For the family of Louis Peltier and Mary Ballou

[please note that I have just recently started researching this family.  So my information is limited at this time.]

Louis PELTIER was born in 1823 in France.   According to the French Ancestors issue of September/October 1989, Louis Hipolyte Peltier was born on 12 August 1823 in Evette France at 8:00 a.m.  His twin brother Jean Baptiste was born at 9:00 a.m.

Mary Ballou was born in 1824 in France.  Again, according to the Evette civil records, Louis Hypolite Peltier, age 21, farmer, was married to Francoise Belot, age 20 on 10 September 1844.   [Note:  Mary Ballou must have been an americanized name, or perhaps Ballou was how the name sounded when it was said in English].

Their first child, daughter Rose,  was born in 1846 in France.   In 1848, several families migrated to the United States from Evette.  Included in this were Louis Hippolyte Peltier and wife Francoise Belot as well as Louis' twin brother Jean Baptiste Peltier and his wife Marie Huot.  Note that both Louis and John B. Peltier were apparently naturalized citizens, as their names appear on the index of naturalized records being held at Wright  State University.  [see sources for more information]

Another researcher has indicated that they may have been in Stark County Ohio or Darke County Ohio after immigrating to the US.  But I have been unable to locate the 1850 federal census record of them.

Their first census record is the 1860 record.  At this time, Louis and Mary were living in Loramie Township in Shelby County, Ohio.  With them are 5 children:  Rose, Andrew, Julia, Eliza and Mary.  Louis is listed as a farmer and they are living next door to Louis' twin, John B. Peltier.

In 1870, they are still living in Loramie Township, with their local post office noted as Houston.  Besides Louis and Mary, their children listed are Henry, Julia, Eliza, Mary, Joseph, and Adaline.  [Note:  I believe that Henry might actually be the same person as Andrew noted on the 1860 census].   In 1870, the federal census taker also took an agricultural census.  From this record, we have many more details about their life.   Louis owned 50 acres of improved land and 30 acres of woodlands.    He had 2 horses, 3 cows.  They harvested 160 bushels of winter wheat, 250 bushels of indian corn, 140 bushels of oats, 20 bushels of irish potatoes and produced 200 pounds of butter.

On 04 November 1876, Louis died at age 53.   As far as I know right now, there is no death record and therefore no indication of how he might have died.  But I wonder if it might have been a heart attack.  He was so young and in subsequent generations of his line, many passed away from heart attacks.  His son Joseph died instantly at age 61 of a heart attack in the pool hall,  Joseph's son Raymond died instantly at age 70 of a heart attack while watching tv, and Raymond's son Lester died at age 80 while mowing the grass.

By the 1880 census, Mary is listed as living in Loramie Township in Shelby County.  She is living with her 19 year old son Joseph. [note: the census record actually said the son's name was John, which I believe was in error.]

Mary passed away on 02 September 1894 at age 69 years 11 months.  Both Louis and Mary are buried in the St. Remy Cemetery in Russia, Shelby County, Ohio.

They had 7 known children, all surnamed Peltier: