- Born
- 1918
- Died
- 1995
- Spouse
- Alberta LaFreniere
- Member of
- Beaver Island Game Club
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- communitydemographyconservation
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
Joseph M. “Bussy” LaFreniere (1918–1995), son of Nelson J. and Sophia Boyle LaFreniere and, by the cemetery record, a brother of Daniel Archie LaFreniere (Archie Lafreniere), was formerly of St. James when he married Alberta Gronke of Chicago on November 18, 1961; the couple made their home in Chicago and spent a two-week honeymoon on Beaver Island. A year earlier, the December 1960 Beaver Beacon had reported him taking the first deer of the Game Club’s season, an episode also recorded at Joseph M. "Bussey" LaFreniere. By the early 1970s the Beacon’s telephone directory lists a separate LaFreniere household for “Joseph (Bussy),” and 1973 notices — using the alternate spelling “Buzzy” — report his wife Alberta hospitalized after a stroke. She died at their island home on March 30, 1974, after eight months of illness following brain surgery for a tumor, tended in her final months by a group of island women; the paper quoted her husband, signing as “Joe (Bussy)” and “Bussy,” thanking the community for its support.
Evidence and limits
The 1961 wedding notice and the cemetery index (Joseph M. “Bussey” LaFreniere, 1918–1995, married to Alberta M. Gronke) match directly. The shared parents given for this record and for Archie LaFreniere’s cemetery entry indicate a sibling relationship, which no Beacon item states outright. The Beacon’s spelling of the nickname varies — “Bussy,” “Bussey,” and “Buzzy” all appear — and is preserved rather than normalized. No source documents an occupation, and the record does not establish where the couple lived after Alberta’s death.
Open questions
- What occupation did Joseph LaFreniere hold, and where did he live after 1974?
- A later consolidation pass could fold Joseph M. "Bussey" LaFreniere into this record and retire it to a redirect note, since both describe the same man.
See also
Kin
Sources
- Names Joseph (Bussy) LaFreniere, formerly of St. James, as the groom in the November 18 marriage to Alberta Gronke of Chicago. The couple married in Chicago, where they made their home, and spent a two-week honeymoon on Beaver Island.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1961-12_Beaver-Beacon
- The held six-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1961-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists Joseph M. “Bussey” LaFreniere (1918–1995), married to Alberta M. Gronke and son of Nelson J. and Sophia Boyle LaFreniere — the same parents given for Daniel Archie LaFreniere at [[person/archie-lafreniere-hunting-1950]], indicating the two were brothers. The 1961 wedding notice provides the direct identity bridge for the marriage.
- Reports Joseph (Bussy) La Freniere as the hunter who got the first deer of the 1960 season, an episode also documented separately at [[person/joseph-bussy-lafreniere-deer-1960]].data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1960-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists "Lafreniere, Joseph (Bussy)" as a separate island household from Archie, Gerald, and Vernon H. LaFreniere's general store. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1973-06_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports "Mrs. Joseph 'Buzzy' (Alberta) LaFreniere" suffering a stroke and hospitalized in Chicago, then home on Beaver Island.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1973-08_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports Alberta's March 30, 1974 death at home after eight months of illness following brain surgery, cared for by island women; quotes "Joe (Bussy)" thanking the community, and "Bussy" thanking those who sent prayers, cards, flowers and food. See [[event/funeral-of-alberta-lafreniere-1974]].data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1974-04_Beaver-Beacon
Added 1 August 2026 · revised 4 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Joseph “Bussy” LaFreniere”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/joseph-bussy-lafreniere/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, December 1961, “Wedding Bells.” (and 6 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-04. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
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