Who and what we are

Mission
To preserve the family and cultural heritage of Jean Durand dit La Fortune (1636-1671), the Durand Heritage Foundation researches and disseminates genealogical and other information about his ancestors and descendants through the voluntary efforts of its members.

Current  Officers
Anna Webber, Chair
VACANT, Vice-chair
Mike Durand, Treasurer
Jannyce Barnes, Secretary

Summary Information

The Durand Heritage Foundation (DHF) is a public, not-for-profit organization educational and research corporation chartered in the State of Minnesota and operating under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowable. The Foundation affords no pecuniary benefits to its officers and members.

If you are a Durand, have a Durand ancestor, or are interested in Durand family history and genealogy or French Canadian history, we invite you to join the the Durand Heritage Foundation. Membership dues entitle you to receive a year's subscription to our Newsletter, usually published four time a year.

Established in 1998, this website provides members and the public with access to information about the shared heritage of Jean Durand. DHF provides the information on this website in furtherance of its educational objectives.

Current Operating Objectives

1. To maintain the core functions of DHF such as the Newsletter, genealogy work, and the website.

2. To do outreach to engage the membership, increase membership, raise funds, and create activities to energize the organization.

3. To secure the long-term financial stability of DHF by building a "legacy" fund.

Durand Heritage Foundation History
      The Durand Heritage Foundation was established in 1998 by Mike Durand, who recognized that various family members were working in different areas of interest to discover and preserve the French-Canadian roots of the family history of Jean Durand. To facilitate these people working together he proposed that interested individuals form an organization to facilitate working together. Mike Durand also developed, edited and published the first newsletter in April 1998, the Durand Family Heritage & Foundation Newsletter. In that first newsletter, which he printed and mailed at his own expense, Mike announced an organizational meeting to be held that July in Burnett County, Wisconsin. In response to that mailing Mike received numerous expressions of interest and pledges of support, and although attendance at the July meeting was modest, people from Texas, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin attended. Those attending the meeting defined objectives, elected officers, and formed several committees.
     Those who participated in the July meeting were:
Marilyn Durand, Marie Miller, Jeanne Sansovini, Mary Brusegard, Cecile Foley, Suzanne Durand, Mike Durand, James Miller, Roger Durand, Elizabeth Kinslow, Richard Durand, Susanne & Mathew Krasovich and Fred Foley.

The officers elected were:
Mike Durand, President; John Durand, Vice President; Elizabeth Kinslow, Secretary; Susanne Krasovich, & Cecile Foley, co-Treasurers; Official Photographer, Fred Foley

The projects identified at the organization meeting in July 1998 were:

1. Integrate and expand the Durand family data base, i.e. family tree, pictures and other important documents.
   
2. Disseminate information about the family tree
        A. Have a CD- ROM printed for distribution purposes.
        B. Have a printout of the family tree available.
   
3. Develop a central repository of information for family records, data, etc.
   
4. Promote the Durand Heritage Foundation through the newsletter and trips.
   
5. Develop and preserve our family history through the collection of stories and pictures to possibly be published in book form or by other means.