It’s been more than 200 years since Joseph Robidoux III, founder of the city of St. Joseph, was alive, but he’s hardly been forgotten.

Thanks to the invention of the Internet and a Web site by the Robidou Association of North America, his descendents and relatives can know all about him and each other.

“The Web site (www.robidou.org) has been generating lots of interest and has allowed me to reach new cousins, many still who have no idea of their history or background,” says Kim Desroches, RANA president.

Up until now, it has been challenging to find each other, she says. Clyde Rabideau, author of several books on the Robidous and the unofficial family historian, has documented almost 70 written variations of the name. The site explains how the name “Rubidoux” denotes descendants of Louis Robidoux of Riverside, Calif., while in New York state you will find the name as “Rabideau.” “Robidoux” and “Robideaux” is found with descendants of Joseph Robidoux of Missouri and his native children.

“How nice it is to have a new-found cousin,” wrote Nancy Anderson of Carlsbad, Calif., when she discovered the site. Ms. Anderson’s ancestors are through her maternal grandmother from the St. Joseph branch. “The endless succession of those named Joseph Robidoux certainly has not made it easy (not to mention the spelling variations). I look forward to joining RANA and learning more about my ancestry.”

The idea to have a Web site began after RANA (the family association), was formed during the 2000 reunion in St. Joseph, sponsored by the St. Joseph Historical Society. Ms. Desroches later became president and in the late summer of 2007 set up the site.

“It has been nothing but a positive experience since,” Ms. Desroches says. “Into our second year now, we have had over 7,000 hits.”

In addition to a family tree, the site has extensive history of the descendants, photos, links to other sites and even Robidou recipes. It’s also given them a more far-reaching audience of cousins to contact and advise about family events and reunions, such as the California one they had in June.

The St. Joseph Historical Society has hosted three reunions here, first in 1995, then in 2000 and 2005. The Web site could come in handy if they try it again, says Clyde Weeks, Robidoux Row executive director. For the first reunion, they had to ask Clyde Rabideau for a list of relatives to invite.

“We sent out 3,700 invitations,” Mr. Weeks says. “Thank goodness they didn’t all show up."

Are you related

to a Robidoux?

Kim Desroches, RANA president, encourages you to contact her to provide updated family information for the database at desroches11@hotmail.com or to visit the Web site, www.robidou.org. And make plans to attend the Joseph Robidoux birthday party Aug. 8, at the Robidoux Row Museum in St. Joseph. Call the St. Joseph Historical Society at 232-5861

for more information.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson may be reached at sylviaandereson@npgco.com