Josephine was born on 2 February 1882 on the family farm in Buckland, Bellechasse County, Quebec, Canada, She was the ninth child of Theodore N. Corriveau and (Marie Luce) Celestine Provost. She was Baptized on February 3, 1882 at Notre Dame de Auxiliatric, Buckland, Quebec, Canada. She worked in the spinning room of the cotton mills in Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA at the turn of the century. It was there that she met, fell in love with and married her husband of 67 years, (Joseph) Edmond Lemay, son of Joseph Lemay Sr. and Melina Marie Emilia Lantagne. They were married on 21 October 1901 at the St Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Amesbury, Essex County, Amesbury, Massachusetts. They moved to Cohoes, Albany County, New York, USA in 1912 where they lived out the rest of their lives. She and Edmond had nineteen children of which eleven lived to adulthood.
Josephine passed away on 12 February 1968 at the Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York. She was predeceased by her husband, Edmond (1883-1967)and the following of her children: Dora Aurelia (1903-1907), Joseph Theodore (1904-1905), Alfred Leon (1906-1910), Obella Antoinette (1909-1909), Blanche Marie (1911-1911), Joseph Albert (1914-1915), Pierre Edmond (1923-1923), Marie Blanche (1924-1924), (Marie)Albertine Lemay Cyr (1914-1943), PFC Omer Joseph (1917-1945) while serving with the US Marine Corp in Okinawa, Japan, and Corporal Ernest Lionel (1930-1950) MIA-POW while serving with the US Army in North Korea.
She is survived by one of her sisters Leontine Corriveau Brochu of Welland, ONT, Canada; one brother, Joseph JB Corriveau of Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada; her three sons, Joseph and Albert of Cohoes, George of East Hartford, Connecticut and five daughters, Josephine Marcil, (Aurore) Laura Turpin, Lucie Bouchard of Cohoes, Emeline Mainville of Crescent, New York and Marie Rose Thyot of Enfield, Connecticut. She was also survived by over 45 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grand children and many nieces and nephews.
She was laid to rest beside her husband, Edmond on 15 February 1968 at St Joseph's Cemetery, Waterford, Saratoga County, New York,USA.