OGUNQUIT/WELLS — If your surname is Gagné, Bellavance, Tremblay, Gagnon, Bouchard, Fortin, Pelletier or Cloutier, you may have some distant cousins coming to call this weekend.

Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Quebec, The Gagné-Bellavance Family Association of North America is one of the oldest genealogy associations in French America. Members meet annually to celebrate their heritage.

On Sept. 13-14, Wells and Ogunquit will host the first Gagné-Bellavance Association gathering on U.S. soil, thanks to the efforts of a Sanford member.

“All Gagnés are related, if you ask one of us, ”˜Do you know so and so?’ We generally do. We want that awareness of our genealogy to spread; help people be more aware of their history, where they’ve come from and what our family’s accomplishments are, past and present,” said Thom Gagné, a retired elementary school teacher from Sanford.

Gagné first became involved in the Gagné-Bellavance Family Association through his mother, who was one of the first 300 members of the group. Today, he says, membership numbers in the thousands.

“As she got older, it was harder for her to travel to Quebec for the meetings, so I drove her. I was surprised to learn that the same families that live around me in Maine today are all descendants of the same families living together in a tiny corner of France all those years ago. These people all came to New France as part of the first wave of immigrants in the 1600s,” Gagné said.

According to a 1983 survey by the association, the Gagné family name is one of the eighth most common in Quebec, Canada. The association has traced the lineage of the family name all the way back to two brothers born in an area near modern-day Normandy, France.

The upcoming association gathering will be held on the 402nd birthday of the oldest known ancestor, Louis Gasnier, who was born on Sept. 13, 1612.

According to research published by the association, Louis Gasnier arrived in France around 1644 with his wife, Marie Michel, and their daughter, Louise. They became the first Gagné descendants.

Gasnier had an older brother, Pierre, who was born Jan. 2, 1610. He and his wife Marguerite Rosée brought their three children to Quebec in 1653, starting the second Gagné and Bellavance family tree.

Last year, Daniel Gagné, an association board member from Quebec, attended the annual La Kermesse Franco-American heritage festival in Biddeford.

“Daniel was so surprised that there were so many Franco-American surnames in the area. They didn’t understand the significance of the migration to mill towns during the late 1800s had on the region,” said Thom Gagné, who pitched the idea of hosting the annual gathering in Maine.

“The ocean is a big draw to the area, so we’ve arranged a trolley bus tour of local beaches starting at Perkins Cove and ending at the Franciscan Monastery in Kennebunk,” Thom Gagné said.

In addition, Thom Gagné organized lodging for approximately 70 visitors from Quebec spread amongst three Ogunquit hotels, but he hopes local Gagné-Bellavance descendants will sign up to participate in the celebration dinner at the Coastal House at 2128 Post Road in Wells on Saturday night.

“Most of the audience will include Franco-Americans who may not be familiar with the history of New France nor where their ancestors came from or how they got here,” he said.

The program on Saturday will include a retelling by Daniel Gagné of the grand adventure that was the settlement of Québec, entitled “From Jacques Cartier to Louis Gasnier: A Virtual Tour Back to Your Roots.”

“We all originally come from the same little corner of Ige in Perche. Come and meet your neighbors. It will be the next best thing to traveling in a time machine,” said Thom Gagné.

The organizers have also secured local Franco-American blogger Juliana L’Heureux to present, “The Lasting Cultural and Economic Impact of the Immigration of French Canadians to the Northeastern U.S. during the late 1800s and early 1900s.”

Traditional folk music by the LeBlanc Family Singers will round out the evening.

“The LeBlancs are a family of singers from Livermore Falls. Daniel and the other board association members saw them perform at La Kermesse, and thought the group would really warm to their style of traditional Franco-American and Cajun music,” said Thom Gagné.

On Sunday, the association will host a Mass at Saint Mary’s at 263 Eldridge Road in Wells.

“We’re looking for more Americans to join up,” said Tom Gagné.

For more information, call 324-0501 or email tgagne@gwi.net

— This article previously appeared in Making It At Home. Tracey Collins can be contacted via the Journal Tribune at kristenm@journaltribune.com.