Girardin family gathers to recreate historical photo at Delaurier Homestead

What began with an April, 2023 Southpoint Sun article making reference to tales of Al Capone’s bootleggers and summoning wandering bovine with a cowbell, came to a culmination of sorts with a gathering and photo that took place on Sunday, April 28 at Point Pelee National Park.

The Girardin family came together for a meet and greet at Delaurier Homestead, a place that includes a settlers’ photo of Frances Frome from long ago that is found along the trail to the east. The brainchild of Wendy Butt, Frome’s daughter, a post was put out on social media asking any remaining family members to come together to “recreate” the displayed photo that was taken in the early 20th century.

Now in her 90s, Frances is the great-grandchild of Francis Xavier Girardin and Susanne Delaurier, early settlers from the 1800s. She spent a lot of time in the park at her grandparents’ place near the Delaurier farm, the home of Girardin settlers, Maxon and Bertha Girardin. Some of Frome’s fondest memories at her grandparents’ included, “swinging on vines and being chased by a nasty wild turkey.”

Approximately 45 family members made the trek to the national park on a wet morning to reminisce about old times, peruse albums of family photos and get acquainted with new members of the clan.

When Frome was asked to share what the gathering meant to her, she said, “It means the world to me. I haven’t seen some of my family members for a while and they have grown up. It brings up a lot of happy memories.”