When my great-grandmother Anna passed away in 1914, the children that she had with her husband Bert were taken away from Bert. My grandfather, Raymond, was one of those children – so this fact comes from him. It can be supported in the census records since in 1920 (the first census after Anna’s death) the children are not found with their father, but scattered to the winds. Grandpa spent most of his adult life looking for his siblings. He was able to find all but one – John who was born January 11, 1913 and would have only been 1 year old when his mother died.

 

About 10 years ago, I met a woman who had married into the Hickmott family and had gathered some family history data. In subsequent research – her information wasn’t always accurate (according to her records, I would have been about 20 years older than I am), but it usually proves to be a good starting point. One of the tidbits that she had said that John went to live with his “uncle Ford Riopelle” in Detroit after Anna had died. A clue that needed to be followed up since she had not.

Anna’s father had died when she was just 2 years old. Her mother re-married a man by the name of John Hand. They had children – one of which was Carrie G. Hand. Carrie and Anna are half sisters since they share the same mother. Carrie was born in 1881 and on October 11, 1906 married Andrew J Riopelle. Carrie and Andrew would have a son by the name of Andrew Ford Riopelle – born in 1915 who went by his middle name of Ford. Now, Ford and John would have been cousins – not uncle/nephew. However, Ford’s father, Andrew J Riopelle, would have been an uncle to John. I could see where that “small detail” could be mis-attributed.

I started searching the census for this family.

In 1920 and 1940 there is another “son” listed for Andrew and Carrie by the name of Donald Riopelle who was born in 1913. Yet, in 1930 census – he is not listed. Instead is the following entry:

Donald Hickmott, a nephew, age 17 (making his birth 1913). His age corresponds perfectly with the Donald Riopelle found in the 1920 and 1940 census in this family. So, Donald Hickmott in 1930 is the same person as Donald Riopelle from 1920 and 1940.

Why would he be listed as Hickmott and as a nephew in 1930 when he is listed as Riopelle and as a son in 1920 and 1940? My guess – in 1920 and 1940 Andrew gave the information to the census enumerator and in 1930, Carrie gave the information – giving the more accurate information of his relationship and surname.

I have not been able to find any birth record for Donald Riopelle in 1913 in the Detroit vicinity. I have been unable to find any death record for John Hickmott born in 1913. As far as I can tell, this is the only instance of Donald Riopelle’s name being listed as Donald Hickmott.

Donald died without being married or having children in May 1969, since his gravestone is only inscribed with “son-brother”. He probably is the man with this tombstone in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit:

So far I have only circumstantial evidence, but I believe that Andrew and Carrie did indeed take in John Hickmott when he was just a year old – but gave him the name of Donald for some reason and probably raised him as their own child. But many questions remain unanswered. What does the J. in Pvt Donald J Riopelle stand for (could it be John)? If he was a Pvt, what military service did he have? There are a couple of different Donald Riopelle in the military records with the appropriate age and birthplace of Michigan. Why did Andrew and Carrie change his name from John to Donald?

If my theory is correct – that John Hickmott is really Donald Riopelle, then that would explain why grandpa never found his brother – he wouldn’t have known about the name change.

I would love to hear from someone who has a connection to this Riopelle family so I can further confirm or deny my theory.