Eugenie Landry and Damien Burke
"Le vieux" Damien (Jr.) Burke was born February 9, 1853, fourth child born to Damien Bourg and Domitille Cordeau. Eugenie Landry was born February 18, 1858. She was the daughter of Pacien Landry and Angele Digout.
Follow this link to learn more about the parents and siblings of Damien.
Eugenie and Damien were married on January 9, 1882. They lived on a small farm in River Bourgeois (photos below) on the south side of Cape Breton Island. Damien was probably a fisherman and part-time farmer and logger. Theirs was a French Catholic household.
Eugenie and Damien had two children : Abraham Alfred Damien Burke, born February 14, 1884, and Celeste Anne Burke, born February 3, 1900.
From the transcribed River Bourgeois church records...
Born : Bourke, Abraham Alfred, Feb 14, 1884, to Damien Bourke & Eugenie LandryBorn : Burke, Celeste Anne, Feb 3, 1900, to Damien Burke & Eugenie Landry
(Note the evolution of the Burke name, as it became Anglisized in just three generations - from Bourg to Bourke to Burke.)
In the photo below, Damien and Eugenie's house is the small one on the right. The house had two rooms - a 10 x 20 foot kitchen, with a wood (or coal) burning stove and oven attached, kitchen table, sofa and rocking chair. The other room, of equal size, was principally a bedroom, but also the place for sewing (with a sewing machine) and other household duties. No running water. An outhouse stood out back.
Theresa remembers... when they would visit, the family would drive up to the front of the house on the dirt path driveway. The front door led into the kitchen.
This photo shows the property the Burkes had in River Bourgeois - the middle house is Fred's, the right-most belonged to Damien and Eugenie...
