(1) Pvt. Francois Joseph DURAND
b. 22 May 1740/41, Besancon, Doubs, France
d. Jun 1817/18, Charlotte, Chittendon Co, VT--age: 77
& Patience WEED
b. 11 May 1738, Stamford, CT
d. abt 1792, New Canaan, CT--age: 53
m. 22 Dec 1762, Congregational Church, New Canaan, Litchfield Co, CT
| (2) Pvt. Joseph Francis DURAND
| b. 23 Sep 1764/5, Canaan Or Norwalk, CT
| d. 10 Apr 1843, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY--age: 78
| & Elizabeth ARNOLD
| b. abt 1762, Norwalk, Fairfield Co, CT
| d. 16 Sep 1838, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY--age: 76
| m. abt 1787, Norwalk, Fairfield Co, CT
| | (3) Milo DURAND
| | b. 12 Dec 1801, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY
| | d. 7 Apr 1866, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY--age: 64
| | & Abigail PERRY
| | b. 15 Oct 1804, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY
| | d. 9 May 1870, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY--age: 65
| | m. 26 Dec 1826, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY
| | | (4) Almerion Milo DURAND
| | | b. 6 Jun 1834, Elizabethtown, Essex Co, NY
| | | d. 30 Apr 1918, Nekoma, Rush Co, KS--age: 83
| | | & Catharine STROHL
| | | b. 25 Sep 1846, Jackson Twp, Perry Co, OH--5th Child
| | | d. 9 Dec 1925, Nekoma, Rush Co, KS--age: 79
| | | m. 2 Jul 1865, Shelbyville, Shelby Co, IL
| | | | (5) Carrie Belle DURAND
| | | | b. 10 Dec 1867, Shelby Co, IL--2nd Of 4 Children
| | | | d. 15 Dec 1940, Rozel, Pawnee Co, KS--age: 73
| | | | & William “Will” Anderson KITCH
| | | | b. 27 Feb 1861, Shelby Co, IL--2nd Of 10 Children
| | | | d. 17 Nov 1943, Larned, Pawnee Co, KS--age: 82
| | | | m. 8 Jun 1890, Harmony, Pawnee Co, KS
| | | | | (6) Vera Juanita KITCH
| | | | | & Wilford Russell ANTRAM
| | | | | b. 20 Jan 1906, Farm Ridge Twp, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | d. 16 Aug 1972, Streator, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 66
| | | | | m. 6 Jan 1932, Rozel, Pawnee Co, KS
| | | | | | (7) Linda Lee ANTRAM
| | | | | | & Roger Francis SMITH

The earliest record of the Durand line who settled in America was of Francois Joseph Durand who was reported to be the son of a nobleman, residing in Besançon, in the east of France. Francois left his home in France, stopped in the West Indies, then came to America about 1755. It was family tradition that Francois came to this country because of Huguenot oppression. Huguenots were French Protestants who fled persecution in their home country. They fled to Prussia, the German Palatinate, England, Ireland, French West Indies and America.

Francois “Americanized” his name to Francis and settled in the vicinity of other exiled Huguenots. He married to a New England girl, Patience Weed on 22 Dec 1762 in the Congregational Church in New Canaan, CT.

Pvt. Francis Durand served in the NY Militia 1776, 1777, and 1778. He was Discharged As Pvt. From NY Line, 1st Co, 3rd Reg Nov 1778. Francis would have been about 40 years old at that time.

Francis was remembered by those who knew him as somewhat small in stature but a genuine Frenchman in politeness. He was polished, courteous and scholarly. The Francis Durand family later moved to Charlotte, VT where son Alexander Durand, also a Revolutionary Soldier, made a home for his father in his old age.

Pvt. Joseph Francis Durand, brother to Alexander Durand, was the eldest of 9 children of Francis Joseph Durand and Patience (Weed) Durand. He was born 23 Sept 1765, in CT and died at Elizabethtown, NY on 10 Apr 1843. He married in 1787 to Elizabeth Arnold at Norwalk, CT.

Pvt. Joseph Durand enlisted in 1781 From Bedford, NY, served in the CT Line under Col. Canfield and Capt. Lewis, and fought In Battle Of North Castle. While living in Elizabethtown, NY, he was allowed Pension #S12829 executed 28 Sept 1832. A Certificate of Pension was issued the 1st day May 1834. He to be paid $20.00 per annum.

Joseph Durand and Elizabeth Arnold had 9 children, including 7th child Milo Durand born 12 Dec 1801 in Elizabethtown, NY. The children and grandchildren of Joseph Francis married into the old families of Elizabethtown, NY--The Calkins, the Rowes, the Kelloggs, the Perrys.

In 1837, A meeting of the inhabitants of Elizabethtown was held at the Brick School House for the purpose of forming The Total Abstinence Temperance Society of Elizabethtown. The officers were: Milo Durand and Nathan Perry, Managers; and N. Perry, Treasurer. Male members of this society included (among others): Abijah Perry; Oliver H. Perry; Milo Durand; Nathan Perry; John B. Perry; Orlando Durand;Henry Durand; Myron Durand; Levi D. Brown; William Brown; Orson Kellogg and Horace Durand. Female members included (among others): Nancy Perry; Betsey Brown; Rebecca B. Perry; Elizabeth Brown; Almira Durand; Abigail Durand; Betsey Durand.

The 4th child of Milo and Abigail (Perry) Durand, Almerion Milo Durand born 6 June 1834. He left Elizabethtown, NY. for Shelby Co, IL as a school teacher before 1860. By 1865 he had met and married Catharine Strohl. They had 4 children.

Among the teachers at Cherry Grove School in 1876 was A.M. Durand. Taxes in 1866 were 50 cents per $100. Hiram Graybill was paid $343.67 for building the schoolhouse. Owen B. Williams provided the land for the site.

He continued to teach school until 1886 when he and wife Catharine packed up their family and belongings and headed for Rush County, KS. Almerion was 57 years of age. In 1889, he applied for a Homestead patent.

The Almerion Durand family built a sod house April 1st 1890 upon 100 acres fenced, undulating prairie land which had a good well, granary and other out buildings worth $1000.00. The family consisted of self, wife and 4 children residing continuously on said claim. He had not been off said claim at anytime. They raised crops on 60 acres each year on the prairie land most useful for agricultural purposes. There was no indication of coal or other minerals. He filed a timber claim on Oct 16th, 1890. Claimant Almerion M. Durand filed a sworn statement on Oct 16, 1890 to be aged 61 years; his address to be P.O. Harmony, KS. He was a native born citizen born in the State of New York.

Daughter Carrie Belle Durand married William Kitch in Rush Co, KS 8 June 1890. Carrie Belle (Durand) Kitch helped her husband William Anderson Kitch homestead their own claim in Pawnee County, KS, build a sod house, and raise a family of 11 children. All but the last were born in the sod house on the KS prairie. Carrie Durand Kitch lived 73 years and died after washing windows of her wooden house in Rozel, KS in 1940.