Annie Denis, was born about 1855 in Canada, probably at Odanak or Durham. She appears to be the daughter of Newell Paul-Denis and Ellen Lawless. Ellen married 2nd to Louis Denis, who may very well be a brother to her first husband. There is also the possibility that there was only one marriage for Ellen, with Newell and Louis being two names used at different times by the same man. We have not been able to learn much about either man. Ellen Lawless is believed to be the daughter of John Lawless (said to be a white man) and Anastasie Helen Sasiboite, an Abenaki woman found in records at Odanak.
About the year 1879, Annie married Silas Fuller and gave birth to a child, Carrie Maude Fuller. Carrie died at Luzerne on 1-Oct-1894. We have not been able to learn anything about Silas. Locally it is believed that he came from Keesville NY. He is not with Annie and Carrie in the 1880 census, where they are enumerated using the surname Fuller but living with her parents. We assume Silas died or abandoned them shortly after their marriage.
Annie has two known sisters; Marie Anne, born about 1864 and Angeline, born about 1870. Angeline would be a half sister, but we can't be sure about Marie Anne. It is very likely that Newell Paul, buried in the family plot at Lake Luzerne, is Annie's full brother. He was born about 1850 and died in 1893.
Louis Denis and Ellen are found in Chesterfield, Essex Co., NY in the 1870 and 1880 Federal census records, along with children; Annie, Marie Anne, and Angeline. They are all recorded as "white" in these census records. In 1870, the family is living in the household of a woman named Anne Brown, described as born in Ireland. In 1880, they are in a separate household.
By 1900, Louis had moved the family to Lake Luzerne, NY, where they are recorded in the Federal Census for that year on the "Indian Schedule". In this schedule, all members of the family are listed along with their parents as "Abenaki" from French Canada - Angeline is the only exception, being born in NY. Although all identify themselves as Abenaki, the blood quantity of each individual (including Louis & Ellen) is listed as 1/2 white.
Although this 1900 census information is valuable, it should not be relied upon to accurately describe the family. We feel all the information for this particular census family is highly questionable and may not have been provided by an actually family member. We have found that most of the ages and dates given for the family in this census are not accurate based on other documents that we have access to. For example; Angeline is listed as age 23 and born Apr-1877, but she was found in the 1870 census as 1 year old and in the 1880 census as 10 years old.
In these census; Louis is always described as a laborer, Ellen is keeping house, and Annie & Angeline are referred to as basket makers in 1900.
Annie became very well known as an artist's model. You can read all about that aspect of her life in an obituary like article published by the New York Sun on 5-Feb-1903. You will find a link to it below.
We would like to address a couple of items in her obituaries at this time. Both speak of "a fine bust of her at the Museum of Natural History in New York by Casper Megee". Robert Green of the Hadley-Luzerne Historic Society contacted this museum and learned "they don't have the bust of her done by Casper Mayer just a face cast which they said is in poor condition and not on display". The other item relates to the mention of Annie being related to the Sabatis family, well known as Adirondack guides - we have not been able to make this connection, but intent to keep trying.
Anne died at Lake Luzerne on 16-Jan-1903 after being crippled the year before in a railroad accident. She is buried at Lake Luzerne in an unmarked grave. What a shame, for this remarkable woman to have such an anonymous ending.
A big thanks to Robert D. Green for the additional information
