Marie-Ange Beaudin Arbour Cyr (1884 – 1970)

Marie-Ange Arbour was a widow with two young children when she arrived in the Yukon by train from Montreal in 1918. She was to be a housekeeper for Felix Laderoute, the Mayor of Kirkman Creek.¹⁾ Laderoute was Marie’s uncle [or father-in-law.]²⁾ Laderoute’s ranch turned out to be a rough, dirt-floored sheep ranch and Marie took the same sternwheeler back to Whitehorse. She was attempting to buy a ticket on the ill-fated Princess Sophia but the agent could not speak French. He called in a bilingual teamster, Tony Cyr, to translate and Tony convinced the young woman to stay in the Yukon. They were married within two months and they had five more children.³⁾

Marie’s first two children were Aline and Wilbrod Arbour.⁴⁾ Marie and Tony’s children were Laurent, Lomer, Gloria, Paul, and Rosalie Cyr.⁵⁾