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In this feature, you will find more specific information about the Dion family (composed by Adhémar Dion, Thérèse Tanguay and the 14 siblings) including Celine´s brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces. For a summary about Celine´s family, please refer to CELINE FAMILY section.
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GENEALOGY
Here you can find Celine´s family tree (only the fathers´s side that has the surname Dion), beginning in the XVIIth century, and the Dion family story.
On June 12, 1615, Jean Guyon marries Mathurine Robin in Saint-Jean de Mortagne (Perche, France). Mathurine is Mathurin Robin´s and Madeleine Demontagne´s daughter. Jean Guyon born on September 08, 1592 in Tourouvre, in the former french province of Perche (now it is the french department of Orne (61), in Basse Normandie). He was a mason, as an inscription attests it on the Parish Church of Quebec City: "...Il a esté nécessaire charroyer la pierre, le bois, la sable, la chaux, la planche ... et tous les charrois se sont faitzs par les sieurs ... Jean Guyon ..." (...It was necessary to carry the stone, the wood, the sand, the lime, the plank ... and all the carriages are made by the lords ... Jean Guyon ...). They move to Quebec after the birth of their 8th child; they arrive in Quebec on June 04, 1634, and stay in Beauport. They had 9 children : Barbe, Jean, Simon, Marie, Claude, Denis, Michel, Noël and François. On November 27, 1645, Jean Guyon (son) married Élisabeth Couillard in Quebec City. They had 13 children. The parents of Elisabeth Couillard were Guillaume Couillard and Guillemette Hebert. Guillaume´s parents were Guillaume Couillard and Elisabeth DeVesin. Guillemette's parents were Louis Hebert and Marie Rollet (one of the founding families of New France). On October 11, 1694, Pierre-Paul Guyon gets married with Angélique Testu, in l'Ange-Gardien. Genevieve Rigault, wife of Pierre Testu, was the mother of Angelique Testu. On February 03, 1722, Louis Guyon or Dion takes as wife Marie-Geneviève Lamarche in L´Islet. With Louis, the surname Guyon becomes Dion; it is the same for Marie-Geneviève, whose surname might have been Gamache according to other documents. We must say that, at the times, many people couldn´t read, so everything was transmitted orally, it was easy to make mistakes on the surnames. On November 22, 1751, Joseph-Joachim Guyon and Marguerite Fournier are married, in Cap Saint-Ignace. On October 24, 1803, still in Cap Saint-Ignace, Joseph Dion marries Yvonne-Modeste Bernier. On February 05, 1833, Celine's ancestors then go a bit farther from Quebec City when Joseph Dion marries Julie Chesnel in Rimouski. On February 05, 1867, a bit more to the east, Joseph-Adélard Dion and Marcelline Létourneau are married in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. On October 20, 1893, in the same town, Saint-Anne-des-Monts, Adélard Dion marries Esther Lévesque. On April 25, 1922, Charles-Édouard Dion marries Ernestine Bariault in Les Méchins. On June 20, 1945, Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay are married in Saint-Zéphirin-de-La-Tuque.
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THE PARENTS
...> Adhémar Dion
Adhémar Dion born on March 2, 1923 in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, a small city between mountains and sea in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Quebec in Canada. But he met his wife Thérèse Tanguay in La Tuque twenty years later, a city in south central Quebec, Canada. During leisure time he liked watch beisbol and go to his daughter Celine´s concerts, she always says Adhémar is her number one fan. He did the retirement from job at 62 years old. He is the major of a family of five boys and two girls. On November 30, 2003 Adhémar Dion died in his sleep, after a long illness (bone cancer). He was 80.
...> Thérèse Tanguay
Born on March 20, 1927, Thérèse Tanguay grew up in Saint-Bernard-des-Lacs, in the Gaspé, where she dreamed of becoming a missionary working with underprivileged children in underdeveloped countries. She left school at age 13 to help her mother at home, but maintained her passion for books. From the ages of 16 to 18, she worked in the nursery of St-Joseph Hospital in La Tuque. Married at the age of 18 to Adhémar Dion, she raised a family of 14 children who later would put the village of Charlemagne on the map. A fervent music lover like her husband, she enjoyed singing and performing with her family for the residents of this small town on weekends. She discovered the arts world with the breakthrough of her daughter, Céline, at the beginning of the 1980s. From 1981 to 1986, she accompanied her daughter, a rising new star, around the world. At the start of the 1990s, she became well known for her culinary skills and, with son Paul, launched les Pâtés de Maman Dion in Québec food stores. She also purchased catering businesses. In 2000, she co-hosted the show "Le Brunch de Maman Dion" with Éric Salvail on TVA channel in Quebec. A philanthropist associated with a wide range of humanitarian causes, she has never hesitated to come to the aid of society's less fortunate members, especially children. She created the Achille-Tanguay Foundation in 1998, today known as the Maman Dion Foundation, to improve the Back to School environment for underprivileged students.
...> The Story of Adhemar and Thérèse
Thérèse Tanguay grew up in Sainte Anne-des-Monts, a small town in the Gaspé in Quebec, Canada. Thérèse was the 6th child in a family with 9 children. Adhemar Dion also grew up in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, as the oldest of 7 children. Quebec had harsh economic times around 1944 during the great depression. Forcing both Thérèse and Adhemar to find a way to earn extra cash. They didn´t know each other at the time but somehow they both ended up in La Tuque, Quebec. One night at a community dance Thérèse started playing "Le Reel De Sainte Anne", a popular Quebecian folk song. Adhemar, with dreams of being a musician, was on the accordian. While everyone was dancing they had fallen in love at first sight. They started courting each other (courting is the old fashioned version of dating but it´s more like calling on someone).
Only a short 10 months later were they married in the Saint-Zéphirin in La Tuque on June 20, 1945. Their life together in La Tuque was were very happy but the first years were tough by lack of money. Thérèse loved the thought of having 4 or 5 children, Adhemar didn´t really want any children but soon Thérèse was expecting their first and Adhemar gradually started to like the idea of having his own family.
Their first daugther Dénise was born on August 15, 1946. Clement was born on November 2, 1947, Claudette on December 10, 1948 and Liette was born on February 8, 1950. When Thérèse was pregnant with their fifth child they got financial problems. Adhemar could no longer find work in La Tuque to support his family and there was no alternative but move and leave La Tuque. The family moved to a small apartment in Charlemagne, Quebec. Adhemar worked at a factory for 18 hours a day, while Thérèse stayed at home with the children. Their fifth child, Michel, was born on August 18, 1952 in Charlemagne. Thérèse missed the life she had had in La Tuque very badly. She longed for space and a house, the apartment was so small. Thérèse and Adhemar started to save money, as much as they possibly could. Adhemar would even walk to work everyday to save 40 cents. It took a long time but finally they saved up $400, just enough to buy a small piece of land, where they could fulfill their dream, to build their own house. Adhemar would work 18 hours a day in the factory and when he came home he worked on the house for a few hours, slept 2 - 3 hours and went back to the factory. Thérèse worked as hard as he did, even when she was pregnant you could find her hammering away. In the time the house was being build, Louise and Jacques were born in the apartment Louise on September 22, 1953 and Jacques on born March 10, 1955. Dénise had just turned 9 when they could finally move into their new house. Thérèse decorated the entire house in the evening hours. She was able to make a cosy home with very limited means.
In the next several years 6 more Dion´s were welcomed into the world. Daniel on November 29, 1956, Ghislaine on July 28, 1958, Linda on June 23, 1959 and Manon on October 7, 1960. Paul and Pauline, the twins, were born on April 3, 1962 and with their birth Thérèse and Adhemar decided that their family was complete. The Dion family life was perfect. Every weekend friends would bring fiddles and the Dion´s would all sing filling their house with music and happiness. After all the children were old enough to go to school. Thérèse was happy, she would finally have some time for herself now. She even thought about going back to work to finish her dreams. Then, they discovered she was pregnant, again. At first Thérèse was sad. But her love for children, especially her own, made her change her mind very soon and she was happy to put off her dream for a little while longer. On March 30, 1968 at 12:30 Celine Dion was born in Le Gardeur Hospital. Celine weighed 8 pounds eight ounces and was named after the Hughes Auffrey hit song "Dis-Moi Céline".
...> Thérèse and the Charity
Thérèse Tanguay is sponsor of the Fondation Maman Dion, an educational foundation which provides school supplies and clothing to underprivileged children. Originally with the name Foundation Achille-Tanguay, in 1998 Thérèse set up this foundation to help people in need, especially in regard to economie needs. The foundation was named after Thérèse´s father, Achille Tanguay. They gather funds mainly from two sources: a great ball that takes place around Mother´s Day and a golf tournament in September each year. The Maman Dion Foundation (also known as Fondation Maman Dion in French) is a registered charity which supports education of children from disadvantaged backgrounds from all regions of Quebec in Canada. By providing school supplies and clothing for their entry into the classroom, the foundation raises their sense of pride and confidence.
On the following pictures, Thérèse Tanguay with the Maman Dion Foundation, through different charity causes:
...> Thérèse Biographical Book
On October 30, 2006 was released a biographical book of Thérèse Tanguay titled "La Vie Est Un Beau Voyage" ("Life Is A Beautiful Journey" in English), written by the famous journalist, Georges-Hébert Germain, who also wrote books about Celine Dion and about Rene Angelil. All her life, Thérèse Dion fell with remarkable ease from one world to another. From the woods to Gaspé Parisian palaces, tokyotes and New York, the status of housewife, musician, mother of fourteen children, one of television star and business woman: the story of his life is a true story. A novel with still plenty of action, drama, episodes of painful misery and grief, but with wins every time. With this book, which tells his story, it also traces the Quebec urban areas became that of the liberation of women, like Theresa Dion very special, and that of birth and the pinnacle of show business in Quebec.
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THE SIBLINGS
...> Denise Dion
The older of the siblings, Denise born on August 15, 1946 in Canada. During leisure time she likes to write poems. She become the owner of the first "Denise Dion Fleuriste" in Laval, Quebec, Canada. Her nickname is Nénise. That´s how her most yong brothers called her. "Celine is my little baby", says Denise. She has been as a second mother for Celine, must to the age difference. Denise divorced at 28 years old. After that, she left Charlemagne to live in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, a municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada. She did not see her family by a long time. That was a hard period for her. Denise says she´ll never forget the day when she returned. Celine was only nine years old. Denise has three sons; Nancy, Francys and Christian.
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...> Clément Dion
Clément born on November 2, 1947 in Canada. He likes the dance and the music. His profesion is tinsmith and his nickname is Le kid, that´s like a tradition for the family to call Le kid to the firt boy in the family. Clément married with Denise and they have four sons; Brigitte, Dominic, Rachel and Kim.
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...> Claudette Dion
Claudette born on December 10, 1948 in Canada. She is the 3rd child of the Dion family. At the time of a school exit which leads her to visit a crib, she decides to make studies in child welfare, that is to say the care of the children from zero to three years. Claudette worked four years in a crib near the babies incipient before marrying and giving rise to his/her own child. On December 5, 1984, Claudette, now mother of three children, takes part in an TV show animated by Michel Jasmin. She is the godmother of Celine. They recorded together the song "Vois comme c´est beau", wich was included in Claudette´s album "Hymnes Á L´amour: Volume 2". Years later, she makes a return to the small screen; to co-host "Devine" which comes to dine with Pierre Poitras and then "Attention c´est show", with Mario Pelchat. Always attracted by the song, she was interested in the life of Edith Piaf. Attracted by the authenticity of this courageous and impassioned woman, Claudette decides to pay homage to Piaf. Her show at the Casino De Montreal was a great success. Her perfomances always in front of a full house gave her courage to bring the show to L´Olympia of Paris in 2003, in addition to making an album of it. In 2004, she begins with 6 from her brothers and sisters a series of spectacles from Christmas in the Casino De Montreal named "Le party des fêtes avec les Dion". This spectacle ran during 4 consecutive years. The album of the same name was a great success. Now, grandmother of four small children, Claudette wants to continue her career of singer.
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...> Liette Dion
Liette born on Frebruary 8, 1950 in Canada. Pushed by her altruistic nature, she thinks, as of adolescence, with becoming nun or nurse in the army. But her parents do not approve her choices of young girl. So she decides to work with the general store of Point-with-Tremble, where her father and his mother worked themselves. A few years later, at the 23 years age, Liette get married. Two children will be born from this union which will last only seven years; one of them Patrice, and Karine, who had Cystic Fybrosis and died in 1993. She is besides the death of her daughter who pushes Liette to be settled in 1993, in Dominican Republic with Guy Poirier, his new spouse. When she retured to Charlemagne, she embarks in a charitable great project which fills perfectly her need to help others: the Achilles-Tanguay Foundation, created by her mother and her brother Jaques in 1998.
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...> Michel Dion
Michel born on August 18, 1952. He is assistant of director of Celine´s tours. His nickname is Saint-Clair. On August 18, 1973, Celine sang France Castel´s "Du fil, des aiguilles et du coton" as well as "Mamy Blue", for the very first time in public, at Michel´s wedding. She was just 5 years old. Michel is married with his wife Daniéle. Michel has no children.
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...> Louise Dion
Louise born on September 22, 1953. She works in a shop. Her nickname is Loulou. Luoise says when she has 14 years old, Celine was for her an alive doll named "La puce". Luise married with Pierre Tremblay and they have three sons; Annie, François and Mylene.
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...> Jacques Dion
Jacques born on March 10, 1955. He is a songwriter and guitarist. Jacques composed the music for the song "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" for Celine. He has one child; Jimmy Dion. In 2003, Jacques´ son Jimmy became quadriplegic due to an ski accident.
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...> Daniel Dion
Daniel born on November 29, 1956. He likes to compose music. He is a decorator. The family call him just Dan. Daniel is married to Ghyslaine Bujold and together they have three children; Valrie Dion, Guillaume Dion and Marie-Michele Dion. Ghyslaine Bujold has another children named Ghyslaine. During the emission "Soirée canadienne", he is invited to dance the clapper on the rhythms of the accordion of his father and then to accompainy him with another accordion. Packed by his experiment, Daniel dreams at once to be a musician; he wants “to make dance the others”. Daniel starts a course in cabinet work following his secondary studies. Rather craftsman that workman, it quickly loses interest for this new trade which forces him to work within large companies where assembly line work is of setting. He decides to turn over to his old love, the music. During 22 years, Daniel earns his living while singing, while playing of the organ, the piano, the accordion and even of the battery. His career begins in the orchestra house. He forms then, with certain members of his family, the group toured Quebec. The group ends up dissociating. Daniel joint thereafter with other formations, in addition to turning over periodically within the orchestra.
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...> Ghislaine Dion
Ghislaine born on July 28, 1958. She loves to sing. The family call her Gigi. Like her brothers and sisters, Ghislaine likes the music and she has an excellent musical ear. Teenager, she joint rows of the brass band of the Duchesses of Charlemagne as a trumpet player. Her father, seeing the talent and the interest of his daughter, asks her to take share with the family orchestra to replace the young Clement with the battery. Ghislaine jumps on the occasion and fact part of the musical formation during two years. She joint then, as a singer, with a second family group, them D-si-D. The following year, Ghislaine get married and she had a child. One year and half after the birth of her son Claude, she decides to continue her career of singer within the group. Time passes and Ghislaine falls one second pregnant time. Her daughter Audrey born in September 1987 and only 3 months later, she joined her sister Celine again for a tour in Quebec. Thereafter, Ghyslaine worked for various artists, always as chorus-singer.
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...> Linda Dion
Linda born on June 23, 1959. She loves to play bowling every Sunday in the midday. She is manager from the Nickel´s Restaurants. Her little brothers call her Dida, and her older brothers call her Dada. Linda married with Alain Sylvestre and they has no children. They are the godparents of Rene Charles.
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...> Manon Dion
Manon born on October 7, 1960. She is the owner of a coiffeur salon, that´s why she worked with her sister Celine as stylist during the "Let´s Talk About Love Tour". Like the majority of the other children of the family, Manon makes her secondary at the Jean-Baptist-Better school in Repentigny. She married with Gilles Hacala.
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...> Paul Dion
Paul born on April 3, 1962, he is the twin of Pauline. Just like his brothers and sisters, Paul is gifted for the music. His father notices this interest and has a presentiment of even the instrument of predilection of his 12th child: the piano. In spite of a restricted budget, Adhémar buys, in surprise, a piano for his son and brings then this last to some advanced courses. Following his secondary studies, Paul does not move immediately towards the music. He follows rather a course of insurer life approved. At the end of one year and half, he changes trajectory brutally and is registered in theatre, and then to the Canadian theratre school. Another option, on the other hand, is offered to him. Some members of his family formed the group "Ice Cream" and insist that Paul unites with the group, which it does, for a certain time. Comes then a marriage and three little girls, maintaining all teenagers. After years, Paul joint the Achilles-Tanguay Foundation. Paul married with Lucie Hébert, and they have three sons; Émilie, Justine and Marilyne.
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...> Pauline Dion
Pauline born on April 3, 1962 few moments after her twin Paul. Shy person and little carried towards the studies, she makes her entry on the job market around 15 years in a series of fast restaurants such McDonald and the Gold Clout in Repentigny. She works then as a waitress in a restaurant-bar pertaining to her father and her sister Claudette. She takes courses of make-up. Pauline, lately married, wants to occupy the role of full-time mother of her sons; Alexandre, Stéfhanie, Mar-Aintoine, Laurence, Sara Jeanne, and Andréa. After the birth of her second child in 1990, she decides to give a hand in the fan-club of her sister Celine, thing which she will make during 6 years.
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