Jerome Family

Comment by Edward Merck on May 7, 2009 at 12:16pm

(The following article was published in the Centennial Edition of the Kittson County Enterprise in Hallock, Minnesota, on 29 June 1983)

Andre Jerome First Settler in the County

Was Picturesque Figure Of Mixed Blood and Hardy Stock; Suffered At Hands Of British For Activity As Aid Of Louis Riel - Rob't Thomson Second To Settle.


The country's history materially enriched by the story of Andre Jerome, it's first settler, mainly because his career contacts different phases of early history. In the first place, Jerome was a French-Cree mixed blood one of the Metis of the border country in the fur-trading period. Since he was the accused of participation in the first Riel rebellion his activities are woven into other chapters of the pioneer record. Andre Jerome, one of seven sturdy brothers of the Red river country, was born near Fort Garry in 1821. He traced his history back to the French Huguenots, his paternal grandfather having migrated from France early in the 19th century. The seven sons were endowed with the intelligence and courage of their French forbears and from their mother's people inherited splendid physiques, and the hardlihood and skill and cunning of the redman. Early they became coureurs de bois and voyageurs, performing the tasks which gave the great forests of the north a glamor that still envelopes it. The lives of these brothers were intigingly typical of the fur-trade era in the Red River valley, their antecedants, their activities and their manner of living were true to type.

Of Andrew Jerome, Mr. J. E. Bouvette wrote in the silver anniversary edition of the Enterprise in 1906 (the noted pioneer was still living then):

From this hardy and nomadic parents our subject inherited the characteristics which made him one of the most noted scoutes and voyageurs of his time. Though well up in years he is a man of able proportions and physique, is straight as the pathways he marked through the wilderness, has keen, expressive blue eyes which commonly hold a kindly sense of humor and good fellowship, but in anger are cold, stern and penetrating. The earlier part of his life he spent amid the influences of the forest and trail, and was for many years interested in scouting, carrying messages and pathfinding for the Hudson Bay company, Captain Hugh S. Donaldson and General H. H. Sibley, when the latter was agent for the American Fur company. When the Indian outbreak occurred in 1862 he proved of great value to the government, aiding in the suppression of the revolt.

Was Riel Aide

"He took an active part against the British government in the Riel rebellion and O'Donahue Fenian raid of 1869-70, and was imprisoned at Stony Mountain penitentiary in Manitoba, and was put through a sweat process by being bridled like a horse and obliged to break stone day and night to cause him to disclose the secret operations of his leaders, but his word was bond never to be broken and he stood his hardships and cruelties until finally liberated.

"He is as familiar with the leading Indian languages of this region as he is with the paths of the forest. The vast Northwest lay like a map before him and he knows every trail. It is doubtful if there is a human being who has passed through as many thrilling scenes and events of pioneer life as did Andre Jerome. He is an interesting conversationalist and can tell of some interesting buffalo hunts in the early days. Mr. Jerome settled on his present homestead (this county) 33 years ago last May. He married early a Miss Margaret Goslin and has a family of nine children, all of whom are living and are prominent farmers in this county."

Comment by Lon Jerome on May 13, 2009 at 12:56am

Ed,

You are the best, thanks for this link for our family and Glen Browne, you are the best for getting this going.

Lon

Comment by Glenn Browne on May 26, 2009 at 8:37pm

OBITUARY - Kittson County Enterprise, May 1st, 1914
Mrs. Andrew Jerome who died at her home in North Red River township, March 31st, 1914, was a native of this part of the country, and was born in Manitoba, October 16th, 1832. She came to this country with her husband who survives her, May 3rd, 1872, and settled on the homestead upon which her late home is located at the junction of the Red and Two Rivers. The nearest settlement at that time was Pembina, 22 miles north of this place, and outside of that, all was a wilderness, inhabited only by savage Indians.Often, a year at a time would pass without seeing a white person, when the monotony of frontier life in those days was disturbed only by the occasional crack of the red man's rifle. In this way, amid the infuences of forest and trail. deceased spent the younger part of her life, until along in the early eighties, when settlers becan to arrive, and it was at this time that this good woman made herself so useful amoung them that the name of the Jeromes soon became a household word in the home of every early settler in the county,
Mrs. Jerome was a woman who had faced and gone through all the hardships and adversities incident to pioneer life, and no one knew better than she, the privation of the voyageur and traveler, so her home was always open to them-
it was always at the disposal of the strangers, who even tho a begger, never failed to find food and shelter at her hands. She was a woman of generous impulses, at home, at the beside of the sick and always delighted in all kinds of neighborly offices. How much this community owes her , and such as she, it is impossible to estimate, tho it would be a grateful task to trace her good deeds thru some of the more direct channels, to hold her up in her various characters of wife and mother, of friend and neighbor, to speak of the large family of sons and daughters she reared to perpetuate her good deeds and virtues. But it comes not within the scope of this brief article to do so, suffice to say, she lived nobly and died peacefully at the advanced age of 82 years, and today another name is stricken from the ever lessening roll of our old settlers.
To mourn her departure she leaves an aged husband in the sunset of life, seven sons and two daughters, all grown up, who hve the sympathy of the entire community in the bereavement.

Comment by Danielle Jerome - Kimbrel on May 26, 2009 at 8:44pm

Thank you for adding the information about my family. I wish I had information to add, but I don't. I will try to get some information and pictures from my family.

Comment by Glenn Browne on May 26, 2009 at 8:56pm

Pioneer Settler of Kittson Co., gone
Obituary - Kittson County Enterprise,
Andrew Jerome died at his home in the Town of Red River on Monday, July 10th at the age of 88 years and 6 months his death having been caused from old age and illness from which he suffered since last winter.
Deceased was the first actual settler in Kittson county, having located on his late homestead at the junction of the Red and Two Rivers 45 years ago. He was a native of the Red River Valley, having been born near Fort Garry, now Winnipeg, Dec. 24th, 1828.
The early part of his life was spent amid the influences of the forest and trail, and was for many years interested in scouting and carry messages for the U.S.Government and in path finding for the Hudson Bay Company and the American Fur Company. He was as familiar with all the Indian languages of those days, as he was with the paths of the plains and trails of the Northwest which lay before him like a map, for he knew every trail and haunt of the red man. His services were always sought after by the government. When the Indian outbreak occurred in 1863 he proved of great value to this government and state, aiding in the suppression of the Sioux. He took an active part against the British Government in the Riel rebellion and O'Donohue Fenian raid of 69-70. It is doubtfull if there is another man living who has passed through as many thrilling scenes and events of Pioneer life as did Andrew Jerome. He was an interesting conversationalist and could tell of some interesting buffalo hunts and Indian raids in the early days.
Surviving, he leaves nine children, many of them prominent farmers of this county. The funeral was conducted from the Catholic church last Wednesday afternoon and internment was made in the family lot at Greenwood

Comment by Lon Jerome on May 26, 2009 at 11:41pm

Thanks Glenn, again, you amaze me in the stuff you come up with, where did you find this? On behalf of my family I thank you for all your interest in our family and all the work you do for the Kittson County Historical Society.

Thanks,

Lon Jerome

Comment by Carrie Lynn Jerome on May 27, 2009 at 6:22am

Glenn - I don't get this sentence:
"She came to this country with her husband who survives her, May 3rd, 1872, (what is this date??) and settled on the homestead upon which her late home is located at the junction of the Red and Two Rivers."

(Mrs. Andrew Jerome - and "Andrew" as he was known - is my Great Great Grandpa - Andre - so this "She" is Margaret Goslin)

And after researching in my very own family tree project from 7th grade . . . I'm going to guess that the May 3, 1872 date is when the family "came to this country" - aka - came to the US from Cananda?

Ok - I think I talked it out myself.. . 'twas just a bit confused for a moment. :)

Comment by Glenn Browne on May 27, 2009 at 8:51am

Carrie, that is the way I read the sentence. You must understand that I did not write the article but just typed it as it was written in the original newspaper obituary.

Comment by Lon Jerome on May 27, 2009 at 8:55am

Carrie, you might want to send some stuff to Glenn if you have something to contribute, I am sure Glenn would appreciate any input he receives.

Comment by Glenn Browne on May 27, 2009 at 8:38pm

This is a photograph I took of Hill Township from the 1912 Kittson County Atlas. I am hoping the detail will be readable. If not I will duplicate this photo in the photo section of the web page so that it can be clicked on and enlarged.
Andre Jerome homsteaded in section 32 which is the partial square in the lower left hand corner right along the Red River. His property was on both sides of where the Two Rivers entered the Red River. Jos. Collins owned the property to the north of Jerome. With the exception of 70 acres owned by Zoe Henry, Jerome owned all the land down to the wording "Red River", printed on the map. In other words Jerome owned a considerable length of Red River river bank as well as both sides of the Two River banks. He owned a total of 166.45 acres on what was a prime piece of land back in those days.

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