(29 Oct. 1861-20 Jan. 1917), blacksmith. Born in the St. Eugene area of Prescott County. John Gelineau became a blacksmith at the hamlet of Lochiel, in Lochiel Township. His brother Joseph (Joe), who in his earlier years had worked in gold mines and shanties, was a farmer and like John a blacksmith at Lochiel. It was said of Joe that “He might work in his shop all week in the smoke and dust and dirt but he always stepped out on Sunday morning for Mass looking immaculate and smart in his blue serge suit, white shirt and top hat.” (Butternuts and Maple Sugar, 188)

     John was married (1) on 9 Nov. 1885 to Annie MacMillan (30 Aug. 1868-9 March 1908) , whose parents operated a hotel at Vankleek Hill, and (2) to Catherine MacDonald (called Katie the Widow), a niece of John Cattanach McMillan. She was probably the Mrs Catherine Gelineau who died 4 March 1943, in her 85th year. (obituary Glengarry News 5 March 1943)

     By his first wife, John had a large family. Of these, the following served in WWI: Peter J. (rank of captain, won M.C.), James (rank of sergeant-major), Catherine (who was honoured by the U. S. government for her war service), John Arthur (Jack), Duncan Joseph, and Mark. The family sent “every available member to duty.” (Cornwall Standard 8 May 1919) Peter J. (1887- 4 July 1957) was married in 1923 to Lucy MacDonald (Glengarry News 7 Sept. 1923), who long survived him, dying 20 Dec. 1996 in her 100th year. Their son John was given the British Empire Medal in 1945 for courage in rescuing a comrade from a burning plane. (GN 16 March 1945) John also played goalie for the Boston Bruins for two years, and played with the Quebec Aces. Duncan Joseph Gelineau (Duncan Gelineau) was married in 1918 to Florence McCormick, daughter of Roderick J. McCormick of the Alexandria Woollen Mill. Duncan was a farmer at Lochiel in earlier life. Later he was town assessor and building inspector in Alexandria, and was an independent contractor there. The Glengarry News in 1941 and 1942 mentions him as manager of the box department of the Alexandria Wood Products Co. which at that time was manufacturing detonator boxes for the Dept. of Munitions and Supplies (See also Joseph Choquette). Mrs Joann Graham, a nurse and longtime Yukon resident, daughter of Mr and Mrs Duncan Gelineau, was honoured for her public services by being given one of the medals issued on the125th anniversary of Confederation. (GN 24 March 1993) Another daughter, Thelma Gelineau, was married to a Glengarrian James A. McDonald (d. 1971), who was severely wounded while serving with the SDG Highlanders in WWII and was said to have been one of Canada’s four triple amputees from that war. Thelma Gelineau, as Mrs Thelma McDonald, was the co-author of the valuable Genealogy of the McCormicks of Glengarry, abbreviated in this work as McCormicks.

Butternuts and Maple Sugar 188, 261-263 * McCormicks 192-201, 224 * Ostrom 306 * obituaries of Peter J. Gelineau, Glengarry News 4 & 11 July 1957 * obituary of Duncan Gelineau, GN 3 Dec. 1959 * obituary of Mrs Duncan Gelineau, GN 14 Sept. 1977 * obituary of Mrs Peter J. Gelineau, GN 31 Dec. 1996 * article on members of Gelineau family in WWI, GN 2 May 1919, Cornwall Freeholder & Cornwall Standard both 8 May 1919 * Duncan Gelineau sells farm at Lochiel, GN 18 May 1923 * detonator boxes, GN 12 & 26 Dec. 1941, 9 & 16 Jan. 1942 * Duncan Gelineau has flooring contract at Glengarry Gardens, GN 28 April 1955 * James A. McDonald: marriage GN 10 May 1946, obituary GN 16 Dec. 1971, both in Fraser Obits. 173-174