Genealogy researchers enjoy giving their children a complete family history. Evelyn King, 85, of Portland wants to finish her late husband’s genealogy. She needs one more piece of information — find her husband’s family origins in Quebec.

“I want to complete my husband’s genealogy as a gift for his children and our child,” she says. There are several resources in Maine where she might find help.

King says her husband’s family name was Sirrirs when the first generation ancestor showed up in Old Town. Like thousands of Quebec immigrants in the 19th century, Ludge Sirrirs walked from Canada to the Old Town area, probably to work in the mills. His date of entry into the United States was Sept. 3, 1887. He married Desange Pelletier on Sept. 10, 1887 in Old Town.

King has the names of four generations of her husband’s paternal ancestors. Their names were Germans Sirrirs, the Canadian father of the first U.S. generation Ludge Sirrirs, who was the father of Alfred Sirois, who changed the name to King. Her husband’s name was Herman E. King, the son of Alfred Sirois. King’s parents were born in Old Town. On Nov.12, 1920, King’s husband was born in Bradley.

Information about the Sirrirs-Sirois-King name was found from documents in the Old Town area. Finding the information was complicated by the different name spellings. “Everybody seemed to spell the name differently,” she says. The name Sirois is probably derivative of the French term for “six kings” or “six rois,” she says.

King’s husband was a decorated Air Force officer during World War II, a D-Day aviator with the 8th Air Force, 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Group. He was sent to the European Theater on Oct. 22, 1944 where he was stationed at the Royal Air Force base in East Wrethem in England.

“He flew out of East Wrethem on D-Day in the third sortie,” says King. Her husband’s military awards include the Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Clusters and the Presidential Unit Citation. In 1958, he retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. King met her husband in Red Bank, N.J. They were married May 28, 1964, the second marriage for both of them. He died 20 years ago. She raised four of his children and one child of their own.

“My husband never discussed his distinguished World War II experiences the whole time we were married,” she said. She found his notable Air Force history after he died.

King’s husband was recognized in “Beware of the Thunderbolt” a book describing the experiences with the 56th Fighter Group in World War II.

King went to Old Town where she found information at the town hall. Research at the St. Ann’s Church on Indian Island and the St. Joseph’s Church in Old Town uncovered marriage certificates with the names and birthplaces of her husband’s parents. Nonetheless, King is unable to locate where Germans Sirrirs was born in Quebec. Consequently, she is unable to locate where the Sirrirs family originated.

Maine genealogical societies might help King. The York County Franco-American Genealogical Society is located in the McArthur Library on Main Street in Biddeford. Another resource is the Maine Franco-American Genealogical Society located in the Great Falls School in Auburn.

These and other organizations usually save the information previous genealogists have uncovered during their research. Often, another researcher has already located the data you are searching for.

Juliana L’Heureux can be contacted at:

juliana@mainewriter.com