Genealogy Workshop: The Thibodeau Family

On October 30, 2025, at 6 p.m., the Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent will welcome researcher and speaker Donlon Hurtubise for a presentation on the region’s pioneering families. The event will be free and open to the public.
This presentation, offered as part of the Archives’ genealogy workshop series, will trace the Thibodeau family line from Port Royal in the 1650s, through deportation to Pennsylvania in 1755, migration to Quebec City in 1765, and settlement in L’Acadie, Quebec, by 1787. One aspect of this history is only now falling into place: the Thibodeaus’ experiences in the St. John Valley. Scattered records indicate this is the area where Olivier Thibodeau (b. 1755) met and married Marie Cyr (b. 1757) and started their family before returning to Quebec.
Donlon Hurtubise is a Franco-American of Canadian and Acadian descent. After a 41-year career with Exxon Mobil Corporation working in various locations around the world including Canada, he retired five years ago to The Woodlands, Texas. He now spends time researching his predominantly French-Canadian heritage. He is an active member of several genealogical societies and he has lectured on Acadian history in Houston and Beaumont, Texas, two communities with significant Acadian descendant populations.
“One of the joys of Acadian culture is the connection it offers to folks near and far, from the Valley to southern Quebec and from Pennsylvania to Texas,” explains Acadian Archives director Patrick Lacroix. “Donlon will help us navigate through tangled Acadian lines, especially in places where few sources survive.”
For more information, please contact the Archives at (207) 834-7536 or via e-mail, acadian@maine.edu.