Individual Details

Surname variations for this family: CHAMPOUX, CHAMPEAU, CHAMPOU, SHAMPOU, SHAMPEAU, SCHAMPEAU, SHAMPO, CHAMPO, CHAMBEAU, CHAMPBEAU

His Declaration of Intent states that he arrived in this country on or about the month of August, in the year 1835. His brother, Joseph Felix Champeau, had come first. He later returned for his mother and younger siblings. The Manseau, Landry, and Champeau families, all then of the Baie-du-Febvre area, immigrated together, and also intermarried. They initially lived in Little Chute. Most then relocated to Bay Settlement, with the Rabideaus and the Manuel Champeau family settling in Howard. Oliver's mother continued to live with him thereafter.

Occupations: Saddlemaker, Farmer, Grocer

In Reunion: A Beno-Champeau Genealogy, by Dorothy Beno Lutomski and Mary Ann Defnet, the authors include this story (p. 36), which is attributed to "a grand-daughter of Ephraim St-Louis" (presumably Marie St-Louis of Milwaukee, or someone in her family), which I transcribe here:

My grandparents came from Sorel, Province of Quebec (believed to be the departure, as the family lived in Yamachiche). When they came from Canada, there were seven families. They had three sailboats: two for the families, and the third was machinery for a mill. When they came, my father was six years old. It took them three months to come from Sorel, Canada, to Little Chute, Wisconsin, because when the wind blew against them, sometimes they had to anchor for days.

It is then stated that "descendants of the St-Louis families are quite certain that some of the other families in this group were Manseaus, Champeaus, and Landrys. They were all residents of Yamachiche, Canada, and are all known to have resided in Little Chute, Wisconsin."
My research since then shows that these families were actually residing in Baie-du-Febvre and St-François-du-Lac just before their emigration. I don't know if this would have an impact on their point of embarkation. In any case, it makes sense that these families came together. They lived in close proximity in both Québec and Wisconsin, and the families intermarried in both places as well. Also, St. John`s Church in Little Chute was one of the three earliest Catholic parishes in Brown County. There is some evidence that Joseph Felix Champeau emigrated earlier than the rest of his family. Also, Honoré Landry probably did not make the trip before 1850, as he and his first wife had five children born at St-François-du-Lac throughout the 1850s, and she died there in late September of 1849. Still, whatever family members were part of the above story, it is a wonderful account. We don't tend to think of immigration from Canada coming by sailing ship!



The following story is told about Oliver Champeau and his brother-in-law, Henry Verboncoeur, on page 37-38 of Reunion: A Beno-Champeau Genealogy by Mary Ann Defnet and Dorothy Lutomski (1978):

"On April 1, 1839, an indenture was drawn up between Judge John Lawe of Green Bay and Henry Verboncoeur and Oliver Champeau. The document, found in the 65-volume collection of Grignon-Porlier-Lawe Papers, leases to Verboncoeur and Champeau 320 acres of land (NE½ of Section 33, T20N, R24E) on the West Twin River, now in Manitowoc County. They were to receive one yoke of working oxen, one horse, two milk cows, one ox yoke, one cart and harness, and a plough.
"The conditions of the agreement were that Henry and Oliver would pay Mr. Lawe a yearly rent of one dollar for a term of three years with the option of two additional years if agreed by all parties. They had to clear and fence in 25 acres of the land and build 'a good and suitable barn and stable.' They were to cut the timber into saw logs and deliver them to the Twin River Steam Mill owned by Lawe. The indenture stated specific dimensions for the lumber.
"It is doubtful that the lease was carried to its full term. It seems that things did not run too smoothly. For, in August of 1840, Judge Lawe received the following letter from Roger Eberts, manager of the steam mill:

Dear Sir,
Oliver Champeau and Henry Verboncoeur were here yesterday to deliver me some logs which they have got out last winter on your a/c. I would not receive them; first because they are too crooked and not merchandable. I offered them to leave it to two disinterested men to apprise the logs, but they would not. They wanted me to receipt the logs whether or not, which I rejected upon the above objections, and told them that I did not wish to receipt them such logs and then be censored by Judge Lawe. They are too short, also. Mr. Smith says that they will not average over 80 feet of lumber each, and will take from 6 to 7 logs to make one thousand feet of lumber. I told them to do something soon about their logs, or I would throw them out of the boom. i presume they will complain bitterly to you about me, but I do not care what they may say. Justice demands of me to do what is right and just between man and man -- and that law I will follow, if I die on the strength of it.

"It was, no doubt, shortly after this incident that Oliver Champeau returned to Little Chute. On 2 January 1841, he married Marie Narcisse Manseau at St. John's Church there."



Another story is told about Oliver Champeau's friendship with Father Edward Daems, the Belgian missionary priest who brought a group of immigrants to Bay Settlement and later founded the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross. These are the recollections of Sister Mary Rose (Jane Landeau), an adoptive daughter of Oliver and Marie Narcisse, quoted on page 44 of Reunion: A Beno-Champeau Genealogy by Mary Ann Defnet and Dorothy Lutomski (1978):

"Papa was Father Daems' best friend, always ready to help him. He died during his hour of Guard of Honor, which he had never once missed. After his working years were over, every morning saw him kneeling at the foot of the mission cross in the cold church, a long time after having heard Mass.
"A frequent visitor in Oliver Champeau's home was an old friend, Mr. Denissen, father of John and Nettie Denissen, whose excursion boats had those names. Mr. Denissen had studied for the priesthood but discontinued, married twice, had 20 children. He is the grandfather of Nettie Rondou, wife of Norman Champeau (Shampo). Every visit in our home heard him repeat the same story of the incident which had made a deep impression on his pious mind:
'Champeau, do you remember when Father Daems came here to say Mass and said to us, "If you build me a house I will come and stay with you"? After Mass you called out, "If all you Hollanders come with your teams, I will have that house up in three days." They all came and in three days, the house was ready. Father Daems said it was better than the house he left in Europe because this has three rooms while the other had only two.'

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Birth	9 Aug 1809	Louiseville, Maskinongé, Québec, Canada
Christen	10 Aug 1809	Louiseville, Maskinongé, Québec, Canada
Immigration	Aug 1835	Sorel, Québec to Little Chute, Wisconsin, via port of Green Bay,
Census	1838	Astor, Brown, Wisconsin, United States
Census	1840	Two Rivers Twp., Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States
Marriage	2 Jan 1841	Little Chute, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Census (family)	1842	Bay Settlement, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Residence	1842	Bay Settlement, Brown, Wisconsin, United States
Census (family)	1846	Bay Settlement, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Census (family)	19 Aug 1850	Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Declaration of Intent (Citizenship)	1 Apr 1851	Green Bay, Brown, Wisconsin, United States
Census (family)	1 Jun 1860	Scott, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Occupation	Jun 1870	Grocer - Bay Settlement, Scott, Brown, Wisconsin, United States
Census (family)	1 Jun 1870	Bay Settlement, Scott, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Census (family)	1 Jun 1880	Scott, Brown, Wisconsin, United States - Marie Narcisse MANSEAU
Death	17 Jan 1896	Bay Settlement, Brown, Wisconsin, United States
Alt name		Olivier CHAMPOUX

Spouse	Marie Narcisse MANSEAU (1819 - )
Child	David SHAMPO (1841 - 1908)
Child	Marie Philomene CHAMPEAU (1843 - 1844)
Child	Joseph CHAMPEAU (1844 - )
Child	Marie Philomene "Mary" CHAMPEAU (1846 - 1908)
Child	Elizabeth "Eliza" CHAMPEAU ( - 1916)
Child	Oliver CHAMPEAU (1849 - 1916)
Child	Henry CHAMPEAU (1850 - 1923)
Child	Odile CHAMPEAU (1852 - 1873)
Child	Marie Matilda CHAMPEAU (1854 - 1930)
Child	Mary Emily CHAMPEAU (1856 - 1913)
Child	Francis Xavier "Frank" CHAMPEAU (1857 - 1929)
Child	Odile "Odelia" CHAMPEAU (1877 - 1946)
Child	Emma CHAMPEAU (1879 - 1946)
Child	Jane LANDEAU (1872 - 1947)

Father	Louis CHAMPOUX (1774 - 1828)
Mother	Théotiste RIVARD dit LAGLANDERIE (1780 - 1857)
Sibling	Théotiste CHAMPOUX (1798 - 1843)
Sibling	Marie Ursule CHAMPOUX (1800 - 1826)
Sibling	Marie Magdeleine CHAMPOUX (1802 - )
Sibling	Joseph Felix CHAMPOUX (1804 - 1880)
Sibling	Olivier CHAMPOUX (1806 - 1806)
Sibling	Marie CHAMPOUX (1807 - )
Sibling	Isidore CHAMPOUX (1811 - )
Sibling	Elmire "Amelia" CHAMPOUX (1813 - 1897)
Sibling	Appoline "Polly" CHAMPEAU (1815 - 1897)
Sibling	Félicité (Felicity) CHAMPOUX (1816 - 1904)
Sibling	Margaret Mary CHAMPOUX (1818 - 1891)
Sibling	Emanuel "Manuel" CHAMPEAU (1819 - 1892)
Sibling	Louis CHAMPOUX (1821 - 1822)

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