Edouard Joseph Royer, my 2nd great grandfather, passed away on August 22nd, 1939 in Rudyard, Chippewa County, Michigan at the age of 77.
Edouard's obituary was published in The Evening News, published in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan on Tuesday, August 22, 1939. I have transcribed the obituary below:
Obituary
Edward Royer Sr.
Edward Royer, Sr., 77, a resident of the eastern Upper Peninsula for the past 61 years, died today, Aug. 22, 1939, at 10:30 a.m. at his home in Rudyard following an extended illness from a heart ailment. He had been ill four months.
Born in Quebec, March 14, 1862, Mr. Royer came to Chippewa county when a boy.
Surviving are six children: They are Edward Royer, Jr. of Rudyard; Xaviar Royer of Escanaba; Joseph Royer of Rudyard; Adelaie Royer of Rudyard; and Mebbie Royer of Winter Harbor, Me.
Three brothers, David, Henry and Vital Royer of Rudyard and one sister, Mrs. Duval of Berlin, N.H., also survive. Mrs. Royer died three years ago.
Mr. Royer was a member of the Roman Catholic church and the Holy Name society.
The boy will be removed tonight at 6:30 o'clock from the Beaumier Funeral home to the family residence in Rudyard.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete today.
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The Obituary mentions six of Edouard's children and four of his siblings that survived him.
His wife, Amaryllis (Lacroix) Royer preceded him in death. Amaryllis passed away two years prior on February 11th, 1937.
The obituary also mentions that Edouard was a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Although, I don't know for sure which church he may have attended, based on my research, the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Rudyard, Chippewa County, Michigan seems like the obvious choice.
The obituary mentions that Edouard was a member of the Holy Name Society.
Based on their website, the purpose of the Holy Name Society is:
The Confraternity of the Most Holy Names of God and Jesus (Holy Name Society) promotes reverence for the Sacred Names of God and Jesus Christ, obedience and loyalty to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, and the personal sanctification and holiness of its members. Members are called to contribute to the evangelization mission of the Church and to make perpetual acts of reverence and love for our Lord and Savior. The apostolate of the society is to assist in parish ministries by performing the Corporal Works of Mercy: to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, tend the sick, visit those in prison, and bury the dead; as well as the Spiritual Works of Mercy: to convert sinners, instruct the ignorant, counsel the wayward, comfort the sorrowing, bear adversity patiently, forgive offenses, and pray for the living and the dead.
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Obituaries can provide a wealth of knowledge. The key is to really read and analyze the information provided while keeping in mind that not all the information may not be 100% accurate. For example, several of the names of Edouard's children and siblings were recorded using their nickname, married name or just spelled incorrectly.
Only skimming over the information to find a birth or death date could cause you to miss some small but important detail.
