CHARLES PRIMEAU
Charles was born of French-Canadian ancestry in St. Louis, Missouri [some records indicate Canada] on 24 February 1814. An old pioneer of Dakota Territory, he was the first white man after Lewis and Clark to come up the Missouri in 1837. He started a trading store near what is now Pierre, South Dakota. His accomplishments were wide and various and can be found documented throughout the world wide internet although this writer could not find any references to his family.
Charles married Mary Louise Cyr in St. Louis on 13 August 1857 by Catholic Priest (Jesuit) John B. Emig. Some records have Mary as Indian and some as French but she was born in Dakota Territory. After the marriage they returned to Dakota Territory where all their children were born. In the 1870 Census the family is in Big Sioux, Union County, North Dakota and in June 1885 in Morton County. They are also in a 1 July 1885 Standing Rock Reservation census. In 1880 Charles is in Fort Yates. In another 1880 census, Charles is in Boreman County and with him is son Louis and his wife Rose. This writer could not find Mary and the other children in any census before 1885.
Charles died on 2 October 1897 at Fort Yates where his funeral was held. He is buried at Saint Peters Church Catholic Cemetery at Fort Yates. Mary died on 3 September 1885 and is also buried at Saint Peters also.
There is a great deal of genealogical information on the internet for this family;
much of it unsourced/undocumented. Below is what this writer could find only in
source documents, unless noted.
Margaret was born about 1844 in Dakota Territory and died on 20 December 1901. There is one indication that she was a surviving twin but not documented and there is no record she was ever married. Margaret is buried in Saint Peters Catholic Church Cemetery.
Census records have Susan born about 1847. There is one indication she married a Kirkpatrick; another, she married Edward P. Kirkpatrick. The church's Death Register has Susanna Kirk nee Primeau with a death date of 11 January 1929 and 80 years of age. South Dakota's Death Register has a death date for Susan Kirk as 16 January 1929. South Dakota land records show Susan and some of the land she acquired had been in the names of Lewis and Joseph Primeau. No other Kirk family references could be found. Susan is buried in Saint Peters Catholic Church Cemetery.
Census records have Joseph born about 1851. On 4 February 1892 he married Abbie Gayton and until his death in 1896 there were no children. Widow Abbie later married Benjamin White, died in February 1945. Abbie is buried in Saint Peters Catholic Church Cemetery. For fifteen years prior to his death he was a government Indian language interpreter. Joseph died unexpectedly on a Bismarck street from a lung hemorrhage on 28 May 1896. Joseph is buried in Saint Peters Catholic Church Cemetery.
Louis was born in Dakota Territory in 1854. He was a clerk at Fort Yates and then he became known nationwide as a Sioux intepreter as well as being involved in many activities in support of the Sioux nation. Louis was married three times:
1 - Rose St. Pierre. She was born in Canada about 1863. One daughter Helen.
Helen was born on 18 August 1880. She was a school teacher. On 3 December 1905 in Great Falls, Montana she married Frank W. Tahnk (1868-1925). Their children: Rosemary Susan (7 Sep 1906) who married Herbert Shea, Margaret (1907), Virginia (1908), Charles Francis (1910), and Elsie Theresa (1919). Helen died 5 Feb 1927 in Burleigh County while living in Sioux County. Helen's burial.
2 - Joanna "Jennie" Brown. There is an indication of a "No Ears" surname. Their children were: Jacob Bruce, Charles (1886-1888), Joseph.
3 - Rose Harriet Cournoyer. Rose was born in South Dakota on 6 June 1869. She died in Los Angeles, California on 8 June 1951. Burial place has not been located. Their children:
Paul was born 15 January 1892. He died in 1906 at Douglas County, South Dakota. Burial.
Louise was born 10 January 1895. She was married to Neil Zola Garess. She died on 25 April 1966 in San Bernardino, California.
Louis Leferre was born 1898. He married Margaret Carignan on 24 January 1921 at Fort Yates. Their children Louis Charles, Maurice Anthony.
Olive Irene was born 1899.
Rose Flavia was born 11 July 1902 in South Dakota. She died in Riverside, California on 19 October 1987.
Leon was born in Dakota Territory on 13 April 1857. Leon was married twice:
1 - Catharina "Katie" Pejihutaskawin. Katie was born in 1868 and died in 1888. Her burial. One daughter Grace, born 9 May 1889, married Roy Spangler. Their children John Leon (1909), Charles (1911), Ruth Cecelia (1913), Dorothy (1914). Grace died 29 April 1957 in Los Angeles, California.
2 - Clara Mae Sunlutawin. Clara was born about 1870. Her death and burial information is unknown. Their children:
Margaret was born in November 1893. She married John Dempsey. Their children: James Leon (1916), John Robert (1918), and Benjamin Leroy. On 26 November 1934 Margaret married George Peterson, born 1892. Their children: George Lewis (1936) and Laurel (1939).
Joseph Lawrence was born 4 September 1900. He married Margaret (Maggie) Lafranbosi. They had at least one child; Joseph Francis born 29 October 1939. Joseph Lawrence died in September 1970.
Mary S. was born about 1903.
Louis was born on 3 October 1906 in Corson County, South Dakota. He married Mary Louise Hairy Chin (born about 1922) on 31 May 1937 in Corson County, South Dakota. They had at least one child, Jean Marie, born in 1939.
Charles was born in 1910.
Viola was born in 1913. In 1930 she was a student at Salem Indian School in Chemawa, Oregon. She died on 27 April 1937. Her death place is confusing. There are records indicating she died in both Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington and in Corson County, South Dakota.
Note: Many Primeau family portraits/pictures can be found at North Dakota Digital Horizons. Enter the word Primeau into the search box.