Terrebonne Genealogical Society

TGS Newsletter
Vol. 24 No. 11 February 2006

Visit our home page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~laterreb/tgs.htm

Membership, book orders and/or 
     address changes, contact: 
      Corresponding Secretary: Jess Bergeron 
      Email:  jessndot at juno.com
      Phone (985) 876–2348 
      TGS, Station 2 Box 295, Houma, LA 70360-0295 
News items or events, contact: 
     Newsletter Editor  Ed Hicks
      5306 Hwy 1, Raceland, LA 70394-2033 
      E-mail: edhicks at mobiletel.com
      Phone: (985) 532–3586 
NEXT MEETING:  
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Main Branch Library, Houma, LA 1:00 p.m.

WARNING
This is the end of our fiscal year 2005. If you have paid your dues for 2006, it will be so indicated on your address label. If you want to continue receiving our superlative quarterly and newsletter, PAY YOUR DUES. NOW.

If you missed Dr. John DOUCET’s talk at our January meeting, I hope you had a good reason. It was great! And it was a crowd-pleaser as well, judging by the number of questions both during the presentation and after the end.  A number of interested people lined up to ask Dr. DOUCET some more questions. We had a good turnout, including many non-members, some of whom became members at the meeting. That is what a good speaker can do. I would like to take this opportunity to invite suggestions about guest speakers. If you know of someone who you think would be able to speak to our group, the board will consider any suggestion and extend the invitation. Topics of interest would be genealogy (of course) and history of this region (Terrebonne, Lafourche and Assumption parishes).

TERREBONNE LIFE LINES: The Fall quarterly was put together in record time. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked at the clock when we were ready to leave. It was 1:15 p.m.! We had some good help, although we heard that some people stayed home because they had commitments at 2:00 p.m. Well, if they had known we would be through collating before 1:30, they might have been able to come help. Those who showed up to help were: Beverly ALFORD, Jim AVET, Jess BERGERON, Minus BLANCHARD, Blanche BROWN, Marcie and Essie CAVALIER, Jane and Phil CHAUVIN, Ed HICKS, “Lou” OSTHEIMER, Cecilia RICHARD, and Nancy WRIGHT. 

BIRTH: Jacob Michael GRAVOIS was born on Monday, January 30, 2006, weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. He is the son of Alex Bernard GRAVOIS and Mary-Grace RICHARD. He joins his older brother, Alexander John GRAVOIS. His paternal grandparents are Albert Anthony GRAVOIS and our board member, Patricia Ann WHITNEY. His maternal grandparents are Eugene RICHARD and Bernadette LEGENDRE. 

DEATH: It saddens me to report the death of one of our members: Alexis “Alex” Joseph LEFORT, who died April 22, 2005. I’m sorry that this news is so late, but I was just notified this past week. He was a native of Jefferson and a resident of Kinder, LA. He was a veteran of the Navy, proudly serving his country in World War II. After the war he settled in Cameron and became a boat captain and worked ferrying workers back and forth to offshore drilling rigs. He survived Hurricane Audrey in 1957, but lost his wife, Altha NUNEZ LEFORT, two children Alexis Jr. and Elaine LEFORT, his mother, Armonica COLLINS LEFORT, and a nephew. He was also preceded in death by his father, Alexis LEFORT; second wife, Mary Lou ARCENEAUX; three sisters, Ezora LEFORT AUTHEMENT, Delia LEFORT CLARK, and Modest LEFORT RICHARD. He is survived by his loving wife, Ethel FONTENOT SACKER LEFORT; one brother, Paul LEFORT; two sisters, Velma LEFORT ELLENDER and her husband, Willie, and Odette LEFORT PITRE; one stepdaughter, Mary Lou JOANEN and her husband, Ted; three stepsons, David SACKER, Paul SACKER and John SACKER; two step grandsons, Kim FAWVOR and his wife, Barbara, and Tom FAWVOR; and four step great-grandsons. He was blessed and loved by his many nieces and nephews. Alex was a kind and gentle man and leaves many friends. He was a Pentecostal Christian.
     Our deepest sympathies go out to member Laurie PATTON who lost her mother, Sydney SPAHR PORTIER LING, on January 27, 2006. She was a former owner of Sweet Pea Florist and a former member and past queen of the Krewe of Flames. She is survived by four daughters, Laurie PATTON and husband Aaron, Cindy GENTRY and husband Gordon, Amy DUGAS and husband Ken, and Penny CUNNINGHAM and husband Darryl Sr.; ten grandchildren, Hilary PATTON, Brooke, Marshall and Taylor GENTRY, Lindsey, Jenna, Kimber and Kade DUGAS, Darryl Jr. and Brittany CUNNINGHAM; one great-grandson, Drake Allen SMITH; two brothers, John SPAHR and wife Genny, and Robert SPAHR and wife Toni Ann; four sisters, Joan GREEN and husband Cecil, Shirley ORR, Mona CUNNINGHAM and Cathy SPAHR; five stepchildren, and her husband, Louie P. LING. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence J. PORTIER; her parents, Sidney and Shirley AITKENS SPAHR; and one grandson, Brandon PORTIER.
 
HELP! HELP! HELP!: Please help us contact our displaced members and get their new addresses. The last time we mailed quarterlies, some were returned. Scott PICOU and William PREGEANT, we have your new address, but we need to have $2.00 postage to re-mail your quarterly. Louise GATES, Fred GAST, Kevin HERRIDGE and Huey WAGUESPACK (of LaPlace, LA), your quarterlies were returned with no indication of your new addresses. If anyone has corresponded with these “lost” members, please help us by giving us their present address.
BRICK WALL: I am a couple of months late, but you need to know this: Dorothy MATTE BERGERON is looking for the marriage date and place of Simon MATTE (also spelled MATE or MOTT). She also needs his death date. She has no information about Simon’s wife, Josephine DOUCET; birth date and place, death and burial, and names of parents. Simon was baptized on December 26, 1828, at the age of 10 months in the church at Lafayette. Their children were baptized in the churches at Grand Coteau, Church Point and Opelousas. The family appears in the 1850 and 1860 censuses of St. Landry parish, but not in the 1870 census. Simon’s parents are Simon MATTE and Celeste CHIASSON. She says she would appreciate any help she can get. You may contact her through the society address or at 130 Everette Drive, Houma, LA 70364 or email jessndot at juno.com 
 
NOTICE: This concerns members and friends of SETG&HS (South East Texas Genealogical and Historical Society? [I’m guessing—Ed]). I quote: This notice is to inform you about the situation we have with the publication of “Yellowed Pages” Vol 35 issues 3 & 4. 
Tyrrell Historical Library, which is the library we work out of, was damaged during Hurricane Rita. We have not been able to enter the library since Sept 23, 2005. All of our publications, materials, and even our checkbook is in that library. We are sorry about the delay, but as soon as we are able to get to our material we will get these issues out.
     If you have any questions you can email me at jtwhite50 at hotmail.com or write me using our mailing address at Tyrrell. Thank you for your support thru the years and we hope that 2006 will be better than 2005.
     Best Regards, Shirley White, SETG&HS membership 2006.
 
GOT BERNARDS? In your ancestry, that is. They are having a reunion on Saturday, April 15, 2006, from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Place: Lovett Road BREC Recreation Center (an air-conditioned and/or heated building) at 13443 Lovett Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70818. For details, contact Mary Agnes COKES HAMMETT, 16548 Vermillion Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70819, call 225-273-0320 or email mach10 at bellsouth.net Sounds like fun!! Please spread the word to all family members. A descendant Family Tree will be on display.
 
MEETING AND SEMINAR: The Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society is holding its annual meeting and seminar on Saturday, April 29, at the Holiday Inn South on Airline Hwy. (Airline at I-12) in Baton Rouge, LA. Informative genealogical presentations are planned by Dr. Terry L. JONES, Dr. John DOUCET, Robert de BERARDINIS and Dr. Wilbur MENERAY. Full details are available on the website http://www.rootsweb.com/~la-lghs/ Registration blanks are at that site, also. Registration is $35 for non-members and for members registering after April 1st. Contact Sue E. BADEAUX, Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society, P. O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2060, or phone 225-659-7422, or email suebado at cox.net for more information and a registration blank. It sounds great, but our April meeting is on that day. DARN.!@#$%^&*
 
ELECTIONS: At the February meeting we will hold our biennial elections. Look for a heated debate between the candidates for office. [NOT] Daniel “Chuck” GUIDRY announced that he will be moving across the lake in the near future, so will not be able to continue his excellent job of board member as he has in the past. He has already started work on his place of residence, so cannot spare very much time, even now. Please help us elect a replacement.
 
BOOKS: The sale of our books on newspaper notices is going nicely. These are the copies of the notices that appeared in The Houma Courier or The Daily Comet (Lafourche parish) at the time of the event. They are especially useful for obituaries, since they often give a list of surviving members of a family as well and the deceased members. However, we should warn you that the opportunity, once passed, may not return very soon. Think of how long some people have waited for this chance because they missed the first printing. Deadlines will depend on what year you are wishing to order. For the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 books (Houma Courier Deaths, Comet Deaths, or Houma Courier Births) the deadline is the May, 2006, meeting (May 27, 2006) and we will print them in June. Time flies, people. You gotta decide NOW. You have a little more time for the 1985-1990 books. Watch this space for further announcements. Remember, there was one of each title published each year. Please understand, these are not abstracts, but photocopies of the original obituary. They often include family members, especially deceased ones and many times name the grandchildren of the subject person. If you are lucky, the obituary provides insight into the personality of the deceased: his or her clubs or societies, military experience, honors and titles.
    We will be reprinting these books on order. If we have only a few orders, we will produce them for you. We have the “masters” for all of the obituary books from 1985 forward. These are especially valuable for public (and private) libraries. Be sure you complete your collection. This is a one time offer. Send your order to Jess BERGERON, as usual, and specify the newspaper title and the year. For instance Obituary Book: Houma Courier, 1998. Please include $30.00 for each book and $3.00 for shipping. Sorry, but no member discount will be available for this special printing. 

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