TGS Newsletter
Vol. 22 No. 8 Nov./Dec. 2003

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

      When I looked at the calendar I could hardly believe that another year had flown by. I know there is a lesson, here, but I can’t remember what it is. Whatever. This month’s meeting is special. Just like you are. It will be a lot of fun, meeting new friends and renewing old acquaintances. Isn’t there a song about that? My memory must be playing tricks on me. But I was told not to forget to remind everybody to bring lots of goodies of all kinds. Salty and crunchy or sweet and smooth, or vice versa. And one or two gifts for door prizes. Fun gifts or thoughtful ones, new gifts or old ones. It really doesn’t matter. If we are given one we can’t use, we’ll wrap it up for next year. If you can bring more than a couple, bring ‘em on. We’ll just save the slips with the names on them, put them back in the box and go around another time or two. We just want to be sure that everybody gets something. OK? Our Christmas Socials are legendary. If you don’t believe me, just ask someone.
      This meeting will be special for another reason. We are getting our Fall Quarterly. And we don’t have to put it together. Jane and Phil CHAUVIN, Dorothy and Jess BERGERON, Marcie and Essie CAVALIER got together and collated, stapled and boxed the Terrebonne Life Lines for a Christmas gift to the membership. Wasn’t that a wonderful present? Be sure to express your thanks when you see them. And what a quarterly it is! Thanks to Audrey WESTERMAN and everybody who contributed items for publication. Another of our unique and wonderful benefits of membership.
      Speaking of membership...when does yours expire? Check the address label at the top of  this newsletter. If it has EX2005, you are in good shape, and you won’t have to worry just yet. Those who have to be concerned are those who have EX2004 because that means that their membership is only going to last until February of 2004, and that is just a couple of months away. We are happy to report that the cost of membership is the same as last year: $25.00 for individuals, $30.00 for families, $30.00 for a contributing membership and $22.00 for libraries. Send it right away and that will be one less nagging worry in your crowded mind. But please send your check to our new address. It was changed by the USPS (United States Postal Service) because they are moving the location of Station 2 in Houma. We don’t know much more than that, so if you have to know, please ask someone who is likely to help you. We have been given a year in which to notify our correspondents. Consider yourself notified. OK?

DEATHS: I quote from our Fall 2003 quarterly, Terrebonne Life Lines: “We regret to announce the death of Dorotha HORVATH, long known to the community as the ‘Genealogy Librarian’ at the Terrebonne Parish Library. She was responsible for re-activating, and helping to reorganize, the dormant Terrebonne Genealogical Society in 1982; she secured a regular place for meetings and in general, helped in any way she could. She was always there guiding beginners at the library who were searching their ancestry, and organizing free beginners’ workshops with the assistance of members of TGS.”
      “Dorotha was born on June 20, 1930, in Ringold, Texas, and died at the age of 73 on Saturday, October 18, 2003, in a nursing home in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Originally from Lawton, Oklahoma, she came to Houma twenty-five years ago. She moved to Sulphur, Louisiana, two years ago because of health problems. In Sulphur, Dorotha was a member of the First Baptist Church. She was a Charter Member of Terrebonne Genealogical Society, a past member of Rebekah’s Daughters in Lawton, and a former librarian of the Terrebonne Parish Library.”
      “Her survivors include a daughter, Roni ‘Trinket’ JOHNSON; two brothers, Earl J. B. WHEELER, and Horave ‘Ace’ WHEELER; four grandchildren: Tanda Leigh and Kayly Anne THOMPSON; Magan and Joseph Richard ‘Ricky’ HORVATH; one great-grandchild, Paige Nicole ANDRAS. She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl Nathan ‘Jack’ and Mable C. WHEELER; one son, Joseph Michael ‘Chip’ HORVATH; and one sister, Elsie ‘Mickey’ JOHNSON.”
      We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to charter member Pat SCHMIDT BLANCHARD, whose father died on November 17, 2003. Toxie Lee SCHMIDT Sr. is survived by his wife, Levine Lee JASEK SCHMIDT; sons Richard Charles, Toxie Lee Jr. and Timothy Robert SCHMIDT; daughter Patricia SCHMIDT BLANCHARD; sisters Irene S. WRISTEN and Annie S. COLLINS; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Hulda BAUER SCHMIDT; and brothers Richard and Robert SCHMIDT. He was a retired driller with Shell Oil Company, a deacon at First Baptist Church, an avid hunter and fisherman, devoted husband, father and grandfather.

ILLNESS: Please keep Charles and Linda PLAISANCE in your thoughts and prayers. She has been at M. D. Anderson in Houston, Texas.

BOOK SALE: We really hate to have to tell you this, but the day of our Christmas Social is also the last day of our Book Sale. That is the deadline, too, for getting the pre-publication price on the new South Louisiana Vital Family Records Vol. 10, 1933-1935. The regular price will be $40 each, while the pre-publication price is $32.00. Don’t wait. These are extra-special reference books with civil marriage and birth records of the bridal couples from Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, as well as the successions of Terrebonne Parish.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES: I feel like I’m preaching to the choir, but we need to use our “new” genealogy department fully. Public libraries exist at the pleasure of the public. If a library is used mainly by a juvenile public, it will aim more of its outlay in that direction. If a library is used heavily by a researching public, it will spend its money on the areas demanded by its patrons. Learn from the following article, taken from the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) mailing list. 
      “This morning Regina Public Library announced that the staff positions in the Prairie History Room were being eliminated as of 1 March 2004. The Prairie History Room serves as the local history and genealogy reference and research collection of the library. No announcements have been made concerning the fate of the collection or the services. Generally research collections without staff suffer considerably from neglect, and service suffers terribly.”
      May I respectfully ask you some questions? When was the last time you used the books, microfilm or other research service at the Main Branch of the Terrebonne Parish Library? Did you have a good experience? Did you need to request help? Did you get the help you needed? Did you sign the register? Finally, did you leave any comments (positive or negative) in the register? Think about it. [To be continued.]

ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Interested in running for office in the Terrebonne Genealogical Society? Submit your name and the position you seek to one of the members of the Nominating Committee. Don’t know who they are? Marcie L. CAVALIER, Dorothy M. BERGERON, or Gloria G. HICKS are at most meetings, so you shouldn’t have any trouble contacting them. If you are shy, ask someone else to nominate you, or email Dorothy or Gloria (use Jess’s or Ed’s address at the top of this newsletter). We will publish a list of the nominees in the next newsletter, so don’t put it off.

NEW BOOK: Have you been waiting for the publication of the 2002 Houma Courier Engagements, Births, Weddings and Divorces book to be announced? Well, you may send in your order with $20.00 for each copy and $3.00 for shipping and handling and we’ll send you as many as you would like.

WEB SITES: Need a Genie Angel? Try http://home pages.rootsweb.com/~angels/ or Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness at http://www.raogk.org/ (recommended by Nancy WRIGHT and Audrey WESTERMAN.)