Earlier version published in Ohio Genealogical Society Report 37:2 (1997)
written and revised by Catherine Wilson, GCHS
Sometime during the 1860s, a man named Pierre Pachoud and his wife Josephine came to Xenia, Greene County, Ohio, from the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. They were the parents of four daughters and three sons. Eventually the Pachoud, Genier, and Lambert families would end up in Xenia; they were all from Switzerland and would intermarry among themselves and some Irish families in town. These families were Catholic, and many are buried in St Brigid Cemetery on West Second St. A fourth Swiss family, the Passaquins, would also come to Xenia, but theirs is a short, tragic story.
Pierre and Josephine Pachoud purchased lot 19 in Drake’s addition, Xenia, in 1866, located on East Third between Monroe and Columbus St. A 1935 Xenia Herald article claims that Pierre Pachoud fought in Napoleon’s army, participating in the retreat from Moscow. The Pachoud children, all born in Switzerland, were Ellen, Pierre Joseph, Victor, Mary Antoinette, Julia, Jean, and Colette. Nothing is known of the latter two besides their names. More research may provide further information, although Ellen’s 1900 obituary states that 2 brothers and a sister were still living in Switzerland.
Ellen (1840-1900) married John Daniel Genier. Her brother Pierre married a woman named Julia; they were living in Cincinnati in 1887 and 1900. Victor was living in San Jose CA in 1887 and 1900. Julia married Jules Formeaux, and moved to New Orleans. Mary Antoinette (1843-1930) married twice, first to Louis Genier, second to Pierre Sulpice Lambert. Josephine Pachoud died in 1874, and is buried in St Brigid; the elder Pierre Pachoud died in 1887 at a claimed age of over 100 years, but his tombstone is missing or buried. His estate case file lists his children and their whereabouts.
John Daniel Genier, who married Ellen Pachoud, and Louis Genier, who married Mary A. Pachoud, were brothers, both born in Switzerland. Their sister Jane lived in Dayton during the 1860s, but no more is known of her. John D. Genier served as a private in the 44th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War; this regiment reorganized as the 8th Ohio Cavalry. He purchased lot 10 in Leaman’s addition off South Detroit St in 1865, but by 1870 he was a stone cutter living in Springfield OH. In Xenia city directories 1875-87, he is listed as a grocer in Xenia, but from 1892-1901 he is a stone cutter or stone mason. Ellen died in 1900, and John D. in 1906. They had three children.
Louis Genier was a stone cutter in the 1870 census, living in Springfield with his brother John D. He was a corporal in the 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Louis died in 1871, possibly due to disease contracted during his service. He and Mary had four children. After his death, Mary married Pierre/Peter Lambert (1822-1900) in 1873. He was born in Switzerland, son of Jean and Marguerite Lambert; he is consistently listed in city directories as a stone cutter or stone mason. Mary and Peter Lambert had three children together. Mary died in 1930, and she is buried at St Brigid along with both husbands.
The Passaquin family is a little more elusive. Adeline and Elvine Passaquin, both from Switzerland, lived on Hivling St in Xenia. Their property, lot 11 in Hinton & Lauman’s addition, was purchased in 1897 from Wilberforce University. In the 1898 directory, he is listed as a shoemaker; that same year, Mrs Passaquin hung herself in a small outbuilding in their back yard. She was only 32 years old. The cause of her despair was reported to be harmful gossip at the shoe factory where she worked. She is buried at Woodland Cemetery in section N. After her death, Adeline and their son Adeline Jr moved to New Caledonia, a French island possession in the South Pacific. What happened to them is unknown.
Mary F., daughter of Peter and Mary (Pachoud) Lambert, married William Rachford in 1904. Their daughter left her genealogy papers to the Greene County Room at the Xenia Community Library, and are filed there. Most are concerned with the Rachford family; however, one folder was French-language material and another half folder contained Lambert items. Most of the information here was taken from these Lambert-Rachford files; other information came from city directories, census, cemetery, newspaper, plus county and vital records.