Terrebonne Genealogical Society
 
TGS Newsletter
March 1998
 
Vol. 17 No. 1 March, 1998        Visit our home page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~laterreb/tgs.htm Newsletter Editor Ed Hicks, 5306 Hwy.. 1, Raceland, LA 70394-2033
E-mail: edgarhicks@worldnet.att.net                 Phone: (504) 532-3586

Membership and/or address changes:
Please send by mail to TGS, Station 2 Box 295, Houma, LA 70360-0295


NEXT MEETING Saturday, March 28, 1998

North Branch Library, Gray, LA 10:00 a.m.

There was a good turnout for the election meeting, but no surprises in the outcome. The president’s election was contested, but the incumbent won. Phil Chauvin, Jr., was elected for another two-year term, as were Nancy Wright, Jess Bergeron, Jr., Sheila Rodrigue, Essie Cavalier, Louis Duet, Lou Ostheimer, Wade Usé and Edgar Hicks. We did not have a program, but Ray Olivier, who has traveled to France researching his genealogy, spoke about the Daspit family. Pierre Daspit was a prominent judge in Lafourche Interior Parish. Ray has traced the family back to the de Mesmes family of the Carolingian period. (I looked that up, and it refers to the time of Charlemagne in the 8th century.) Very interesting; you should have been there (if you weren’t).

Phil talked about the accomplishments of our group -- how many publications we have produced and contributions to the library that we have made. He asked for a show of hands when he mentioned charter members. Thirteen hands were raised. He also asked for more volunteers to keep our reputation going. If you can help, please call one of the Board members or officers. Maybe it is just proofreading, but someone has to do it. "Spellcheck" is nice, but it doesn’t catch all the mistakes. You might prefer to get outside and help copy names from tombs, or copy records in a courthouse, or whatever. Do it now. You are not getting younger, you know.

Speaking of volunteers, there were 12 of them at the North Branch Library on February 26 to put the quarterly together. Of course, 7 of those were either elected officers or board members. They were: Beverly Alford, Jess Bergeron, Essie Cavalier, Marcie Cavalier, Phil Chauvin, Louis Duet, Ed Henry, Ed Hicks, Gloria Hicks, Lou Ostheimer, Cecilia Richard and Dot Smith.

O.K., I lied. I said that the last issue would be the last one you would receive if your dues were not paid for the year beginning March 1, 1998. The board decided to send this one as a final, last, ultimate issue of the newsletter. You should have received, by now, your last quarterly. To know if your check has been received by our treasurer, Nancy Wright, check your label on this newsletter. If it says 1997, you have not paid your dues for 1998, and this definitely IS your last newsletter. If you are happy about that, good. If not happy, sit down and write a check today and mail it to the address above. We have been receiving checks for the wrong amount, folks, so listen up. If you are the only person in your family interested in genealogy, consider yourself an individual andsend a check for $25.00 to cover your dues through March 1, 1999. If there are two or more in your family interested in attending the meetings, etc., send in $30.00. If you are in charge of a Library or a Genealogy society, the charge is $22.00 for the entity. If you are an individual that wants to help, but for some reason or other (distance or health reasons) can’t contribute your time, you can contribute through your membership. Contributing memberships are $30.00. If you feel like you would benefit from being a member as long as you are on this earth, send us $250.00 and we will see to it that you get your newsletters and quarterlies in a timely manner. If you already ARE a lifetime member, please excuse us for reminding you to send in your dues. You are paid up.

BIRTHS

This news just in: Born to Timothy and Patricia Welp Hicks, a daughter, Rebecca Elizabeth, at 5:40 p.m. on March 19, 1998, in Hammond, La. The proud grandparents are Gloria and Edgar Hicks. This makes the eighth grandchild but only the second granddaughter.

DEATHS

Our hearts go out to member Barbara Whitfield in the loss of her father, Eugene Belanger, Sr., who died Wednesday, 18 February, 1998. He is survived by his wife, Edna Reynolds Belanger, one son, Eugene N. Belanger, Jr., two daughters, Barbara B. Whitfield and Gwen Fotos, one brother, Alvin Belanger, one sister, Alice B. Tripp, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Amelia Bourg and Adam Belanger, one brother, Allen Belanger and one sister, Allie Belanger.

We were saddened to hear of the death of our active charter member Ruth Bergeron. She died at her home on Wednesday, 11 March 1998. She is survived by one son, John Bergeron of Connecticut, one daughter, Beth Bergeron of Los Angeles, and three grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, George David Bergeron, Jr., her parents, James Henry Sentell and Ruth Reymond Whitaker, one son, James David Bergeron, one brother George Whitaker Sentell, and one granddaughter, Jeannine Katherine Bergeron. She will be missed by her family and many friends.

Many of you may have heard of Dorothy "Dot" Naquin if you have done any research in Lafourche or Terrebonne Parishes. She died at 9:24 p.m. on 2 March 1998 in Thibodaux. Miss Dot was a native and resident of that city. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Cecile Lasseigne Naquin, and her brother, Clay Naquin. The genealogy community is poorer because of the death of these two active women.

RETURNED QUARTERLIES

If you have moved, lately, or had your mail service suspended for a couple of weeks while you were out of town, the U.S.Postal Service may have returned your quarterly to us and charged us the postage. The following members have had that happen during thecalendar year 1997: Sylvia T. Haeberlein, Cecile C. Domingue, Dianne U. Blanchard, Corrie J. Bergeron. If you would like your quarterlies please send $3.00 for postage to the society address, above. Also note: if you have sent less than the required amount ($25.00) for your dues, we will have to hold back your last quarterly, so please send the full amount.

DONATIONS

A big "THANK YOU" to the following for sending a donation toward the new security system at the North Branch, where our Genealogy Department is located: Trevia Wooster Beverly, Wanita M. Boudreaux, Ruth Exposito, Neva K. Frazier, Louise Gales, June Granger, Meril Leonard Hebert and Rodney Pontiff.

LINK WANTED

We received a nice letter from June Champagne Ames, 3337 Hwy 43 North, Picayune, MS 39466. She writes that she knows and appreciates the effort that is put into the society. She would like to communicate with someone who is descended from Jean Baptiste Champagne and Perine Chauffe through their son Jean Baptiste and Charlotte Edelmeyer.

SEMINARS

Mark your calendar now for the 22nd Annual Seminar on History and Genealogy produced by the Lafourche Heritage Society, Inc. of Thibodaux, LA. It will be held on Saturday, August 1, 1998, at the Howard Johnson Lodge, LA Hwy 308 and N. Canal Blvd. in Thibodaux. The address is P. O. Box 913, Thibodaux, LA 70302-0913 for more information. Speakers are Claire Mire Bettag, Martin Cortez and Elton J. Oubre.

Want to spend your Memorial Day Weekend at a genealogical workshop? You can if you can get to Springdale, Arkansas for May 23, 24, 25. They will have 15 workshops from which to choose. It is called the "4 Corners Ancestor Fair 1998" and it is located where the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas come together. Write the Washington County Historical Society, 118 E. Dickson St., Fayetteville, AR 72701.

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