TGS Newsletter
Vol. 22 No. 2 May 2003

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

     Did you get the word? We really are meeting at the new Main Library building near the Houma Civic Center near beautiful downtown Houma. Have you seen it, yet? Were you at the opening of the new Main Library building? If you were, I probably didn’t see you. I only saw maybe a dozen of our members. And that includes the Board Members. Are our members sending a message? Were they perfectly satisfied with the Genealogy collection at the North Branch? And the meetings at the North Branch? Come on, y’all, try it, anyway. Don’t be like that. I’m sure that, given time, you will come to enjoy the new location. Some of the benefits of the new Genealogy Room on the second floor: A scanner-copier that will take a picture of an open book, face up, additional microfilm readers, our own “family style” restroom, our own water fountain. Lots of space to expand was found in the other location, so that doesn’t count. Comfortable seating and big, wide tables are a plus, as well as the beautiful mural painted by the Freeman family of Chauvin. We will talk about the complaints in a couple of months. Let’s see if they work on getting the “newness” bugs worked out.
     Our Board Meeting was held in the small room on the first floor next to the large meeting room where our general meetings will be located. It seemed too small for our board. We had to add some chairs and there is “standing room only” for any observers. Maybe the library plans to have closed-circuit TV so that anyone that wished could watch the meeting, although they couldn’t contribute their two cents worth. I’m dreaming, folks, but we do have a microphone and projector in the big meeting room. Power screen and window blinds, too.
     Gerald PATOUT, the current Head Librarian at the Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection is coming to the Main Library to address the society at the May meeting. He will be talking about the obituary collection they are compiling in conjunction with the New Orleans Public Library. In addition, you may feel free to ask about their holdings of documents and artifacts from any era of New Orleans’ history. Why not visit their web site? Go to http://www.hnoc.org/ and check out the “Research” section. There is one section called “Interactive” that I would have loved to spend some time with, but my download of QuickTime failed after about five minutes, and I lost patience. If you have QuickTime already you may want to try it out.

BOOKS: Elton OUBRE has definitely published a revised and updated version of his book Vacherie, St. James Parish, Louisiana call him at his home (985) 446-8662 and he will be happy to tell you about it. I haven’t seen the price in any of the articles I have read in the local newspapers. You may want to write him. If so, his address is 511 Maple Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301. The new edition is split into two parts: the first is a historical overview of the Vacherie area, including information on its original settlements. The second includes detailed information about the surnames found in the region with summarized data on their marriages, occupations and deaths. Elton also covers ancestry of the area’s inhabitants, including the German Coast pioneers, French soldiers, African slaves, the English and Canary Islanders. He says “I’ve interviewed people throughout the area on their histories, including descendants of slaves.”
     Our own Marcie L. and Essie Cavalier have done a lot of work on their new book on Assumption Marriages from 1918 to 1926. Read about it in the flyer. It’s a keeper, folks. Arranged alphabetically, it doesn’t need an index. All the information is meaningful.
DEATH: Our hearts go out to longtime members Jackie FORD THIBODEAUX and her husband Michael THIBODEAUX in the loss of Jackie’s mother, Marguerite SEGHERS FORD on Monday, 12 May 2003. Besides Jackie and Michael, she is survived by one son, Bob FORD; two sisters, Elaine WINGARD of Metairie and Mary “Tunnie” McCASLAND of Haughton; two grandchildren, Mike THIBODEAUX Jr. and spouse Shantel, and Aimee BARBIER and spouse, Cody; four great-grandchildren and one step-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry “Bud” FORD; her parents, René and Etta MOLLERE SEGHERS; five brothers, René Jr., Antoine, Moses, Edwin and Walter “Buddy;” and four sisters, Pearl PRITCHARD, Olga ARNOLD, Bea GERACI and Lou FOS. She was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church.
MEMBERS: We are continually amazed at the loyalty and energy shown by our members. Especially the ones who show up every time we have work to do. I’m talking specifically about our dear, faithful members who help put together the fantastic quarterly four times a year. On April 24, sixteen members met at the North Branch Library to collate the pages of the quarterly so you could enjoy reading it while holding it in one or two hands. Do you have any idea what it looks like spread out in over 80 stacks of 500 sheets each? That’s a lot of paper, folks. At this time we wish to extend our thanks to Beverly ALFORD, Rita and Brice BERNARD, Marcie and Essie CAVALIER, Phil CHAUVIN Jr., Ed HENRY, Gloria and Ed HICKS, Don HILL, Cecilia RICHARD, Dot SMITH, Marilyn SONNIER, Enola THERIOT, Jane WEBERT, and Nancy WRIGHT.

EMAIL: We are always on the look out for ways to foil the spammers who visit our web site. As you may (or may not) know, the newsletter appears in its entirety on the web site for all to read and search for email addresses. Ever wonder how spammers find your email address? That’s one way — they do a search for the “at” sign (you know, the little “a” in a circle). So I heard how to at least slow them down until they figure out how to defeat this method. Look at my email address in the masthead at the beginning of the first page. It has the word “at” with a space on both sides. I hope you can figure out that if you want to email me just substitute the “at” sign and eliminate the spaces. OK? I don’t know how to explain it any better without using the symbol, itself, and I don’t want to do that, understand?

GENEALOGY CONFERENCE: Interested in a trip to Lufkin, Texas? It may be close to you or far away, but it looks like an interesting and full two days. Angelina College’s Community Services Division is hosting a series of four sessions on each day, Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26, 2003. A participant may choose from 24 different sessions on those two days. Topics range from a three-part presentation on Immigration to designing your Family History Book. With a distinguished list of presenters that you just have to see for yourself. Some examples: Emily CROOM, author of Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy, The Genealogist’s Companion & Source Book, among others; Joel V. FEARS Sr. & Mary L. JACKSON FEARS, who are the authors of two books: Slave Ancestral Research, It’s Something Else and Julie’s Journey. Tell you what — why not write for a conference booklet for yourself? It is eight pages long, and I cannot do it justice in my limited space. You’ve got to see it to believe it. Write Angelina College Community Services, P. O. Box 1768, Lufkin, TX 75902-1768, or phone 1-936-633-5206 or email fkanke at angelina.edu and/or abrowning at angelina.edu (just remember to change the word “at” to the little symbol in a circle). There is a Pre-Conference Workshop on Thursday, July 24, 2003, so you don’t have much time. Call or write NOW.

COMPUTER CORNER: Our most efficient Recording Secretary, Sheila Rodrigue, contributed the following information: Called “Googling Genealogy Style: Twelve Google Search Tips for Genealogists,” by Kimberly Powell, it is highly recommended. Check it out— http://genealogy.about.com/library/print/n052902a.htm (note: between the “n” and the “a” are  six numbers, 052902). I found some helpful techniques that I could put into practice right away. Check it out, whether you are a regular Google user or not. I am.

MAP: OK, this is positively the last time we will publish this map. It is getting worn out, and I’m getting worn out trying to find different ways to get to the new Main Library building which is next to the Houma Civic Center. I have found that it is a little shorter in miles to exit U.S. Highway 90 West before you get to Raceland. The exit is for State Highway 182 (you may remember, it used to be U.S. Hwy 90 before the 4-lane was built). If you are coming from the west on Hwy. 90 East, just take the Hwy. 311 exit as I have been telling you. This is just for those who are coming from Bayou Lafourche, Des Allemands, New Orleans and other places in that eastern direction. After you exit Hwy. 90, keep on Hwy. 182 West through beautiful downtown Houma (along Barrow Street) until you get to the intersection with Hwy. 311. Then look quickly to your right. After the intersection there is a little street leading into the parking lot for the Civic Center. I think it says “No Thru Traffic” or some such warning. Ignore it. You are trying to get to the parking around the new library building. It is the attractive red and cream building to the right of that street. Go for another couple of blocks and turn into the parking lot. Don’t bother looking for a shady place for another five years. It used to be cane fields, OK? So the trees haven’t grown up, yet. I hope the map helps.