Marie Catherine Cordonnier

(1883) Catharine Didier married Joseph Cordonnier and now resides a short distance north of Russia in Loramie Township. Her husband died leaving her with a family of ten children. http://books.google.com/books?id=6M8xAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA316

After Joseph Cordonnier's first wife, Marie Didier, died, he went on down to Cincinnati to work. He came up to Russia, Ohio to be a god-father and met Catherine Didier, who was the god-mother. She was a cousin to his first wife. Joseph & Catherine were married in 1858 and had 11 children.

Catherine Didier was born in France, a daughter of Nicholas Didier and Mary Monnier. She was nine years old when they left Etueffont-Haut, France for the United States. The family sailed from France for America on Christmas Eve and landed in Piqua on Easter Sunday morning, coming all the way from France to Piqua by water - first to New Orleans, then the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and finally by canal boat to Piqua.

Coming over on the ship was hard for everyone in those days. There was no food served - everyone had to bring their own food. Sometimes they would have to wait half a day to get a place where they could cook.

When they arrived at Piqua on Easter Sunday, Catherine's father sent both of her brothers in different directions and he went another way with orders to say good morning in French to everyone they met until they found someone who could speak French and were able to find out where Russia, Ohio was, as they had relatives living there. They stayed in the depot at Piqua for 2 days and nights, while her father walked twelve miles through woods and swamps to Russia. He returned with another person with a team of oxen and a wagon. The women had to walk to Russia as it was so muddy and it was difficult for the oxen to pull the wagon. There they became farmers.

Burial: Saint Remy Cemetery Russia Shelby County Ohio, USA Created by: Lucille Francis Record added: Nov 15, 2010 Find A Grave Memorial# 61653158 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61653158