MAXIME LEPINE - son of Jean-Baptiste + Josette Lavallée
- b. 1837- - St-Boniface, MB
- m. 1857- - St-Boniface, MB +
Josette Lavallée
- d. 1897- - St-Laurent-de-Grandin, SK
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When Gabriel Dumont, exiled leader of the Métis, found it again necessary to contact his people, the person he choose to write to, was his friend Maxime Lépine, whom he trusted and knew as a man of great honesty.
Maxime and his brother Ambroise had been politically active with Louis Riel during the Métis struggles of the Red River in 1869-1870.
By 1883, Maxime Lépine had migrated to the St-Louis-Batoche area and was active in petitioning the government of Ottawa for title to Métis lands. In 1884, he was present at the first meeting called by the Batoche-area Métis to discuss the possibility of a confrontation with Ottawa over ese land clairs. He contined to be active in petitioning Ottawa and was involved in preparing the strategy leading up to the re-call of Louis Riel from Montana.
In March, 1885, Maxime was appointed to the Council of the newly proclaimed "Provisional Government of the Saskatchewan River" which the Métis called "le Petit Provisoire". During the battles of 1885, Maxime fought in the trenches, beside Dumont, even though he realized the overwhelming odds, against success.
When the struggle was over, Maxime was arrested. He refused to answer any questions and in August 1885, he was with nin other Métis soldiers, sentenced to seven years in prison. He suffered very much because survived for only a few years after his release. He died - a nearly forgotten man in 1894.
If other people forgot my grandfather Maxime, Grandma Josette did not forget his. I remember Grandma Josette; you see I was born in on January 29, 1911 and Grandma passed away on October 18. 1925. Poor Josette, she lived several years without her husband, just because there was a war in Batoche in 1885. She always thought that those years in prison much have undermined his health and often said "Maxime was built to live one hundred years!"
History does not mention Maxime, son of Maxime, and my uncle, You may be interested to know that Maxime went for a trip to the Yukon at the time of the Gold Rush, and although he had a few gold nuggets in his pocket when he came back to St-Louis, my poor Uncle Maxime was poorer that before!
Ancestral line of Maxime LEPINE:
1 - CHAVAUDIE, Jacques + Catherine Barilot of St-Julien, dio. of Limoges, FRANCE
2 - CHAVAUDIE, Jean + Marie Mercier m. 1671-10-19 Québec, QC
3 - CHEVAUDIER/ LEPINE, Charles + Marie Joussety m. 1701-05-30 Pte-aux. Trembles, QC
4 - CHEVAUDIER,/LEPINE, Joseph Marie-Jeanne Brien m. 1734-10-18 Varennes, QC
5 - LEPINE, François + Madeleine Laperche m. 1759-02-12 l'Assomption, QC
6 - LEPINE, Joseph + Angélique Péloquin m. 1783-05-20 l'Assomption, QC
7 - LEPINE, Jean-Marie + Julie Allary m. 1822 (ca)
8 - LEPINE, Maxime + Josette Lavallée m. 1857- (ca)
ref: story by Marie-Anne Lepine, daughter of Patrice Lépine and grand-daughter of Maxime, sr.
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