Family:Jean-Baptiste Laurent and Olivine St Louis (1)

Story of a Laurent As written by Marge Thielke

A priest, brother of Philomene Laurent, my great-great grandmother, was Father Frank Laurent. He volunteered to help out in a leprosy epidemic and lived in a leper colony for the rest of his life. He died in the late 1880s or early 1890s. This family has much history. Alex Grignon (Gree-no), who was my great-great grandma DeBroux's great uncle, a full-blooded Stockbridge Indian. Alex was the last Postmaster to run a Post Office at Cowdelain (Indian for "fast rapids") when Wisconsin was still a territory. He was the first Post Master there when Wisconsin became a state. Cowdelain was later called Kaukauna. Alex also tended Combined Locks from his house near the shore, which is now a museum. It is now the Grignon Museum. Also shown in the museum is the history of Father St. Louis, brother of my great-great grandmother, Olivine St. Louis, the secretary to the first bishop of Milwaukee. He became a missionary in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There he earned money to build his church by building homes for other people. His church still stands today. He died in Colorado Springs in the late 1880s or early 1890s. The DeBroux families and the Laurent families all sent soldiers for the Civil War serving in the Black Hat Brigade from Wisconsin. All returned home safe and sound.