TGS Newsletter
Vol. 21 No. 11 February 2003

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

    At the January meeting, Marcie and Essie CAVALIER told us that reports of his (Essie’s) death were greatly exaggerated (apologies to Mark TWAIN). It seems that Marcie received Essie’s death benefit from Social Security a few weeks ago. They are still trying to straighten out the mess. It’s kind of hard to explain, so suffice it to say that money is involved, since Essie’s regular monthly payments were stopped, and Marcie’s were changed — naturally, presuming Essie was deceased, but confusing to Marcie and Essie, of course. Ask them about it if you want all the details. We also found out that trips and tours to Nova Scotia have started forming for the 2004 Congrès Mondial to be held there next year (really, it is next year). It was mentioned several times that we need you to volunteer your time for some of the projects that are going on. If you are too far away to go to one of the nearby courthouses or cemeteries or archives, you could send in your family information to be published in our quarterly. We ask that the family be from this area. We are an equal opportunity publisher. Native American heritage, African American, Acadian American or Anglo American, we can use them all. Isn’t that what makes this country great?
    Nancy L. WRIGHT announced at the meeting that our discussion group meetings would resume immediately after the February meeting, so plan your day accordingly. We’ll take an hour or so to discuss an old document that Nancy or Audrey WESTERMAN has found that involves some transcribing skills that genealogists need. We would be happy if you could join us.

    BIRTH. Michael and Jackie (FORD) THIBODEAUX wish to announce the birth of their first granddaughter, Madyson Marie, born Thursday, February 6, 2003 at 4:08 p.m. She weighed in at 6 lbs, 9.4 ounces and was 19 ¼ inches long. Her proud parents are Cody and Aimee (THIBODEAUX) BARBIER. She joins one brother, Bryce, and a half brother, Tyler. Congratulations to all!
  
    LIBRARY NEWS. Opening date for the new Main Branch of the Terrebonne Parish Library has been re-delayed. The latest news gives Saturday, 26 April 2003. You may notice that our April meeting is scheduled for the same day. Watch this space for further announcements.
    According to Judy RIFFEL, the Research Room of the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will be closed beginning Friday, February 21st, through Sunday, March 9th, for renovations. The Research Room will reopen Monday, March 10th, at 8 a.m.
   
    DONATION. Listed below are the titles and dates to the quarterlies that were added to our genealogy collection. These were donated by the family of Mrs. Myrtle Kershaw PELAYO. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 1969-1974; South Carolina Historical Magazine 1946-1974; Clarke County, Virginia quarterlies. (Proceedings of the Clarke County Historical Association)   1941 -1955. These will also be housed in the Genealogical Dept.
   
    DONATION. Cycle World of Houma donated a copy machine to TGS. It has been placed at the home of Jess BERGERON, our Corresponding Secretary and Query Editor. Thanks to Cycle World from all of us.
  
    2003 DUES. Thanks for sending in your dues promptly. Those of you who did act upon our reminder last month know that we are thanking them. However, no apology is needed. Our membership year ends on the last day of February each year and starts on the first day of March. So, if you are still waiting for your refund from the IRS to send us your membership, you MAY be late. Why not send it in now? Check your address label on this newsletter. If, somewhere on the label, you see, besides your name and address, the notation “EX 02/03" then you have not paid your dues for the coming year and your membership expires this month (February, 2003). If you see the notation “EX 02/03 EX 02/04" then you are paid up through February of 2004. You have paid your dues for the rest of this membership year (2002) and all of the coming year (2003). A handful of members will see this: “EX 02/04" only. That means that their membership begins next month and covers all of the next membership year. They will receive their first quarterly with Volume 22, No. 1 — Spring of 2003. Please send your address (including the nine-digit Zip code), phone number (including area code), and email address with your dues. We have some old information in our files that we need to clear out. There have been some changes in telephone area codes, and with the mergers and failures of some dot-com companies, some email addresses have changed. We often need to contact our members about their memberships or book orders or articles for the quarterly and it is time-consuming and frustrating to keep getting those “no contact” recordings or “Mail delivery subsystem” messages. We promise not to give or sell your address to any marketing service or advertiser. Honest.
 
     LGHS CONFERENCE. We have been asked to promote the “Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Conference on Genealogy” sponsored by the Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society on 25-26 April 2003 at Holiday Inn South, 9940 Airline Hwy., Baton Rouge LA. Lecturers on Louisiana’s Pre-colonial and Colonial History include Claire MIRE BETTAG, CGRS, CGL who will speak on “Louisiana Repositories and Records” 3:30-4:20 p.m. Friday, April 25, and on Saturday, April 26, Elizabeth SHOWN MILLS, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, will lecture all day, from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (There is a 1½ hour break for lunch.) Registration - Friday only $30, Saturday only $30, Banquet $30. Pre-register by 1 March 2003 and attend both the Friday and Saturday sessions and the Banquet for a total of $75 per person. Rooms are available for Conference attendees at a special rate of $72 per night. Mail registration to Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P. O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge LA 70884-2060.
 The link to the official site for the Conference is: http://www.rootsweb.com/~la-lghs/seminar.htm
   
     COMPUTER TALK. Links from Louis (DUET): The first link is to the 100 articles written by Father Clarence d’ ENTREMONT about Acadian stories http://www.ccfne.ns.ca/~museum/english/archives/articles/index.htm
The second is the link for the Acadian Museum at West Pubnico, Nova Scotia http://www.ccfne.ns.ca/~museum/english/index.htm
Lucie LeBlanc CONSENTINO Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home <http://www.acadian-home.org/>
Am-Can Gen Soc <http://www.acgs.org/>

     WANTED TO BUY: Louis DUET, 110 Percle Lane, Thibodaux LA 70301 is looking for South Louisiana Records: Lafourche-Terrebonne, Volume 11 (1900-1902) by Rev. Donald J. HEBERT, used or new. Phone (985) 633-2966 or e-mail <lduet@cajunnet.com.>
    
    WANTED TO BUY: Mrs. Nancy L. WRIGHT, P. O. Box 1041, Gray LA 70359-1041 wants South Louisiana Records: Lafourche-Terrebonne, Volume 10 (1896-1899). Phone (985) 868-0370 or e-mail <tewright@cajun.net>
     If you have any research material that you want to buy, swap, or sell, please let us know. Maybe someone out there has exactly what you are looking for, or you can recover some of the expense of a book that didn’t help you..
   
    COMING EVENTS: 2003 is the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase which added so much territory to the United States, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border, including this former French and Spanish territory. In consequence, it’s a special year for genealogists and historians, and a good reason for gatherings. Some events planned are:
     Saturday, March 15, 2003. “Class in Family Research” sponsored by the new Orleans Public Library, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bring your own Brown Bag Lunch. Free, but seating is limited. Reservations required. Call Louisiana Division at (504) 596-2610 during regular hours, Monday-Thursday 10a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
     Sunday, March 16, 2003. “Bayou Heritage Celebration” at Larose Civic Center, Larose, Louisiana. This event begins with a Mass at 10 a.m. at Holy Rosary church in Larose by Fr. Eloi ARSENAULT, recipient of the LEGER-COMEAU Medal of Honor, National Acadian Society, and continues to about 5 p.m. in an all-day family event There will be music, dancing, folk life demonstrations, speakers, etc. and at about 2 p.m. Audrey WESTERMAN will speak on “Settlers of Early Lafourche.”
     Saturday, March 22, 2003. South Mississippi Genealogical and Historical Society. Brent HOLCOMB discussing “Research in North and South Carolina” at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church, 2420 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Lunch provided by the Ladies of Parkway Heights. Pre-registration (until March 8) $25 per person. Registration at door $30; add $8 per person for optional lunch. Send registrations by mail to P. O. Box 15271, Hattiesburg MS; make checks payable to SMGHS.
     Saturday, May 3, 2003. Meeting of Louisiana Association of Professional Genealogists (L-APG), Terrebonne Parish Public Library, Louisiana Room,  Houma, Louisiana. 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free. Hosted by Mrs. Nancy L. WRIGHT and Mrs. Audrey B. WESTERMAN, CGRS?. Speaker will be Elton OUBRE, “How the Louisiana Purchase Affected the Bayou Country.”
  
     COMPLIMENTARY LIST. TGS has put the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese Archives at Thibodaux on the complimentary list for our publications, including our newsletter and Terrebonne Life Lines. This office is staffed entirely by volunteers and gets minimum funding. It was learned these volunteers were paying for research books for the Archives library. Thanks, ladies, for your dedication and hard work.
   
    ON THE SICK LIST. Phil CHAUVIN, TGS President, had double bypass heart surgery on Monday, February 3, in Houma. He had a slight set-back while still in the hospital and stayed there 1½ weeks but is now home recuperating. Get well from all of us.
   
     Ed HICKS, Vice President and Newsletter Editor, had to conduct the TGS Board meeting on Saturday, February 8th, but when he got there we learned he was sick with what Nancy calls the “Gotcha” virus. Gloria was not feeling well that Saturday, either. Nancy had this virus in early January, Audrey had it the latter part of January, and no - they didn’t give it to Ed because they haven’t been around him.
  
    BOOKS. Each year Phil CHAUVIN collects the obituaries from the Houma Courier newspaper, puts them into a book and indexes it He has completed the one for 2002 and it is a total of 345 pages. This book is printed on pre-paid orders only.  Houma Courier Deaths 2002 may now be ordered for $35 each, soft cover only, plus postage of $3 for one book and 50¢ each additional book. No discount allowed on this book. Deadline to order this book is February 28.
 
     BARBIER descendants will be happy to learn the next issue of TLL has an article on this family in France by Mrs. Louise HILTON JETER, which takes them back two generations. Thank you to Louise who has been searching this family since the 1970's and found the French ancestors (about 25 years).