We all have roots that branch out in different directions through many generations, but tracing them can be difficult, especially if they lead you to Quebec, where the task is further complicated by French language documents and genealogical tools. Johanne Gervais, our bilingual go-to-genealogist for research of French Canadian ancestry, resides in the town of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in Quebec,
15 minutes from Canada’s largest French-speaking metropolis, the city of Montreal. In addition to tracing local families’ history in Quebec, her genealogical research supported an author’s publication of several stories about a family’s history and legacy (the most recent “A Soldier’s Journey 1940-1945”). She has also worked extensively on tracing American families’ French Canadian ancestors, pursuing the trail that led from the United States back to the early settlements and life in New France (Quebec) before the American Revolution.
