- Born
- circa 1958
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- educationcommunity
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
Mark LaFreniere, born circa 1958, was the son of Daniel Archie “Archie” and Frances LaFreniere of Beaver Island (see Archie Lafreniere and Frances Bernell Connaghan LaFreniere) — a relationship a July 1971 Beacon item states directly, listing “Mr. Archie LaFreniere and his son, Mark” among islanders at a Memorial Day hunting-dog memorial dedication. He graduated in the Beaver Island Community School’s Class of 1976 and was accepted at a Michigan college. As a teenager he raced snowmobiles in the 1971 St. Patrick’s Day program, placing third in one heat, and by that Bicentennial summer he was co-chairing, with Tom McDonough, both the July 5 Basket of Joy raffle and the Bicentennial Committee’s project to mark the island’s historic sites with cedar and stone signs.
Evidence and limits
The father-son relationship rests on the 1971 dedication report’s direct wording, not inference from a shared surname. The circa-1958 birth estimate follows from a 1962 humor item naming “little Mark LaFreniere” as a young child in the household, plus normal graduation timing for the Class of 1976; neither is a civil record. No source gives a birth date, later education beyond college acceptance, or later residence.
Open questions
- None outstanding beyond a birth date and later career.
See also
Sources
See the sources block above.
The dated record
Sources
- Names Mark LaFreniere as a 1976 graduate and "son of Mr. and Mrs. Archie LaFreniere," accepted at a Michigan college. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1976-05_Beaver-Beacon
- The held combined issue confirms the graduate roster.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1976-05_Beaver-Beacon
- Names Mark LaFreniere, with Tom McDonough, in charge of the Basket of Joy raffle at the July 5 Civic Association event, and separately as co-chairman with McDonough of the Bicentennial Committee's Project 4, marking historic sites around the island with cedar and stone signs. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1976-07_Beaver-Beacon
- The held Bicentennial issue confirms both the raffle and the sign-marking committee assignment.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1976-07_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists attendees at a Memorial Day weekend hunting-dog memorial dedication as including "Mr. Archie LaFreniere and his son, Mark," directly confirming the father-son relationship.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1971-07_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports Mark LaFreniere placing third on a Ski-Doo in the second snowmobile race of the day's program.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1971-03_Beaver-Beacon
- A joke byline, "Proper Pool Procedure by little Mark LaFreniere," places him as a young child in the same LaFreniere household in 1962, consistent with a birth year around 1958.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1962-05_Beaver-Beacon
Added 3 August 2026 · revised 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Mark LaFreniere”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/mark-lafreniere/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, May–June 1976, “Every One! Beaver Island Seniors Prepare for College.” (and 6 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.