Monjeau surname

[sh225]

hermin1 said:

sh225: If you knowthe date of her death, then you may be ableto find an obituary in the local newspaper, or trythe Indian newspaper Oyate Oiaye(sp.)
here isa website you can try: www.intermet.net it is a search Engine.
if you also know the place of death, you can try finding the county where she died at www.rootsweb,com at the cities/Counties link. type in the the city and it will bringup every county in USa that has a city with tht name. then just click on the right county and it will bring up that county's genweb. See if they have Cemetery Listings, and check them out.

After trying this out I realised that you meant to type: www.internet.net and not 'intermet'. thanks for the tip but I just thought I would note this in case someone else is having trouble with it. I've tried everything for my g-g-grandmother's death (Sophia Monjeau Huot) but I keep finding out I don't know enough, I was looking in Wisconsin then I found out she moved to Minnesota, then I was looking there but I found out she and her daughter's family went out to Oregon, then I couldn't find her there (she's in the 1900 census, but no record of her death), now another cousin tells me he was told she died in California! So far I can't find her there either. But I keep trying. Thanks again.

[mccoy]

A son of Wabasha named Naghee Meetchakeeta married Mary Hoffman-Nagiskaskawin also called Kusi Kusi (sp?) . Also Annes sister was named Mahipujawa Kouze which sounds like Kusi. Rather than a french sound alike could this Cousi be a family name for women of this family? I don't know,I am asking out of ignorance. If Nanna Cousi is "white grandmother" what is Kusi Kusi? Just asking, if I am way off base let me know.

[sh225]

At this point I'm going with the idea that 'Nanna' is a nickname, perhaps for Ann, or perhaps part of her Dakota name, and that 'Coussi' is 'kunsi' ('Grandma Annie' or some such) but that is, of course, only a guess. I did email the people at the Dakota Dictionary though and they thought that was very possible. 'Nanna' could certainly be a French nickname for 'Anne', and I would assume the language she spoke besides Dakota would have been French, at least within her family.

As for other members of the family, they might also have had 'kunsi' coming into the name they were known by once they reached that age. I guess I'm thinking partly by analogy with the way that elderly black people, at least in the South, often came to be known publicly as 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' (though I'm not suggesting it would necessarily have the same kinds of social implications).

Of course it is perfectly possible that there was also a name that sounded like 'kusi', or included the syllables 'kusi'. I don't know the Dakota language, just struggling to understand a few words and trying to see how these names can be interpreted. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows more than I do about this and can shed some light.

All of this is hard to work out since the names were recorded so haphazardly, several different names can be recorded in different places for the same person, the spellings are so wildly variable, and since there were no standardised spellings for the Dakota language at that time, it depends on how the name sounded to the person who wrote it down and what their native language was. A French-speaker will spell it differently from an English-speaker, and they didn't necessarily have a clue what it meant, so they could easily deform it fairly badly. It's a miracle we're able to figure out who ANYBODY is a few generations back.

Does anyone know how the name 'Nanna Coussi' came to be recorded? Is it just passed down orally within the family, or is there a document somewhere that has that name on it?

Also, does anyone have a copy of the marriage record for Joseph Monjeau and 'Ann LaMarche' (Nanna Coussi)? I've been told St. Croix, Old St. Peter and St. Paul Church, Jan. 30, 1848 (long after they first married, but I assume this was when they finally had a church ceremony). Does that church still exist? I can't find it on the web, but maybe I'm missing something. Does anyone know where those records would be? I'd like to see how her name is recorded there.

[sh225]

mccoy said:

Also Annes sister was named Mahipujawa Kouze which sounds like Kusi.

Could I ask who this sister is, that is, where you found the name and if you know anything else about her? Would the first part of her name be a form of 'Mahpiya' = 'cloud'? Just curious.

[preeves6]

Nanna is what Anne's grandchildren called her by,info handed down from David B Brunell who was married to Orilla /Urilla Mavis daughter of Simon & Harriet Monjeau/Mavis. David is the great or 2x's greatgrandson of Louis & Anlelique Cote/Cotte. As far as I know there are no legal documentation of the name Nanna. Joseph & Anne Monjeau married first in 1821, document believed to be the marriage cert. them is dated Jan. 30 1849: St. Croix. Wit: Joseph Coursolle , Frs Perron dit Truedell.On St. Paul & St. Peter Church record lists her name as Tran-amin-irsavil, this is where her indian name came from. I have a distant cousin who I've been told has a copy, she is recovering from surgery right now & she is going to call me when she is up & around & I will be going over there with some copies of photo's & other info I copied for her. If she has a copy of thier marriage license I will get it. I will also ask her if she knows anything about Naghee Metchakeeta married to Mary Hoffman/Nagiskawin/Kusi Kusi & a sister of Anne's named Mahipujawa Kouze. Now I'm thinking maybe Kouzi is a version of Cousi ? Na-ghee-mee-tcha-keetay (He kills the ghosts). Marpiya & Maphee I believe both stand for cloud so maybe Mahip also does. I have been trying to learn the lang. so I can translate , but I only know a few of the meanings & I'm not very good with the speech part, my tongue dosen't work right I guess. Patty

[preeves6]

Also will some please email me at [e-mail] on how to post photo's & info. I have on this site , I've tried every thing I can think of & it dosen't work. Thank You Patty

[Jimmy]

preeves6 said:

Also will some please email me at [e-mail] on how to post photo's & info. I have on this site , I've tried every thing I can think of & it dosen't work. Thank You Patty

I sent you an email.

[BIG JON]

MARPIYA WAKOUZE---LUCY MARPIYA WAKOUZE(WIFE)?

[BIG JON]

sh225 said:

mccoy said:

Also Annes sister was named Mahipujawa Kouze which sounds like Kusi.

Could I ask who this sister is, that is, where you found the name and if you know anything else about her? Would the first part of her name be a form of 'Mahpiya' = 'cloud'? Just curious.

JOHN MARPIYA WAKOUZE(INDIAN JOHN)---LUCY MARPIYA WAKOUZE(WIFE)?

[sh225]

gorkinoff said:

sh225 said:

Could I ask who this sister is, that is, where you found the name and if you know anything else about her? Would the first part of her name be a form of 'Mahpiya' = 'cloud'? Just curious.

JOHN MARPIYA WAKOUZE(INDIAN JOHN)---LUCY MARPIYA WAKOUZE(WIFE)?

Yes--of course, that makes the most sense. This is just yet ANOTHER spelling for Indian John and Indian Lucy. The 'Kouze' has nothing to do with either Coussi or Kunsi, it is probably a mis-transcription of 'konze' as in Wakonze, as in Mahpiyawakonze. I should have realised that, thanks for pointing it out.

[preeves6]

Big Jon, Yes Indian Lucy is married to Indian John, but I thought his name was spelled Mah-pe-yah-wah-koon-zay or on his head stone his name is Muck-A-Pea-Wak-Ken-Zah. And yet Marpiya Wakouze may very well be another version of their name. Thank You Big Jon , Patty

[sh225]

Since we're on the subject of names and how strangely they can be spelled... I'm still puzzling over Nanna's other names. We're told that the marriage record gives her name as Ann LaMarche and also Tranamimirsavaii or maybe Tranaminirsavil. 'LaMarche', meaning 'walk' or something along those lines, could be a translation of part of her Indian name. I found 'amani' in the Dakota dictionary meaning 'to walk on' and 'mani' meaning 'to walk'. Is it possible that the 'amini' in her name is some form of that word (perhaps spelled in a funny way by a priest who didn't speak Dakota)? Could her full name have had something to do with 'walking', 'she who walks...' or something?

I'm just clutching at straws here. But I want so much to know her name! I think 'sa' is the color red, but now I am really clutching at straws since I don't even know how to tell what is a full word in her name, and what is just a syllable or parts of some other word. I guess if I could ever work out what her name was and what it meant, I would feel like I had at least made some kind of contact.

Any ideas, anyone?

[sh225]

preeves6 said:

Big Jon, Yes Indian Lucy is married to Indian John, but I thought his name was spelled Mah-pe-yah-wah-koon-zay or on his head stone his name is Muck-A-Pea-Wak-Ken-Zah. And yet Marpiya Wakouze may very well be another version of their name. Thank You Big Jon , Patty

Patty, I've seen it spelled 'Marpiya'. It seems like when they were writing Dakota words, the same sound might be represented with 'h' or with 'r' or with 'k' or 'ck'. I guess the French 'r' sounds a little like that and there were a lot of French speakers around then, so that might explain spellings like 'Marpiya'. I wondered if that could also explain the 'r's in Nanna's name--Tranamimirsavaii--maybe it was something like 'Tahana' or 'Takana'??
sylvia

[preeves6]

Sylvia, You could be right. I can't hardly wait until my cousin calls me and is up to visitors , maybe she will be able to shed some light on Nanna's name . Patty

[hermin1]

Dear Patty: I have been told that the letter r isnot in the dakota language. I have seen it used as a substitute forr the letter "h", and I don't remember as a substitute for another lett er in Dakota, I want to say the letter "n" but am not sure.
Judy Carlson , in her book" buried On The Prairies Of Knox county, mrentions a method used to find unmrked graves, called "Grave witching." she uses it where she sees a sunken area in a cemetery or graveyard.
She uses 2 copper rods, that are bent at a right angle on one end(this end is held in each hand. i estimate the lenth of the bend is @ 3 1/2 inches). the total length of each rod is about 16 to 18 inche(includes the bend). she holds one rod in each hand ,at waist high, parallel to the ground pointing out from her. then you begin walking towrds a sunken area where the assumed grave is. When she reaches the grave(if it is there)the rods cross and make an "X". when she reaches the end of the grave, the rods uncross.By marking the spot where they cross and the spot where they uncross, , she can determine length of the grave.she claims that if the grave holds a woman, the rodsturn in a clockwise direction, if a man,, they turn counterclockwise. One theory is that it work s because of the nails used to nail down the coffin or box, anothers ays it is because of the ions that are dissolved inthe ground. Ms. Carlson says it works for her @95 % of the time.
she says it also works to find undergoound water lines nd electrical conduits.
I wonder if a metal detector would also work to find an unmarked grave.

I am also wondering if the county Historical society has nything re. the history of that cemetery and who was supposed to be incharge of maintining it.

I hope this helps.

[preeves6]

Big Jon, Nobody is really in charge of Elliot Hills Cemetery that I know of. Someone told me that one of the descendants of someone buried there comes and mows the grass and the grass is always trimmed. Other relatives do come and put flowers on some of the graves, I've never seen anyone when I've been there . I always leave two gallon milk cartons full of water when I leave for whom ever comes so they can water any living plants that are planted by some of the graves . I believe the farmer who lives there hauls out any fallen branches , because I asked him where I could put some that had broken off until I could get back with a trailer and haul them away , and he said just pile them off to the side and he would take care of them . I printed out your message and I'm going to give It a try , I think my hubby thinks I'm losing it. And i bet your right about the r probably being an h in Nanna's name
Thank You Big Jon Patty

[hermin1]

Patty: I also have read that a long pointed rod may also be used to probe for unmarked gravesI have a gut hunch you will find Nana's grave inthe immediate vicinity where that fallen marker is. i sent a message to the Dakota County Historical society asking for informaytion on the history behind Elliott's Cemetery. whether they will write me back is anyone's guess. i am guessing itis nmed after someone who lived in the County with the surname Elliottt.
In anycase if I do get an answer I will post it.
don't feel pregnant, peanut, My greek cousins though I was whacko to be asking where my grandparents and their children's graves wer, in my mother's village, and my father's. My relaitves over there feel that once a person is gone that is it. they don't bother with placing flowers on the graves.the problem is that insome of the villages of Greece, land is so scrce that they have a common grave for the realtives. the person is buried there, then two years later the bones are dug up, blessed by the priest and cremated. all you see in the Cemetery is a tlall marker that lists the ones who have been buried in that grave over the years.

[preeves6]

Thanks Herman , Everyone at this site is so helpful , I can't say this enough . Patty

[sh225]

For anyone researching the Monjeau line, I thought I would post Francis Huot's affidavit in the Flandrau Papers He is the son of Sophia Monjeau, who is the eldest daughter of Joseph Monjeau and Nanna Coussi. As anyone researching this family line knows, 'Moizo' is a common spelling of 'Monjeau'. This is the complete text of his entry:

* * *
Affidavit 310: Francis Huot, Occ.: miller, resides: Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Mont. "My mother (Sophia Huot) is still living, located at Grants Pass, Ore. She was born in St. Paul some 70 years ago near the mouth of Phalen Creek. I was born at what is now called the city of Prescott Wis. Feb. 8, 1850. My people belonged to Shakopee’s band and were in some way related to Wabasha placing Farrabaults, Wells, Prescott & Moizo family related. My mother was a Moizo. Some of my relatives are living on Grey Cloud Island." (He signed his letter as 'Frank.')
Wit.: J.H. Hall; signed : 12 Apr 1898 Notary: Sidney Fox.

Louis L. Huot, son, 12 yrs, M.
E. St. Julien Huot, son, 10 yrs, M.

* * *

There are also statements from Antoine Monjeau, his sons Charles, George, and John, and from Alexander Monjeau. It lists their wives and children (except Alexander who never married) and occupation but doesn't give much other information. They were all living at Prairie Island or Eggleston MN.

It was new to me that the Monjeau (Moizo) family came from Shakopee's band and I'd be interested to know if anyone has any other information about that, separate from the Flandrau papers.

[sh225]

People interested in the Monjeau family might want to check out the article I posted from the Bismarck Tribune, 1884, about Sophia (Monjeau) Huot's attempt to get land in Glendive Montana under Sioux Halfbreed Scrip. I've mentioned this before but I finally got the whole text of the article and posted that. Maybe some of you know who some of the other people in the article are. It's in the Land Patents thread.