St. Ann's centennial: 100 years of faith, Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, Belcourt, North Dakota, 1885-1985

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library
• Subjects: Hudson Bay; Canada; Indian; Hudson; Devils Lake; Sweetwater; Cartwright; eskimo*
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/27893

. ■ ::»,::;. ■WPiP Mary Belgarde Jollie in 1935. Belgarde and Sophie Brien, was of French-Scotch and Eskimo-Indian descent. Her maternal grandparents were Geniveive Grant and a Scotchman named Antoine Brien, who owned a ship. Captain Brien took his wife on board and the ship floundered at sea and Sophie's parents were lost. She and a brother, Antoine, were raised by a family called Mish-Ko-Pen-As. Mary's mother, Sophie, was an expert hide tanner and tailor and her father, Charles, was a trapper and hunter with the Hudson Bay Company, traveling between Canada and Dakota Territory before settling at Sweetwater near Devils Lake where Belgarde Bridge bears his name. Later he served as interpreter between the Sioux and Chippewa and was a standard bearer and drummer for the early missionary priests in the area. He is buried on what is known as Devils Heart near Fort Totten. Mary and J.J. met for the first time at Fort Totten where J.J. was stationed with Company K of the 20th Infantry following his enlistment in the U.S. Army and where Mary was employed as a cook in the officer's quarters. The Fort's Commanding Officer, Col. Conrad, recognized in the young 14-year-old, a talent for cooking as he chose Mary to prepare a special meal when Generals Sherman and Sheridan inspected the fort. On July 18, 1880, Mary and J.J. were married at Jamestown, Dakota Territory. After receiving an appointment as a prison guard James and his new bride moved to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas where they lived for five years. The Jollies returned to Dakota Territory, living in Devils Lake where J.J. was a barber. In 1886, the Jollies moved to St. John where J.J. was one of the first barbers and a member of the original St. John Band. In 1895 they moved to Rolla where James worked as a barber and as village marshall. The Jollies moved to Belcourt and settled on Mary's allotment land, in 1898, and built a seven-room log and wood house on a site overlooking the area that was to grow into the thriving town of Belcourt. The home was destroyed by fire in 1946 but another was rebuilt and today two of the grandchildren of J.J. and Mary Jollie live on the original Jollie homesite (Dave Jollie & Phyllis Cartwright.) While living in Belcourt, James served as School Director for 20 years, Deputy U.S. Marshall for four years, Deputy Sheriff for two years, Constable for six years and Justice of the Peace for 16 years. As a U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Jollie received a pension which helped him and his wife raise a large family of 11 children. In 1933, Mr. Jollie was asked to serve as a special guard at the World's Fair in Chicago and he and Mary traveled there. In order to keep up with current events, James kept the family well stocked with newspapers and periodicals from which he read avidly. Mary, lacking formal schooling, would have her children and later, her grandchildren read to her to keep her well informed. Mary also enjoyed card playing, especially whist, and listening and sometimes dancing to music coming out of the wind-up Victrola. Besides maintaining a home for her husband and 11 children, Mary took an active interest in community life. As a charter member of the St. Ann's Society, she was active in church and school life. Laura Mary (Grandma) Belgarde Jollie's home burned in 1946. Many happy memories burned with the home. 391 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.