Old Missoula

Pioneer Resident of West Montana Passes in South

Mrs. Gaspard Deschamps Dies at Home of Daughter in Los Angeles

Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Gaspard Deschamps at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. J. Tobinski, at Los Angeles Wednesday evening.

Mrs. Deschamps, one of Western Montana’s pioneer residents, came to Missoula by covered wagon in 1876 and until the time of her death was the sole survivor of three pioneer settlers who came to Missoula at that time. The families who traveled to Missoula by covered wagon from Fort Benton, disregarding the extreme danger brought about [by] the warring Chief Joseph and his Indians, were the two families of Cyr and the Violettes.

Mrs. Deschamps was 78 years of age and had been ill for about a year. She was born in St. Bazil, New Brunswick. With her parents, she moved to Jefferson, S. D., in the early days and in 1876 accompanied the families up the Missouri river by boat to Fort Benton, where the covered wagon caravan to travel to Missoula was organized.

On June 29, 1877, she was married to Gaspard Deschamps in Missoula, and spent virtually all of her life here and in Grass Valley where the family operated extensive ranch holdings. She became a widow in 1920 when Mr. Deschamps was killed in a railroad wreck.

During the past dozen years, Mrs. Deschamps has spent part of the time in California and left Missoula for the last time last fall to go to California.

She is survived by a brother, John E. Cyr of Missoula and by 11 children, five sons and six daughters. The sons are Gaspard J., U. W., Arthur and Armand, all of the Missoula district, and Elzare of Hall. The daughters are Mrs. Thomas Murphy of Los Angeles, Mrs. John Tolan of Oakland, Mrs. J. J. Tobinski of Los Angeles, Mrs. K. K. Jones of Fort Lewis, Wash., Mrs. T. A. Susan of Williamette, Ill., Mrs. Paul Shephard of Rutherford, N. J. Also surviving are 29 grandchildren.

The body will be sent to Missoula for funeral services and burial and will arrive here probably Sunday.

The above obituary appeared in The Daily Missoulian on May 18, 1934.

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Death of Eloi Cyr Removes Veteran Settler

Old-Timer in Western Montana Sinks Into Last Sleep – His Career

Eloi Cyr, one of the veterans of the early days in western Montana, died peacefully yesterday at St. Patrick’s hospital, just at noon. The end came quietly; his long life came to its close and the long sleep without the usual agony of death. Eloi Cyr, miner and rancher, spent the best years of his life in western Montana. His simple, straightforward manner, and his hones life made him hundreds of friends. There is not one of the older people who does not grieve. He had, really no last illness; the call of age came quietly today.

Eloi Cyr was born at St. Bastile, New Brunswick, in 1833. In 1870 he made the long and dangerous trip to Montana to engage in mining on Cedar creek. There he worked for three years; then he made the weary journey back to New Brunswick for his family, returning in a year. Then he settled on a ranch in Grass Valley, adjoining the Deschamps acres. This was his home until he retired from active life and turned the ranch over to his son, John Cyr, in whose hands it now is. For the last 14 years he has made his home at St. Patrick’s hospital. He was a devout member of St. Francis Xavier church.

His wife died nine years ago.* Mr. Cyr is survived by three children, all of whom are prominent residents; Mrs. William C. Murphy, Mrs. Gaspard Deschamps and John Cyr, whose Missoula residence is at 502 West Spruce street. There the body was taken yesterday afternoon. No definite funeral arrangements have been made, but the services will probably be held next Monday. It is the request of the children that no flowers be sent.

The above obituary is from The Daily Missoulian on November 19, 1910.

Eloi Cyr married Christine Theriault in 1854. She died in 1901 and is buried in Missoula.

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