The Regnier Family of Lyon County, Minnesota

LOUIS N. REGNIER (1883), a well-to-do farmer of Grandview township, was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, August 15, 185S. He was brought up on the Illinois farm and in 1883 he accompanied his brother George to L5ron county. Louis bought 160 acres of railroad land on section 23, Grandview, and started farming. He improved the farm and in 1902 he bought the southwest quarter of section 24 in the same township, which is known as the James English tree claim. Mr. Regnier has done well since coming to the county and now farms 280 acres of his own and 185 acres, which he rents. He is ably assisted in the farm work by his sons.

The parents of our subject were Isaac and Mary (Tonscheke) Regnier, natives of Canada. They were early settlers of Kankakee county, Illinois, locating there at a time when Chicago was a mere hamlet. Coming to Lyon county in 1SS4, they located in Grandview township, where Mr. Regnier died in 1896. Mrs. Regnier is living with her daughter, Mrs. Gus Durrenberger, in Marshall. Besides the subject of this sketch the elder Regniers were the parents of the following children: Joseph, of Marshall; Mary (Mrs. Patrick Grant), of Kankakee; Florence (Mrs. Aime Bennett), of Kankakee; Emma (Mrs. O. Letournan), of Chicago: George, of Grandview; John, of Cottonwood; Ambrose, Harry and Louise (Mrs. Gus Durrenberger), all of Marshall.

On February 20, 1884, occurred the marriage of our subject to Elizabeth Caron, a native of Kankakee. She is a daughter of Theodore Caron, one of the early settlers of the county. To this union have been born Archie, Jerry, Philip, Eugenia, Zephyre, Robert. John, Henry and Sarah, the two last named being twins.

Mr. Regnier has been a member of the school board of district No. 21 for about twenty years and is road overseer. He is a member of the Catholic church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE REGNIER (1883) is the owner of 24) acres of fine land located on sections 2, 3 and 23, Grandview township, and a modern home in the village of Ghent. He has made his home the past two years on the northeast quarter of section 3, and he farms the entire place with the assistance of his only son Albert.

Our subject is a son of Isaac and Mary (Touchette) Regnier, who were natives of Canada and who came to America in 1847 and settled in Kankakee county, Illinois. They were among the first settlers in that county and became owners of a small farm. They sold their interests there in 1883 and located in Grandview township, Lyon county, where they bought land.

Isaac Regnier died on his farm sixteen years ago, at the age of seventy years; his widow lives in Marshall with her daughter, Mrs. August Durrenberger.

George was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, August 27, 1864, and was brought up and educated in the country schools of that county. He lived with his parents until twenty-one years of age, and in 1883 he and his parents moved to Lyon county and located in Grandview township. A few years later George bought the northwest quarter of section 23 from the railroad company. There he built a small shack and commenced farming. He was married soon after and continued to make his home on the place twenty years — until moving to his present farm in 1910, with the exception of two years, during which time he retired from active farming on account of his health and resided in Ghent. He was one of the incorporators of that village and served on the council one year.

The marriage of George Regnier and Cecile Caron occurred in Ghent November 25, 1891. Mrs. Regnier is a native of Kankakee county, Illinois. By her marriage to Mr. Regnier she became the mother of four children, Denage, Albert, Virginia and Alma.

Our subject is one of ten living children born to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Regnier. The others are Joseph, Louis, Ambrose, John, Harry, Mary, Florence, Emma and Louise. The Regnier family are members of the Catholic church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN B. REGNIER (1883), Lake Marshall township farmer, was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, October 29, 1865. He is a son of Isaac and Mary (Toushette) Regnier, natives of Canada. The parents moved to Illinois, where our subject was born, received his schooling, and grew to manhood.

In 1883 John Regnier accompanied his parents to Lyon county and his father purchased land in Grandview township. John remained with his parents until 1888, when he started farming for himself on eighty acres in the same township which had been given to him by his father. He later sold this and purchased a half section in Fairview township, which he farmer until 1907, when he sold and later purchased the southeast quarter of section 8, and the northwest quarter of section 17, Lake Marshall township. On March 1, 1912, Mr. Regnier purchased the east half and the east half of the west half of section 29, Lucas township, making him a farm of 480 acres in that precinct.

Our subject also engaged in stock raising, among other breeds, Red Polled Angus cattle, Poland China hogs and Belgian horses. He owns stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of Marshall. Mr. Regnier is a member of the M. W. A. and K. of C. lodges and of the Catholic church.

The subject of this review was married at Ghent December 29, 1890, to Severine Caron, a native of Canada. Mrs. Regnier was born September 29, 1864, and is a daughter of Isaac and Adaline (Bosquet) Caron, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Vermont. Mr. and Mrs. Regnier are the parents of the following children: Oscar A., born September 16, 1891; Edna B., born October 24, 1892: Charles Henry, bom August 18, 1895; Peter N., born September 10, 1896; Olivine O., bom October 1, 1897; Emil L., born February 28, 1902; and Adleine X.. bom July 30, 1905.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

AMBROSE A. REGNIER (1883), of Lake Marshall township, was born in Kankakee, Illinois, November 15, 1867, a son of Isaac and Mary (Touschette) Regnier. The parents are natives of Canada and moved to Illinois in 1847, where they resided until 1883, when they moved to Lyon county.

Ambrose accompanied his parents to Lyon county when sixteen years of age and lived with his parents until twenty-nine years old, when he married and started farming for himself. He farmer the northwest quarter of section 21 and forty acres on section 15, Grandview township, until 1895, when he moved to Ghent and worked for the Western Grain Company ten years. He also worked for the same firm and the Youmans Lumber Company in Marshall two years.

In 1907 Ambrose purchased forty acres on section 3, Lake Marshall township, where he now resides. He also owns four hundred acres in Sodus township, which he rents out. Mr. Regnier is assessor of Lake Marshall township, and he served as clerk and treasurer of the Grandview Township Board of Supervisors fifteen years. He also served on the Ghent School Board twelve years. He is a member of the Catholic church.

Our subject was married at Ghent October 20, 1896, to Judith Prairie, a native of Kankakee, Illinois. She is a daughter of Clovis and Mary (Lord) Prairie, natives of Canada, and was born July 30, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Regnier are the parents of the following children: Maude, born November 28, 1898; Isabel, born July 19, 1900; [name withheld], born May 15, 1907.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.