E-mail: edhicks@mobiletel.com
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, July 28, 2001
North Branch Library, Gray, LA 1:00 p.m.
The June meeting was a lot of fun. Phil had
a few “Remember Whens” and asked the society members to add a few of their
own. We came up with these: Remember The Polly? Remember the candy called
“B-B Bats?” Are you able to remember the blackouts? (During the war, kids
-- not due to the energy crunch.) How about Snow Ball scrapers? and Hadacol?
Do you remember the scrap metal drives for the war effort? Wanda Gaidry
gave an update on the restoration of the famous Civil War submarine “H.
L. Hunley” that is being restored. She said it is now on exhibit and tour
tickets can be arranged for on the Internet. The following web site has
full details: < http://www.hunley.org/html/frame.htm
> Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased on the Internet at < http://www.etix.com
> or by calling a toll free number, 1-866-866-9938. Tickets must be purchased
in advance.
It must be vacation time, folks. Sheila Rodrigue, our quick-witted
secretary, told us about her vacation-genealogy trip to Knoxville, TN.
It’s a wonder her hair didn’t turn snow white with all the scary trips
she took along those mountain roads. I hear she is going back later this
year. It must be nice to be able to take two vacations in one year. Gloria
Gravois Hicks and her husband told about their trip to the Great American
Southwest. They visited relatives, the National Archives-Southwest Region
(in Fort Worth, TX) and even got a chance to see the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad
Caverns and Chaco Canyon. (The latter is the site of an ancient Native
American settlement.) About the National Archives: if you think you might
get a chance to visit, do your preparation first. Gloria and Ed just happened
to be in the vicinity and “dropped in.” First, they were a little surprised
by its appearance. It looks like the site of a military or correctional
institution. Low brick buildings with lots of parking spaces. They brought
home some handouts giving the location and lots of necessary information.
Contact Ed and he’ll copy the seven-page document giving everything from
hours of operation to location of “nearby eating establishments” and motels.
If you send your address he’ll mail it to you.
PLEASE WON’T YOU “HEP” US?
We will be collating the Terrebonne Life Lines’ Summer issue
at noon, Friday, July 27, 2001 at the North Branch Library. With your help
we might be finished in a little over an hour. How about it?
|
BIRTH
Longtime member Merlyn Hebert Dugas and her
husband, Cameron Thomas Dugas, Sr., are proud to announce the birth of
their newest grandson, Brett Joseph Dugas. Brett was born on Tuesday, 5
June 2001 at Marrero, LA, weighing in at 8 lbs., 6 oz. Proud parents are
Lisa Lynn Thibodeaux Dugas and Cameron Thomas Dugas, Jr., and the maternal
grandparents are George Joseph Thibodeaux and Francisca Becker Thibodeaux.
Congratulations to the family and best wishes from the society members
to the new boy.
DEATHS
We were saddened to hear of the death of one
of our charter members — Mrs. Elsie Mary Whipple LeJeune. She was a retired
librarian after 48 years with the Terrebonne Parish Public Library in Bourg
and a member of St. Ann Catholic Church. Mrs. LeJeune is survived by one
sister, Mrs. T. C. (Shirley) Jolly of New Orleans. She was preceded in
death by her husband, Clement LeJeune; her parents, Thomas and Lottie Hotard
Whipple; and one sister, Edrie Whipple Hanna.
Charter member Cecilia Leonard Richard lost her sister on Saturday,
22 June 2001. Sister Mary Bertha Leonard, a member of the Congregation
of Mount Carmel and a retired nurse, died at Our Lady of Wisdom Health
Care Center. Sister Bertha was born Rita L. Leonard and entered the Congregation
in 1940, professing her vows in 1947. Before beginning her nursing career
she taught at schools in New Orleans and New Iberia. Her 48-year nursing
career included 22 years working in the recovery room of Terrebonne General
Hospital in Houma. She was honored in 1999 by the New Orleans District
Nurses Association as among the 100 Great Nurses. Survivors include two
brothers, Herman J. Leonard and Gerard Leonard and five sisters, Lorraine
Folse, Cecilia Richard, Miriam Esteve, Sister Lucie Leonard, O. Carm.,
and Sister Anne Leonard, O. Carm. She was preceded in death by her parents
Elvain Joseph Leonard and wife Bertha Marie Gaubert; and two brothers,
Francis L. And Donald R. Leonard.
Member Maxie Price Champagne lost her sister
on 25 June 2001. Joyce Lee Price Adoue was a homemaker, a retired registered
nurse, a member of the Newcomers and Old Timers Bridge Club, a member of
Les Bon Temps Quilters, a member of the Emergency Relief Group and a Parishioner
of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. She is survived by her husband, Henry “Bert”
Adoue of Houma; four sons, Thomas and wife, Carol Engelbracht Adoue, Michael
and wife, Rayne Wild Adoue, Donald and wife, Janet Martin Adoue and Gene
Adoue; two sisters, Maxie Price Champagne and JoAnn Price Tilbury; and
seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Avery Thomas
and Robella LeBlanc Price.
INVENTORY CLEARANCE SALE
Our clearance sale is going well. Many members
and others are taking advantage of the reduced prices on some of our excellent
research aids. Houma Newspaper Deaths - Some Missing Years is a bargain
at $12.00 for the hard cover and $8.00 for the soft cover. Our Book of
Charts, Volume 2 is going for $20.00 for the hard cover, $15.00 for the
soft. And Cemeteries of Houma, Louisiana will be selling for $18.00 for
the hard cover, and $14.00 for the soft cover. And after 31 August 2001
it will be over, so don’t come crying to us saying “I forgot” or “I didn’t
realize” ‘cause we told you it was a once-in-a-lifetime deal that you shouldn’t
pass up if you knew what was good for you. OK? OK.
LAFOURCHE HERITAGE SEMINAR
Another thing you might regret is missing
the wonderful line-up of speakers that the Lafourche Heritage Society has
ready to go for 4 August 2001. That’s a Saturday, and if I don’t hurry
and get this newsletter out, you may miss the deadline for pre-registering.
It’s July 24, so hurry! (Quoting from a recent newsletter...) “The 25th
annual seminar on history and genealogy sponsored by the Lafourche Heritage
Society will be held at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Thibodaux, LA, on Saturday,
4 August 2001. There will be presentations by our own Audrey Barnes Westerman,
researcher and publisher; Christopher G. Peña, author and NSU professor;
Albert J. Robichaux, Jr., noted genealogist and author; and Claire Mire
Bettag, Certified Genealogical Records Specialist, and recent contributor
to our Terrebonne Life Lines. Make plans to be there, and pre-register
by mailing your name, address and phone number by 24 July 2001. Include
a check payable to Lafourche Heritage Society in the amount of $28.00 (for
each participant) and mail to P. O. Box 913, Thibodaux, LA 70302. For more
information, contact Doris Mae Ledet, 985-447-7595, or Elton Oubre, 985-446-8662.”
The Terrebonne Genealogical Society will be represented by several Board
Members. Be sure and stop by our table and help them recruit additional
members and talk up the research aids that they will be offering for sale
(including some special cemetery books by Marcie L. and Essie Cavalier).
RESEARCH NEWS
Be on the lookout for some marriage records
that Nancy L. Wright found in the archives at Nicholls State University.
They were hidden for years until Nancy discovered them. Lafourche Justice
of the Peace Sidney R. Coulon had some original marriage records in his
possession which were supposed to have been turned over to the courthouse
to be recorded in the Marriage Books. They were from the years 1920 to
1942 so if you had family that were being married at the time and you never
have been able to find the record, check in a future issue of our Terrebonne
Life Lines. They will be especially helpful to those who made out their
applications in Terrebonne Parish because he included the parents of the
bride and groom. Nice going, Nancy!
Recent headlines claimed “Government of Canada
Announces $5 Million for Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada
Redevelopment.” And the following article stated “Grand-Pré National
Historic Site of Canada commemorates the Deportation of the Acadians as
well as the national significance of the Minas area as a centre of Acadian
activity from 1682 to 1755. It also commemorates the strong attachment
that remains to this day among Acadians to this area, the heart of their
ancestral homeland and symbol of the ties which unite them. The Grand-Pré
site was acquired in 1907 by John Frederic Herbin, poet, historian and
jeweler, to establish a memorial to his mother's Acadian ancestors.” You
may want to look at the news release for yourself, so you can look up the
following URL:
<http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/Library/NewsReleases/release_e.cfm?id=519&andor=nr>
For those of you who have been waiting for
some news about the CD that Father Hebert was publishing, consisting of
most of the Southwest Louisiana volumes, here it is. First I went to this
web site: http://www.hebertpublications.com/swlr_cd.htm
And I found out that the master CD was shipped
to the replication and packaging company on Monday, July 9. If all goes
well, the CD should be available for sale by the 3rd week of August, 2001.
The cost for SWLR CD 101 will be $375 including shipping. Note that all
who took advantage of the special pre-publication price for the SWLR CD
101 will receive it at no additional cost.
In the past several years October has been
designated Family History Month. This idea originated with the Monmouth
County Genealogical Society and has spread into a nationwide campaign with
the endorsement of the National Genealogical Society and the Federation
of Genealogical Societies. Several states have passed official proclamations
to this effect.
Now we have the opportunity to make this a national event we have just
learned that Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is sponsoring a Family History
Resolution to have October officially declared Family History Month. To
support the passage of this measure, we want to encourage as many people
as possible to contact the Senate and urge each member to support and vote
for Senator Hatch’s Family History Resolution. Let’s remind them of the
widespread interest in family history and the contribution it makes to
our American heritage. Make our voices heard! Contact your senator through
the following web site: <http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index_by_state.cfm>
you may also phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121
and an operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.
Nancy Wright wanted me to be sure to
tell our members about the wonderful guides that are to be found at the
RootsWeb site below: <http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/index.html>
They are very helpful to beginners and more
experienced genealogists alike. My favorite is the one called “SSDI (Social
Security Death Index) & Railroad Retirement Board Records (U.S.A.)”
because my grandfather was a railroad man until his retirement. It is good
about giving hints concerning what information can be found and what you
can do with it. Nancy asked me to recommend the lesson (No. 30) called
“Court Records” because if you follow the links you can get a lot of help
with reading wills and understanding the special language that is used.
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