Hesnard Family History

snip from http://archive.org/stream/historyofsouthda02robi/historyofsouthda02robi_djvu.txt  

THEODORE HESNARD is an American by adoption and has been a citizen of the I'nitcil 
States but a short time, his residence in this country covering a period of only twenty-three 
years. He was born April 17, 1843. in Flers, Normandy, France, and grew to maturity in that 
city, receiving an excellent scholastic training the meanwhile, and while still young he began 
earning his own livelihood in the woolen mills of his native place. He became quite proficient in 
this line of work, which he followed as long as he remained in France, and by industry and 
thrift, not only provided comfortably for himself and those dependent upon him, but succeeded in 
laying up a surplus by means of which he was afterward enabled to emigrate to a country of 
greater advantages and larger opportunities than obtained in the land of his birth. ^Ir. Hesnard 
married and practically reared his family in Flers, and made that city his home until 1881, 
in the spring of which year he came to America and proceeded as far west as Pierre, South Da- 
kota, where his wife and children stopped temporarily, while he went further looking for a 
favorable place in which to locate. Staging it through to the Black Hills the same season, he 
took up land where Hermosa now stands, but through the dishonesty of a would-be friend he 
was cheated out of his valuable real estate. He then settled on a ranch about five miles east of 
the town to which he brought his family the following spring, and turned his attention to agri- 
culture and cattle raising, in both of which pursuits he was totally inexperienced, his previous 
mode of life in a large city having been in an entirely different direction. He soon accustomed 
himself to the new conditions, however, and addressing himself manfully to the task before him, 
made much better progress as a tiller of the soil than many who have devoted their lives to the 
pursuit. Mr. Hesnard improved his ranch by erecting a comfortable dwelling and good out- 
buildings, and with such assistance as his older sons could render, succeeded in due time in 
getting a substantial start. He managed his affairs in a systematic and business-like manner, 
and by continued toil and perseverance, in the course of a few years, had one of the best ranches 
in the locality. Tn 1889 he purchased several mining claims on Battle creek, in which he put 
flumes, preparatory to working the same, but receiving a flattering offer for the property, he 
sold it and resumed agriculture and stock raising, prosecuting the same w'ith good success 
until 1898, when he disposed of his home place and bought the ranch five miles west of Hermosa 
on which he has since lived and prospered. Mr. Hesnard's success as a farmer and stock raiser 
has been marked and he now occupies a prominent position among the leading men of Custer 
count}-, similarly engaged. Mr. Hesnard is a man of wide intelligence and practical ideas, is 
well informed, not only on matters coming within his sphere of endeavor, but on iniblic af- 
fairs and current events, and as a citizen commands the respect and confidence of all with 
whom he mingles. Emil E.. the oldest son, is engaged in mining at Keystone, this state, and 
is one of the rising young men of that city. Arsene T., the second in order of birth. after 
finishing the common schools, attended the State Normal, at Spearfish, and later took a course in 
the college at Fremont, Nebraska, graduating from the latter institution. On finishing his edu- 
cation he engaged in teaching, in which he achieved distinguished success, and in the year 
1899 he was elected, on the Dehiocratic ticket, superintendent of the Custer county public 
schools, filling the position one term with a very creditable record. In 1903 he accepted a pro- 
fessorship in the Colorado State Normal School, at Saguache, and at this time ranks with the 
able instructors in that institution. The other  sons, Edward and Theodore, assist their father 
on the ranch. (Edwards Hesnard following generations have since moved to farming and teaching in Iowa) 

Two daughters complete the family circle, namely; Amelia and Matilda.  " end of snip from History of South Dakota

Matilda never married and was a school marm all of her days.  

Amelia married and moved to Canada (was told ??).  

Theodore G Hesnard married Lena Fonken from Hot Springs SD and they had two children Geraldine and Donald K. 

, Mrs Geraldine Hesnard Evans married Irv Evans and had 5 children.  

Donald K Hesnard married Donna Shorb and had 6 children. 

All 11 Evans/Hesnard cousins were raised on the Herford Cattle Ranch in Hermosa South Dakota before college, marriage, militiary service  and moving away.  

Flers, Normandy, France

Origine du nom HESNARD
Forme erronée de Hénard, nom de personne d'origine germanique, haginard (hagin-, est la forme élargie de hag-, enclos ; -hard, dur, fort).

translation: Hesnard's origin
It's a wrong spelling of Hénard, a name of germanic orgin, "haginard" (hagin-, is the developped form of "hag"-, enclosure,, hard, hard, strong)

Translation for Hesnard is as a  strong enclosure (strong garden?), strong-hold?