"Descendant of Hudson Bay Co. Official Dies"

John Baptiste Plamondon, last direct descendant of the famous French-Canadian, Simon Plamondon, who was a leader of the Hudson Bay settlers on Cowlitz prairie, died at 5 o'clock Monday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Alex Peterson, at Olequa. Mr. Plamondon was 87 years of age and for many years was a familiar and well known figure in southern Lewis county. Mr. Plamondon's mother was a Miss Mary Berrier of Spokane. John Plamondon was born on Cowlitz prairie December 4, 1840, at about the time the mission was established there, which was the first church erected in Washington. Last summer when the celebration was held dedicating the mission marker he was the oldest pioneer present.

Mr. Plamondon was the father of 15 children. Of these ten grew to maturity and eight of the number are yet living, as follows: Mrs. Belle Johnson of Tacoma, Mrs. Cecil Hinshaw of Bellingham; Moses, Augustus and Louis Plamondon of Aberdeen; John Plamondon and Mrs. Mary Peterson, both of Olequa, and Norbert Plamondon of Tacoma.

Funeral services consisting of a requiem mass said by Rev. Fr. Timothy Watson, pastor of the Franciscan Northern Missions, were held at the Vader Catholic church at 10 am. Thursday morning. The funeral was held under the direction of L. R. Cattermole of Winlock, with burial in the Vader cemetery.


Source: The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 14 Jan 1927, page 10.

Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.