1960 - Quint's First Child is 'Beautiful Gift'

By Russell Gilliece

Published by The Gazette in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Tuesday, December 27, 1960

Quint Marie Dionne Houle Shows 'Christmas Gift' to Husband Florian

The proud father of the first baby girl ever to be born to a quintuplet told The Gazette yesterday the child arrived, as he and his wife had hoped, in time to be a "beautiful Christmas gift."

Marie Joceleyne Emilie Houle made her debut into the world at 3:30 a.m. Saturday in the St. Justine Hospital on Cote St. Catherine road.

It was the first child for Florian Houle, a provincial sales tax inspector and the former Marie Dionne of the world famous quintuplets born in a Callander, Ont., farm house on May 28th, 1934.

"As anyone would imagine, we are both very happy that the birth went off so well," the excited father said, after hearing the happy news. "We had been hoping all along that it would be a little girl."

It was the fourth child -- but the first girl -- born to the four surviving quintuplets. Two other babies are expected early next year.

Named After Dead Quint

The baby girl, which weighed five pounds, 13 ounces at birth will be named after the fifth quintuplet Émilie who died at the age of 20. She suffocated in a pillow during an epileptic seizure at a hospital for the aged at Ste. Agathe where she was a postulant with a lay order of nuns.

"We had the name picked out all along and now there will be a girl to carry on Émilie's name," Mr. Houle said.

Marie, who was married to Mr. Houle in August, 1958, was admitted to the hospital shortly after midnight. The baby was delivered by Dr. Marc Gagnon of the hospital staff.

In attendance at the birth was Jeanne Hyland, one of Marie's best friends and a nurse at the hospital. The two became close friends while attending convent at Nicolet several years ago.

The new mother had twice entered convent to become a nun. She twice left and never returned to take her final vows. In 1956 she opened a flower shop on Pine Ave. and named it Salon Émilie and painted it in Émilie's favorite colors.

The venture was ill-fated. Six months later she closed the shop saying the trust company handling the quints' estate had "interfered."

Mr. and Mrs. Houle, who had managed to keep their marriage in Notre Dame church secret for several hours after it had taken place, now live on Grande Allee in Ahuntsic ward.

Two of the other quints are housewives in Montreal while the other is still taking advanced courses.

Cécile, married to Philippe Langlois, became the first quint in the world to bear a child when she gave birth to a boy Sept. 15, 1958. The couple have another son and a third child is expected in May. The two boys are named Claude and Patrick [sic].

Annette, married to Germain Allard, gave birth to a boy Nov. 2, 1958. He was named Jean François. She is expecting a second child also in May.

Yvonne, a graduate nurse who later took courses at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts, is now studying wood sculpture. She has no immediate plans for marriage.