Franco-Americans are often surprised by how easy it is to create a family genealogy.

Denis Ledoux is a writer from Lisbon Falls who was amazed by how easy it was to fill in the roughly 6,000 names on his Franco-American family tree. He is writing a book about his ancestors.

Ledoux’s genealogy research began in 1996 when he started to chronicle the Ledoux family
line. “I found it was so do-able,I just kept going,” he says.

As a matter of fact, he soon filled several three-ring binders with the names of descendants of the four ancestors who began his family tree beginning 11 generations ago in Quebec Province. His family tree begins with the four major names Ledoux, Verreault, Bilodeau and Lessard. He learned his first ancestor in New France to have the Ledoux name was Louis Ledoux. He found a record dated May of 1668, when Ledoux received his Sacrament of Confirmation by Bishop Francoise de Laval (1623-1708), who was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of New France.

Some of Ledoux’s early ancestors arrived during a grand recruitment of French settlers executed by Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve (1612-1676), a French military officer who helped to spearhead the settlement of Montreal. One of his first ancestors was among the group of Fille a Mariers, or a group of young ladies who agreed to travel to New France for the purpose of marrying one of the French settlers.

“I wanted to find out as much information as possible about how my ancestors lived,” says Ledoux. He found information to suggest his first ancestor was the friend of a man named Adrienne Sinecal. His primary research discovered the two men probably met while doing military service. Later, he finds Ledoux listed as godfather to Sinecal’s children.

“This was a rare find because it shows a relationship with a man who was my ancestor’s best friend,” says Ledoux.

Genealogy research helped Ledoux to feel connected to his family’s history. He grew up speaking French when his family lived in Lewiston and later in Lisbon Falls. He attended St. Bernadette Parochial School, where the Sisters of the Presentation taught him English.

Ledoux recalls what it felt like to belong to an immigrant group.

“I believe immigrant groups share the experience of feeling disenfranchised from the predominant culture,” he says. “I grew up learning other people’s history; but genealogy gave me the experience of knowing my personal history,” he says.

Ledoux started publishing stories about his Franco-American culture 22 years ago, well before he undertook research on his family tree. He owns the publishing company Soliel Press, running the business operations from an office located right next door to his home in Lisbon Falls. In the past 22 years, Soliel Press has published about two dozen books; most of them are personal autobiographies.

Ledoux wrote and published the book “What Became of Them and Other Stories from Franco-America,” a collection of short stories. He edited “Lives in Translation,” an anthology of Franco-American writing. He is currently finishing another book titled “Here to Stay,” a creative story based on his family’s 17th-century Canadian ancestors.

During his research, Ledoux learned to appreciate just how heroic his ancestors and all the people who came with them were.

“They really had to stay in Quebec after they arrived because some had signed contracts to work,” he says. “The French settlers who were able to return to France were usually the military or civil service.  But the rest stayed,” he says.

Ledoux helps others to write their family stories. He will conduct writing workshops for some nonprofit organizations in the Lewiston area beginning next year.

Information about Soliel Life Story Netword is found at the website www.turningmemories.com or contact Ledoux at 207-353-5454.

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