Pauline  (birth name not known) died May 11, 1996 and they had 1 child Eugene.  Constant was killed in a mine accident at Peabody Mine No. 8 in Tovey, IL. in Jan. 1956.  Constant and Pauline are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Taylorville, IL.

Eugene married Marie (birth name not known) and they had 1 son, Richard.  Eugene and Marie divorced not long after their son was born.  Eugene married Joanne (birth name not known). They divorced and Eugene married again (name not known).

Marian Lambin married Frank Collier, born July 14, 1898 and died Oct. 1972 in Tovey, IL. They had 1 daughter, Orvillin.  Frank and Marion divorced and she married John Holland from Chicago. They operated a bar in Jeisyville, IL for a short time. They divorced.  Marian died around 1990 in Taylorville, IL.

Marian's daughter, Orvillia (also Orvillin), married Isadore Masset, born Jan. 25, 1919, died Oct. 25, 1989 in Stonington, IL.  He was of French descent. They adopted their first child, Dennis, who was born July 26, 1939. After that, they had 2 children, Kenneth and Diana Kay.

Dennis married Maggie  (birth name not known)  and they had 1 son they named Dennis Jr. Dennis and Maggie divorced.  Dennis, the father, died Oct. 19, 2002 in Stonington, IL.

 Louise Lambin was born Nov. 24, 1913 (about 1914 according to the 1920 U.S. Census).  If the 1913 birth date is the correct one and she was full term, she was conceived in France.  In a little different circumstance she may have been conceived on the boat.  She married Bob Huston. They had 1 daughter, Hattie Louise, born Jan. 13, 1931. Louise and Bob divorced before Dec. 1945.

Louise then married Joseph W. Frain in Dec. 1945. Isadore and Orvilla Masset were witnesses to their marriage performed at the county court house in Taylorville, IL. See more about our family in the Frain/Cook and Frain/Broten pages.

Warren Family

Louise's daughter, Hattie Louise Houston,  married Earl B. Warren , born about 1929, n the late forties. They had 4 sons; David Earl, Gary Lee, Dale Robert and Daniel.  Earl joined the U.S. Marines during the Korean War.  He and Hattie spent most of his enlistment at El Toro Marine Air Base in Orange County, CA

David Earl married Jo Marie (birth name not known).  They had 2 boys, Christopher and Mark.  He spent at least 2 tours of duty in the U.S. Navy.  David and Jo Marie divorced.  David then married Linda Pieper in Irving, IL.

Gary Lee married Kathy (birth name not known).  They have 2 children, April and Shannon.  He retired after 20 years in the U.S. Army in artillery units.

Dale Robert married Mary Sue (birth name not known).  Sue had 2 children from a previous marriage, April and Robin.  They have 1 child, Robert.  Robert, as of this writing, is in the U.S. Navy.  He is married to Shawna and they have 1 child, Kylie Rose.

Daniel is married.  He has a career in Marine Archaeology.

Earl's father and mother were Colmer, born Nov. 19, 1889, died Feb. 1966 in Bulpitt, Christian County, Illinois and Emma Warren born March 10, 1898 and died Sep. 1982 in Bulpitt, Christian County, Illinois.  They had 4 children, Marie, Earl, Leona and Thelma. 

See above about Earl's marriage to my step-sister, Hattie Louise, and their family.

Leona  married Jim Binegar. They had 2 children, Tim and Brenda. Brenda married Gale Beamer.  Tim married Ruth Ann Smeltzer.  Ruth Ann is the daughter of "Snooks" Smeltzer who married Katherine Frain Glazebrook, my dad's sister.  This was the second marriage for both after their first spouses died.

Thelma married Howard Davis and they had 2 children, Thomas and Howard.  Howard was best known as Snookie all his life.

Marie married James Halstead She and her family lived in Peoria, IL.

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