The Hamel Family of West Warwick - Paul J Hamel Official Website ...

The Hamels in 1978This photo was taken at the Hamel and Landry Family Reunion on July 16, 1978.Rita(Bruneau)HamelRenéHamelJeanette(Hamel)TellierLouTellierRita(Hamel)MaillouxReggieMaillouxStevenHamelCora(Coutcher)HamelGeorgeLeoHamelRenéLandryRayBabcockPauline(Babcock)HamelStellaBabcockRaymondArmondHamelBarbaraHamelDawnHamelJeffJonesSuzanneBabcockAudry(Hamel)JonesStevensDenise(Hamel)StevensMichelleStevensRita(Vallières)LandryMillisaStevensHarryBabcock

Coming to the United StatesWilfred-Joseph Hamel and his parents, Alfred and Odélie(Lamothe), were the first members of this branch ofthe Hamel Family to come to the United States. Theyimmigrated from Sainte-Croix in Quebec, Canada, toRhode Island before 1898.The exact year they arrivedis unknown.Louis-Alfred Hamel and OdélieLamothe around 1911Joseph-Wilfred Hamel, Odélie(Lamothe) Hamel, and Rosa (Jetté)Hamel in the 1920s1Alfred and Odélie (Lamothe)were married in Ste-Croixon July 1, 1868. In 1869Wilfred-Joseph was born.Alfred and Odélie also hada daughter, Alice who wasborn in 1873. Alice (Hamel)Messier lived on ShippeeAvenue in Arctic, RhodeIsland, for most of her life.She died in 1962 and isburied in Saint Joseph’sCemetery in West Warwick,Rhode Island. She did nothave any children.The Hamel Family arrival inthe United States coincidedwith a large number(about 900,000) of otherFrench Canadians whoimmigrated to NewEngland’s textile milltowns that were thrivingat the turn of the 20thCentury.Around the time the RoyalMill, a textile mill, openedin River Point in the late1800s, the Hamel familysettled in West Warwick.River Point, which is atown in West Warwick,was one of many “Frenchtowns” in New Englandthat attracted FrenchCanadian immigrantsbetween 1840 and 1940.Other “French towns”where other branchesof Hamel Family tookroot included Centerville,Warren, Natick, Arctic,Coventry, Pawtucket, andWoonsocket. The FrenchCanadian population ofJoseph-Wilfred Hamel on April 27, 1925Rosa (Jetté) Hamel around 1910

The Hamel children around 1907(Standing) Roland and Loretta(Sitting) Rita and WilfredLoretta, Rita, Wilfred, and RolandHamel around 1910Rhode Island between1900 and 1930 was about56,000.Wilfred-Joseph Hamelwas a stationary engineeras were his sons, Wilfredand Roland. StationaryEngineers operateboilers, refrigerationequipment, diesel engines,turbines, generators,pumps, condensers andcompressors. Theseworkers are called stationaryengineers because much ofthe equipment they operateis similar to the equipmentoperated by locomotive ormarine engineers exceptthat it is not in a movingvehicle.The earliest record of theHamel Family of WestWarwick is documentedin a book by FatherAdrien Hamel in Quebec,Genéalogie de la FamilleHamel: 1656-1956. Theentry states “Wilfred Hamel,son of Alfred and OdelieHamel, married Rosa Jette,in Providence, Rhode Islandon September 5th, 1898.”(See Chapter 2, FamilyOrigins.)Wilfred-Joseph was 29 andRosa Jetté was 25 years oldwhen they married. The onlyother information about RosaJetté is that she was born inCanada in 1873. After a fewyears of marriage, Wilfred-Joseph and Rosa movedto the corner of East MainStreet and Bridge Street(Highway 115) in River Pointa few blocks from the RoyalMill where Wilfred-Josephworked. Within the firstfive years of their marriage,they produced four children:Loretta, George-Roland,Wilfred-Joseph, and Rita.Over the next ten year, theJoseph-Wilfred and his wife, Rosa(Jetté) Hamel around 1911Joseph-Wilfred and his wife, Rosa(Jetté) Hamel playing cards at home inthe1920s. Yvonne (Landry) Hamel inthe background dressed in white.Rosa (Jetté) Hamel around 1911

Hamel Family grew in number andprosperity as is evident in many ofthe family photos that date backto 1911. In one family photo, thewhole family is posing for a photoon the porch of a beach houseprobably located in Warren. Everymember of the family appearedwell-dressed, well-groomed, andwell-fed. (See photo on page00.) The family was apparentlyaffluent enough to afford a carand a camera—an invention thatjust started to become popular atthe time. They left hundreds ofphotos, which appear in this book.These photos document how theylived at the time.Joseph-Wilfred died in 1930 at61 years old, and Rosa died onDecember 8, 1923 at the age of49 years old. They are buried atSaint Joseph’s Cemetery in Arctic,West Warwick, Rhode Island.In the 1920 and 30s Roland,Loretta, Wilfred and Rita startedtheir own families. Roland married3Rita and Wilfred Hamel around 1912Rita and Loretta Hamel around 1915Roland and WilfredHamel around 1910Loretta and WilfredHamel in the 1920sJoseph-Wilfred Hamel inthe 1930sCora Alma Bergeron, Lorettamarried Romeo Auclair, Rita marriedLouis Vallieres, and Wilfred marriedYvonne Landry. (See Chapter 00,The Landry Family of Warren, RI.)Loretta (Hamel) AuclairThe exact date of Loretta’s birthis unknown; it was around 1899.She died June 6, 1963. Shemarried Romeo Auclair. They hadno children. She is buried in theHamel Family plot in Saint Joseph’sCemetery in Arctic although hername is not shown on the headstone.George Roland HamelGeorge Roland Hamel was born onNovember 11, 1901 in Providence.Although his name was George-Roland, he used the name Roland.Following in his father’s footsteps,Roland worked at various textile millsin West Warwick as a stationary.While working at the SlatersvilleMill, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island,Roland met Cora Bergeron whose

family came from anotherFrench Canadian family inWoonsocket. Roland andCora had three children:Rene, Rita, and Jeannette.As a young family, they livedat several locations: on UnionStreet, 10 Junior Street(behind Horgan ElementarySchool), and 225 ProvidenceStreet. In the 1950s Rolandand his children build theirhomestead consisting ofthree houses next to oneanother on Harvest Drive inCoventry.René Roland HamelSon of Roland and CoraHamel, René Hamel wasborn on December 9, 1929 inNorth Smithsfield. Rene, likehis father and grandfather,also worked as a stationaryengineer in several textilemills in the area. In 1948 hejoined the Navy and servedas an electrician on boardRoland and Cora Hamel’s Weddingphoto. Cora’s father, Mr. Bergeron,and Joseph-Wilfred Hamel arestanding.Roland and Cora (Bergeron) Hamelwith their children: Jeanette, René,and Rita in the 1930sRoland Hamel in the 1930s (Below)Roland and Cora Hamel in the1950sthe Destroyer Harlin R. Dickson(DD708). While working at theAnthony Mill, Rene met RitaBruneau and they were marriedon February 3, 1951. ReneHamel and Reggie Maillouxstarted Reggie & Rene’s SuperService Texaco Station, and theHAMA Armature Co. Rene andRita Hamel had six children:Arline, born on December 19,1952, married Donald Fontainein 1972. Denise, died soon afterbirth in 1954; Renee, born onAugust 29, 1956, married JohnWickham in 1979. Janice, bornon October 7, 1959, marriedJames Holihen in 1984, divorcedand married Matthew Theroux in2002. Joyce, born on June 20,1961, married Michael Bradshawin 1989. Shelia, born on July 11,1963, married John Socha in1981. Rene and Rita still live onHarvest Drive, in Coventry.Their eight grandchildren includeChrystal Fontaine Geauetteand Monique Fontaine, Adam4

Rita (Bruneau) and René Hamel’swedding photo on Feb. 3, 1951. (Below)with their children in the 1980sLou and Jeanette (Hamel) Tellier inthe 1950sRita and Reggie had twosons, Richard G. and RonaldP. Mailloux; two daughters,Jacqueline Louise MaillouxGrant and Susan RitaMailloux DeResta, all ofCoventry. Richard marriedPatricia Ellen Beaudry onJuly 11, 1970. They havetwo children, Richard Jr.born May 1, 1972, and JudithRenee born Oct 5, 1976.Jacqueline Louise Maillouxmarried T. Peter Grant onFeb. 12, 1972. They divorcedin 1984. They have threechildren, Elisha Kathleen,born March 1, 1973, JessicaLouise, born march 11,1975, and Erin Susan bornMarch 30, 1982. Elishamarried Scott Gellar on Aug.15, 1999. They have twochildren, Reece born Oct. 9,2003, and Owen born Feb.8, 2006 and Gellar. Jessicamarried Steven Giguere onApril 7, 2001. They have twochildren: Grant, born Aug.8, 2003 and Ava Giguere,born Aug. 22, 2005. Ronaldmarried Shirley Sepe onDec. 29, 1974. They havea daughter Hollie Ann,born July 14, 1975. Holliemarried Justin Pomfret onMay 27, 2000. They havetwo children, Alexis bornOct. 24, 1997 and Skylar,born Aug. 28, 2001. Ronalddivorced and marriedPatricia Ann Dlugosz. Theyhave no children. Susanmarried Joseph DeResta onApril 23, 1983. They havetwo children, Vincent bornMarch 18, 1984, and Jaredborn July 14, 1986.Joseph DeResta has twochildren Maria DeRestaCativo and Jodi DeResta.Maria married MichaelCativo July 25, 1999. Theyhave two children. Mikayla,born May 1, 2001, andMatthew Cativo born June 7,Reggie and Rita (Hamel) Mailloux inthe 1970sRichard and Jacqueline Mailloux inthe 1950s6

Jeanette (Hamel) Tellier in 2005Rita (Bruneau) Hamel in 2005Rita (Hamel) and husband ReggieMailoux in 2005René Hamel in 20052005. Jodi has two children,Joseph Doyle, born Feb. 20,1992, and Anthony DeRestaborn Sept. 10, 2001.Rita and Reggie Maillouxhave eight grand children andsix great grand children.Jeannette (Hamel) TellierJeannette Hamel was bornon December 12, 1926. Shemarried Louis L Tellier onOct. 3, 1953. They met at aSt. John’s church festival andsettled in Coventry, they hadno children. Lou worked asa Supervisor for TENNECOInc., and Jeannette was apayroll clerk for BirkshireHathaway, and a secretaryfor HAMA Armature Co.and Coventry Auto & Truck..Louis passed away onMarch 24, 1985. He had adaughter Annette Johnson,who resides in Maine, andJeannette still resides inCoventry.Rita (Hamel)VallièresThe daughter of Joseph-Wilfred and Rosa Hamel,Rita Hamel was bornaround 1907; the exact dateis unknown. Rita marriedLouis Vallières around 1924and produced a daughter,Rita Vallières, who is nowRita Landry of Santa Clara,California. Due to thepremature death of hermother, daughter Rita livedtemporarily with Rolandand Cora Hamel. Then, atthe age of three, Rita wentto live permanently with heruncle and aunt, Wilfred andYvonne (Landry) Hamel.After the death of his wife,Louis had little or no contactwith his daughter or HamelFamily.His army dischargedocuments states that hewas born in Rhode Island on(Above and below) Loius and Rita(Hamel) Vallières in the 1920s7Rita (Vallières) Landry in the 1930s

February 25, 1904 and worked as a sewer and waterworksforman supervising 22 workers. On September 19, 1942during World War II, Louis joined the army at the ageof 38. He worked as a radio teletype operator for the389th Fighter Squadron in Northern France, Rhineland,Ardenne, and Central Europe. He and his unit receiveda Distinguished Unit Citation for destroying two Germanarmored columns. After the war, he returned to RhodeIsland where he lived until his death. His daughter, Ritaand her husband, Rene Landry, live in California. Theyhave three children: David, Darleen, and Joanne. (SeeChapter 00, The Landry Family of Warren, RI, page 00.)Wilfred-Joseph HamelAlthough he hasthe same nameas his father, heonly used Wilfredas his first name.Wilfred Hamelwas born inWest Warwick onMarch 27, 1904and grew up inthe towns of RiverWilfred HamelPoint, Centerville,Artic, and Natick in the Pawtuxet Valley. While working inWarren in 1924, Wilfred met Yvonne Landry while walkinghome from work along the railroad tracks, which werelocated directly behind theLandry Family homestead.Shortly afterwards, Wilfredand Yvonne were marriedon April 27, 1925 at SaintJean’s Catholic Churchin Warren. Wilfred andYvonne were both 21 yearsold. They first settled inWarren, then over thenext four decades theylived in West Warwick,Providence, Artic, Natick,and Coventry.Following in his father’sfootsteps, Wilfred alsobecame a stationaryengineer. (See page 00.)He worked at severaltextile miles in Warren andWest Warwick. His lastjob was at the power plantat the State Hospital andPrison in Howard. Beforemarring, Yvonne workedin a mill in Warren. Afterher marriage, she becamea housewife and remainedWilfred and Yvonne (Landry) Hamel in1924 (top), in the 1940s (center) andin 1955 (below)8

Raymond, Wilfred, and Leo Hamelwith René Landry in 1938Rita Vallières and Wilfred andYvonne Hamel in the early 1940sPaul, Leo, and Maurice Hamel withRita (Vallières) Landry and Pauline(Hamel) Thompson in 2000at home. In addition to theirniece, Rita Vallieres, Wilfredand Yvonne had six children.The first, Theresa, passedaway as an infant. Four morechildren followed: Raymond(Armond), George (Leo),Maurice, and twins Paul andPauline.On June 22, 1956 on the wayto a drive-in theater with hiswife and daughter Pauline,Wilfred had a heart attack anddied on the way to the hospital.Wilfred was only 51 years old.Yvonne and twins, Paul andPauline, then moved to theLandry Family homestead onBarney Street in Warren. OnMay 22, 1958, at the age of52, Yvonne died at a hospitalin Fall River, Massachusetts.Paul and Pauline then joinedthe family of Rene and Rita(Vallieres) Landry in California.Rita was their cousin andadopted sister. Rene was theirmother’s brother (uncle.)Raymond ArmondHamelArmand Raymond Hamelwas born to Wilfred andYvonne (Landry) Hamel ofWarren, Rhode Island onApril 8, 1926. He served inthe Pacific in World War II.Shortly after the war he wastrained as electroplater andeventually became presidentof his own company, MelRicPlating Company of WestWarwick, Rhode Island. Hisfirst wife, Dorothy (Couture)Hamel was born in Coventry,Rhode Island on December28, 1929. Raymond andDorothy married on August30, 1947. Together theyhad five children: Linda,Wayne, Donna, Kevin, andDawn. The family movedto California and settled inSouth San Francisco from1954 to the early 1960s.While in California, the familylived at 985 Linden Avenue inRaymond Hamel at home in the 1950sDorothy (Couture) Hamel in the 1940sRaymond and Dot Hamel with children,Kevin, Dawn and Donna in 19629

Raymond Hamel at home in the 1950sWilfred and Dorothy Hamel in 1956Linda and Wayne Hamel in the 1950sDonna, Raymond, Scott, Linda Hameland Laurie Larkin in the 1980sSouth San Francisco. Thefamily eventually returned toRhode Island. Raymond’ssecond marriage was toBarbara R. Snow of 22 ½Elizabeth Street, Attleboro,Mass. Raymond passedaway on November 12,1987 at the age of 61 yearsold. Barbara (Snow) Hamelpassed away in the 1990s.Dorothy (Couture) Hameland her children still residein Coventry, Rhode Island.Linda Hamel was the firstchild born to Raymond andDorothy (Couture) Hamel inProvidence, Rhode Islandon November 12, 1948.After spending a few yearsliving in California duringher childhood, Linda andher family returned to WestWarwick, Rhode Island.Linda married Carl BradfordLarkin on July 31, 1966.They had three children,Laurie Larkin born on May15, 1967; Carl Larkin II, bornon December 12, 1968; andScott Larkin, born in 1975.Linda and Carl BradfordLarkin eventually divorced,and Linda and son, Scott,took back the Hamel name.Carl Larkin Jr. has twochildren, Carl Larkin III,born on October 27, 1992and Angle Larkin, born onFebruary 14, 1990. LindaHamel currently resides inCoventry.Wayne Raymond Hamelwas the second childborn to Raymond andDorothy (Couture) Hamelin Cranston, Rhode Islandon March 28, 1951. Afterspending a few yearsliving in California duringhis childhood, Wayneand his family returned toRhode Island in the 1960s.Following in his father’sfootsteps, Wayne workedas an electroplater at Mel-Linda and Wayne Hamel in the 1950sRaymond and Barbara Hamel in 1969Wayne and Lorraine Hamel in 2002Dawn (Hamel) Otten and DonnaHamel, Dorothy (Couture) Hamel,and Linda Hamel10

Wayne Hamel Jr. and wife Paula in 2006Dawn (Hamel) & husband, Jerry GacquesLinda Hamel (right) with daughter LaurieLarkin and son Scott Hamel in 2006Kevin and Sue Hamel in 1999Ric Plating Company inWest Warwick for 30 years.Wayne married StephanieGrattage on December23, 1970. Together theyhad a son, Wayne HamelJr., born on April 16, 1971.Wayne’s second marriagewas to Lorraine Hamelinon July 7, 1987. Wayne’sstepdaughter, CristenHamelin, was born on April21, 1981. Cristen marriedToriano Hobbs in 2004.They have two children,Kayara Hobbs, born onApril 12, 2001 and TorianoHobbs Jr, born in Texason December 29, 2006.Cristen’s husband, Toriano,was born in Texas onFebruary 10, 1979. WayneHamel passed away at theage of 52 on April 17, 2003.Donna Hamel was bornto Raymond and Dorothy(Couture) Hamel in SanMateo, California on March15, 1955. In the 1960sshe returned to RhodeIsland with her parents andsiblings. Donna graduatedfrom the New EnglandInstitute of Technology in1980 and worked for AlliedSignal and then started herown advertising business,“Biz-com.” Donna gavebirth to a son CoreyRaymond Hamel on August7, 1973. Donna now livesin Coventry, Rhode Island.Kevin Hamel was born toRaymond and Dorothy(Couture) Hamel on July18, 1958 in San Mateo,California. After returningto Rhode Island fromCalifornia in the 1960s,Kevin, his parents, andsiblings, settled in WestWarwick. Kevin marriedChristine Van Couyghen onSeptember 2, 1983. Theyhad a daughter, Stephanie,who was born on April 14.Michael and Eddy Otten with son,Michael Jr. in 2005Alissa Otten with daughter Arianaand father Patrick in 2004Michael, Gene, Dawn (Hamel) andChristopher Otten in 2003Cristin and Toriano Hobbs in 200411

ComplicatedRelationshipsRIDDLE: What do you callsomeone who is your cousin,your sister, your aunt, andyour mom, but who is not yourmother?Answer: You call her Rita.Family relationships becomecomplicated when children,for example, are adopted byother family members. TheHamel and Landry familieshave a long history of caringfor other family members,especially orphaned children.This occurred in the caseof Rita (Valliéres) Landryand twins, Paul and PaulineHamel.Niece Rita Valliéres wasadopted into the Wilfred andYvonne Hamel family around1927 after the prematuredeath of her mother, Rita(Hamel) Vallières.Rita Vallières, Wilfred Hamel’sniece, married René Landry, thebrother of Yvonne Hamel in 1946.Upon the death of their parents,Paul (top second from right) andPauline Hamel (right) went tolive with Rita and Rene Landryand their children, David (top left)Joanne (left), and Darleen (center)in 1958.Rita Vallières went to live withWilfred and Yvonne Hamel afterthe death of her mother.Rita Vallières with her aunt andadopted mother, Yvonne Hamel inthe 1940sOther complications also occurwhen multipule members oftwo different families marry.For example, in 1925 WilfredHamel married YvonneLandry and René Landry,brother of Yvonne, marriedRita Vallières, daughter of RitaHamel in 1946. At this pointRita became her own adoptedaunt, and René became isown adopted uncle. Rita wasalso René’s adopted niece,and René became his ownadopted nephew.In 1958, Paul and PaulineHamel went to California tolive with their uncle, René andadopted sister, and cousin,Rita (Vallières) Landry uponthe death of their parents,Wilfred and Yvonne (Landry)Hamel. At 11 years of agePaul and Pauline Hamelbecame part of the LandryFamily in California. Renéand Rita became “mom”and “dad.” Therefore, Rita(Vallières) Landry is Paul andPauline’s mom, sister, aunt,and cousin.