Terrebonne Genealogical Society

TGS Newsletter
Vol. 22 No. 1 April 2003

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@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@mobiletel.com
      Phone: (985) 532–3586 
PLEASE, PLEASE HELP!!!!!
We will be collating the Spring issue of the quarterly on Thursday, April 24, 2003 at noon in the meeting room of the North Branch Library in Gray, LA. We sure could use your help, if you can possibly make it.
 
NEXT MEETING: Saturday, May 31, 2003 .. Main Branch Library, Houma, LA 1:00 p.m.
 
NO MEETING IN APRIL
     That’s right, there will be no “formal” meeting in April. The Grand Opening of the New Main Library of the Terrebonne Parish Library System will definitely be held on Saturday, April 26, 2003. This is the last Saturday of the month, which is our usual meeting day. On that day, however, all branch libraries in the Terrebonne Library System will be closed, so the North Branch will be inaccessible to our society. Besides that, the Genealogy Department is being moved even as we speak. On April 26 you will find all the genealogy books on the second floor of the Main Branch. You should find the Officers and Board Members of the Society somewhere in the Main Branch on that day. If you look, you’ll be able to pick us out by our vests with the T.G.S. logo on the back. (If we remember to wear them.) For you newcomers to Houma, you may find the map helpful. It is included on the last page of this newsletter. Take the State Hwy. 311 exit off US Hwy. 90-East or -West. Turn toward Houma (South) and go for about ten miles until you intersect with State Hwy. 182. Take a right on 182 west and another right as soon as you can (less than a block). The Library is about two blocks up on the right. There are other, shorter ways to go. If you have been to the Houma Civic Auditorium, it is in the same general area. On the remote chance that you get lost, just ask anyone where the Houma Civic Auditorium is and I’m sure they will be glad to help you.
     We will be meeting on May 31, 2003, at the Main Library in the meeting room for our regular May meeting. We have asked Gerald PATOUT, the current Head Librarian at the Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection to address the society. He will be talking about the obituary collection they are compiling in conjunction with the New Orleans Public Library. More in the next newsletter.
 
WEDDING 
     Member Don August HILL is happy to announce the upcoming wedding of his daughter, Stephanie Marilyn HILL, to Bradley Tyrone ANTONY, a native of Union, MS, on May 17, 2003, in Harahan, LA. Mother of the bride is Helen L. RAU, a native of New Orleans, LA. Proud stepmother of the bride is Jill Marie SIMS, native of Atascadero, CA. Parents of the groom are Wilton Tyrone ANTONY, native of Sebastopol, MS, and the late Rita Kay COLE of Moss Point, MS. Both Don and his daughter are native to New Orleans, LA.
 
DEATH 
     We regret to inform you of the death of the brother-in-law of member Nick PORTO. Louis J. SCIONEAUX, native of Donaldsonville and resident of Thibodaux, died April 4, 2003. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Theresa ALLEMAN SCIONEAUX; daughters, Gerry S. HIMEL and Phyllis S. FONTENOT; brothers, Norman and Joe SCIONEAUX; sisters, Mary S. OUBRE, Janice S. TREESE and Gail S. JACOBS; grandchildren, Cassie H. BONVILLAIN, Leslie H. TALBOT, Randy HIMEL Jr., Jamey, Bryan and Eric FONTENOT; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Loisel and Stella L. SCIONEAUX; sister Joyce S. PORTO; and one infant son. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of the VFW.
 
A. P. G. MEETING 
     The local Association of Professional Genealogists is hosting a meeting at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library in Houma [see map] on Saturday, May 3, 2003.The featured speaker is Elton OUBRE, who will address the topic of the Louisiana Purchase and how it affected the bayou country in South Louisiana. The meeting will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and will include refreshments. Our own Nancy L. WRIGHT and Audrey B. WESTERMAN are the joint hosts and the meeting is open to all interested persons. If you plan to attend, please let Nancy or Audrey know so they will have enough sandwiches for everybody. Email either tewright@cajun.net or awesterman@mobiletel.com
 
CUBAN PAPERS SEMINAR 
     Clayton Library, Center for Genealogical Research, is acquiring the entire microfilm collection of the Papeles Procedentes de la Isla de Cuba, also known as the “Cuban Papers.” The Cuban Papers are the largest single collection of genealogical and historical source material for the Mississippi Valley, Gulf Coast, east and west Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and southwestern Georgia from 1700 to 1820. Contents include documents produced by various French, Spanish, English, and American government officials having jurisdiction over much of southern North America during the colonial period. The Clayton Library (in Houston, Texas) is presenting a seminar on Saturday, September 27, 2003, on how to use the Cuban Papers for genealogical research. This all-day seminar will be presented by two nationally recognized experts, Prof. Paul E. HOFFMAN and Robert de BERARDINIS, who will address both the Spanish-language portions and the French and English portions of the collection. Participation is limited to 120 participants, so be sure to make your plans now to attend, if you are interested. Special early registration prices apply before August 1. For your brochure and registration form, contact Dick WARREN (281) 461-1472; dick@merlins-web.com or Don PUSCH (281) 326-3278; pusch@ghg.net. They sent us a couple of forms for our members at the next meeting, so if you see us, ask about it.
 
CEMETERY MONUMENT CONSERVATION 
     On May 13, 2003, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training will present a one-day seminar on monument conservation, with on-site registration and Tours of NCPTT being held the day before, Monday, May 12, 2003, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The next day will see the all-day seminar, starting at 8:00 a.m. with on-site registration, then the seminar will go from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A hands-on workshop will be held on the next two days for 20 selected participants. NCPTT will select applicants for the workshop with preference to those whose job responsibilities are linked to the care of cemeteries. Fees apply, with special low student rates. For more information, and to apply, visit www.ncptt.nps.gov/cemetery or write National Park Service, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, 645 College Avenue, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457. Sorry, no phone number was provided.
 
BOOKS 
     Member Deborah Stansbury JONES has recently produced a genealogy workbook for children. Titled My Family Tree, it is aimed to please children of elementary or middle-school age. It includes easy, step-by-step instructions and all the necessary forms and charts for children to complete by themselves or with supervision. Additional space is provided for children to place individual and family pictures. Once completed, this workbook will provide a keepsake for a child to treasure for years to come. If you think some child(ren) in your family would be interested, order from GenTree Publications, 2915 Niagra Drive, Dayton, OH  45431, or call (937) 429-7097. Price is $6.95 each, with $2.50 shipping for the first book, plus $1.00 for each additional book.
 Have relatives who married in Assumption Parish any time from 1918 - 1926? Keep watching this space for news of an upcoming book.
      Another rumor: is it true that Elton OUBRE has revised and indexed his Vacherie book? I heard someone say they saw it and it is really a great improvement of a book that was great to begin with. But after spending a couple of hours on the web searching, I couldn’t locate a source. Sorry. I was hoping to give you prices and all. I think I will have to get a new search engine.
     Good news! The Hebert Publications website is a source for almost all your reference book needs. Their list is extremely long, so I used my browser’s Search feature to look for a particular book. I used the word “almost” because, as you know, we produce some excellent reference books, as well.
 
MONEY 
     Always a popular topic, it was suggested that we publish here a short rundown on our finances. Some of our members listen to the Treasurer’s report each month and think “Wow, all that money! We’re RICH! Let’s go SHOP!” I’m sure we can all think of something to do with over $10,000, right? Well, hold on. It costs something to print and mail those quality quarterlies four times a year. And how about our wonderful newsletters? Eleven times a year we print and mail them. And the editors of the quarterly and newsletter don’t pull down ANY salary!
     Printing the quarterly, 500 copies       $10,000
     Mailing quarterly & newsletters             2,000
     Printing newsletter; about 450 x 11        1,000
The balance (currently $2300) is used to print books and purchase books and materials for the library. As of February 28, 2003 we have donated $ 55,000 in books, materials and equipment to the library, over the last 21 years. You say you are looking for your return on your $25 or $30 dues? Look no further than that book you get each year when you put together the four quarterlies. No matter what time of year you join, you are guaranteed the receipt of four quarterlies. These are packed with information about the history, genealogy and tips for research in this area.
 
COMPUTER CORNER 
     You may want to be more concerned about where you publish your email address after you hear this. Our newsletter appears on our web site each month, and it stays there for years. Marketers are always looking for new addresses to sell to the advertisers of all sorts of stuff. What I’m leading up to is a suggestion from our board members. You probably would get better results if you advertised for wanted used books and such in our quarterly. Your name and address published there stays in the book on the shelves of some libraries and is available to serious genealogy researchers, not admen (& adwomen?), sometimes for years. Think about it.
     Interested in plantations in the Houma area? There is an excellent web site sponsored by a North Carolina university with copies of original documents from Ante-Bellum Louisiana plantations. Some prominent local family names can be found here. It seems that the documents were taken to North Carolina  for study. Check out this site: www.lexisnexis.com/academic/guides/southern_hist/plantations/plantj6.asp
 
MAP OF HOUMA 
    As promised, this is the best map that MapQuest and I could come up with. Notice that you are heading southwest on LA 311 before you get to the intersection with LA 182 at the foot of Barrow Street (LA 182). But, a few blocks before you get to that intersection, there is another one almost due north of the Library building. Civic Center Boulevard intersects LA 311 right at the south end of Lafayette Street (LA 161). It is possible to turn right there and find the library building on your left. Make a left turn to get to the library parking lot. Good luck. See you at the Grand Opening on April 26, 2003.

Return to the TGS News Page

Return to the Terrebonne Genealogical Society Main Page