Isabelle St. Germain

   Cause of her death was acute cholceystic or inflammation of gallbladder.

  General Notes:

Isabelle is shown widowed in a July 1 1902 census to Dave Mitchell. I believe she is 1/4 Chippewa.

I finally found her death stats; she lived to be 87!

Sub-series consists of applications for scrip made between 1886 and 1906 by Métis living in the Northwest Territories and received by one of the Northwest Half-Breeds Claims Commissions. The applications give the name of applicant, his/her residence, place and date of birth, name of parents and origins, if married, etc. These records are filed alphabetically by name of applicant. The sub-series also includes applications for scrip made in 1885 by Métis living in the Northwest Territories previous to July 15, 1870. The applications give the name of applicant, his/her place and date of birth, name of parents and origins, name of wife or husband and children, and amount of scrip. These records are filed alphabetically by name of applicant.

Mitchell, Isabella; for her deceased daughter, Floréstine Mitchell; address: Wolf Point, Montana; born: 1876 at St. Francois Xavier, Montana; died: 1889 at Wolf Point; father: Joseph (Dave) Mitchell (Métis); mother: Isabella St. Germain (Métis and deponent); heirs: Daniel Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 802 for $34.28; Isabella Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 804 for $34.28; Marie Rose Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 806 for $34.28; Hyacinthe Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 808 for $34.29' Nancy Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 810 for $34.29; Sarah Mitchell, scrip cert.: form D, no. 812 for $34.29; Marie Louise Chase, scrip cert.: form D, no. 814 for $34.29; claim no. 20.

According to an 1886 Indian census, Elizabeth Sangerman (also known as St. Germaine) is born in 1845 and listed as an mixed Cree Indian. Now the article re: Sarah Mitchell, daughter of Elizabeth or Isabelle, says her mother was Assiniboine and Chippewa. Cree and Chippewa were very close to each to each other sharing similar language and culture. The Crees also aligned themselves with the Assiniboine. Elizabeth Sangerman will be Dave Mitchell Jr.’s wife and Dan Mitchell’s mother. She goes by many different nicknames including, Lizzie, Lizabelle, Eliza, Elizabeth, and Isabelle. Dan Mitchell, her son, lists her as being born in Canada on an 1920 census. According to the Mormon Family website, Dan Mitchell, her son, lists her as a Cree Indian in a 1910 census.

Elizabeth or Isabelle Sangerman Mitchell remarries to Robert Burton on January 22, 1903 in Wolf Point, Montana, Valley County according to Mormon website FamilySearch.org. There’s an interesting story about her in the The Herald-News Online by Darla Shumway in part:
In the late 1800s, Mitchell met and married local resident Isabelle Burton. According to an old family story, there’s a cellar near the cemetery which Burton once used to hide Sitting Bull from the cavalry.
Also, according to the legend, when the cavalry stopped and asked if she had seen Sitting Bull, Isabelle told them that he had gone south, when in fact he was on his way to Canada.
In fact, in an article entitled, Montana’s Indians: Yesterday and Today, the connection with Sitting Bull fits this story by Isabelle:
In the late 1870s and early 1880s, the area around Fort Peck agency was filled with tension. Most of the Sioux there were descendants of participants in the unrest in Minnesota after the Mendota Treaty, or had themselves participated in the battle of Little Bighorn. Teton Sioux chief Sitting Bull had even stopped temporarily at Fort Peck before going to Canada. Many of his people stayed on the reservation or returned a year or two later. By 1879 an estimated 1,116 members of Sitting Bull’s band lived near the Fort Peck Agency. In 1881 Gall, the Hunkpapa Sioux chief, surrendered at Fort Peck with 300 members of his own band.

About this picture - I am certain this is a picture of Isabelle although I don't have physical proof. She is shown in another family picture and labeled as Grandma. She was the only older female relative alive to this family at the time. In another picture with daughter Mary Rose LaRoque, she is shown again, but her name is not mentioned. That is the picture here. I am certain this is her seated with her daughters with Dave Mitchell. Unfortunately, nobody labeled who the other ladies were, but I'm certain it's a family photo.

Found her in a 1920 census as Isabel Burton living with adopted daughter Julia Burton and the her son-in-law Phillip Courchene and daughter Sarah Mitchell Courchene and their family. Very interesting find!! More detailed information comes out of this census regarding her life. John Allard is living with her who she describes as her nephew and a familar name from Canada. John is widowed. When Isabel died in 1929, she most likely was living with the Phillip and Sarah Courchene. From this census found out she immigrated in 1860! That is quite earlier than I thought because Dan was born in 1864 in Winnepeg - they were hunters and probably crossed the border..she cannot read or write. She said she is born in Canada and her native language is French. Her father was born in Canada and spoke French. The biggest insight is that her mother was born in Canada as well but her native tongue was Chippewa!

Wow, found her tribal death record - census 1929. She lived to be 87 years old. The report says she is 1/2 Indian. Her cause of death? acute cholceystic

  Noted events in her life were:

• Fort Peck pedigree. In the 1904 article of world champions Sarah mitchell lists her mother as being Assiniboine and Chippewa.

Isabelle married Joseph aka Dave or David Indian name: Bloody Knife Mitchell, son of Colonel David Dawson Mitchell and Marie (possibly Rattling Bag was her Indian name?) Deschamps, on 18 Aug 1862 in St. Francois Xavier, Manitoba. (Joseph aka Dave or David Indian name: Bloody Knife Mitchell was born in May 1841 in Missouri and died 1900 EST.). The cause of his death was unknown.

Isabelle next married Robert F. Burton, son of Living and Living, on 22 Feb 1903 in Wolf Point, Montana. (Robert F. Burton was born in 1852 in Texas and died on 20 Dec 1909.)

Isabelle next married Francois LaFreniere, son of Antoine LaFreniere and Living, on 6 Sep 1859. (Francois LaFreniere was born on 2 Aug 1834 and died in Jan 1860.)