Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

This street was named for Rudolf Tomuschat, who was born September 28, 1901 in the town of Kiddelin, East Prussia.  He came to Canada on May 17, 1929, landing at the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  His wife, Lina Warnas, was born September 29^th, 1897 also in the province of East Prussia.  She immigrated to Canada, arriving at the port of Quebec City on June 29, 1930.  Rudolf and Lina were married in Montreal on November 6, 1932. 

In 1936, they purchased what was known as the “Hammond Farm” and now called the “Lord's Farm” on Route 243, and they moved to Potton.  In December of 1948, Mr. Tomuschat purchased the farm located at 345 rue Principale, from Hormidas Lafrenière.  He and his wife moved here in February of the following year.  Their son, Ernest and his wife, Fernande Jewett Tomuschat, still live on that farm.  According to Ernest, this farm knew several owners:  Lionel Hammond, Avila Daigle, Joseph Beauregard, Hormidas Lafrenière, and a Mr. Marcoux. 

Before moving to Potton to live, Rudolf Tomuschat, like so many other men of the time, travelled to Western Canada for work in the grain harvest.  Rudolf Tomuschat died on April 28, 1984.  Lina Warnas Tomuschat died May 11, 1998 in her 101^st year.  Her life included two World Wars, one in her homeland and one as a Canadian citizen.  She witnessed much history in those 100 years: the coming of the automobile, airplanes, travel to outer space, the landing of a man on the moon in addition to electricity and the advent of telephones.  Mr. and Mrs. Tomuschat are both interred in the Mansonville Cemetery, which borders the very farm where they spent so much of their lives.

The name Rudolf-Tomuschat was formerly attributed to Chemin Rudolf-Tomuschat, located in the northern part of Potton; however, by formal resolution of the Council on November 5, 2012, the Chemin became rue Rudolf-Tomuschat, which is situated immediately beside the Tomuschat farm within the village of Mansonville.  The former name of that street was Otis-McNeil.  The Council reserved this street name for use in the future.  The Chemin Rudolf-Tomuschat, which was located off route 243 north, has now been changed to Chemin Jean-Charles-Labranche.  This change was made following a request from the Labranche family, with the agreement of the descendants of Otis McNeil.

See entries for Chemins Jean-Charles-Labranche and Otis-McNeil.