Saturday, September 29, 2012

Surname Saturday- Brier

Pierre Marie Brier was born about 1817 in France. He came to Louisiana and married Margaret Roberts. They had six children:

  • John Peter Brier born 15 Aug 1846 and died 19 Nov 1846, New Orleans
  • Peter M. Brier born 23 Nov 1847 and died 23 Nov 1847,  New Orleans
  • Charles Henry Brier born 11 Sept 1849 and died 17 Sept 1850, New Orleans
  • Louis Phillipe Brier born 22 Jun 1851 and died 15 Apr 1924, New Orleans
  • Georgiana Brier born 06 May 1854, New Orleans
  • Clara Emma Brier born 1856 and died 1944, New Orleans
Pierre M. Brier died 03 Nov 1856 in New Orleans, La. His widow remarried to James Carregee and had three children from this marriage.

Louis Phillipe Brier married Magdelena Buhr January 26, 1874 in New Orleans, La. Magdelena was the daughter of Catherina Hartmann and Phillip Buhr (deceased) and the stepdaughter of John Hoffman. 
They had six children:
  • Margaret Joanna Brier
  • Louis P. Brier
  • Mary Brier
  • Hazel Elvira Brier
  • Gertrude Brier
  • Peter Murray Brier



September 29, 1906

Today marks the day that my grandfather William Victor "Vic" Ladner was born. It was a different era. One where times were less complicated. Horse and buggies were the main mode of transportation. The people still spoke the language of their parents; French. Women worked hard churning butter, hand washing clothes, making bread and soap, all while raising a large brood of children. Men were men, they hunted, fished, raised cattle, worked the land. They did what they could to eek out a living and support their families needs. Children were taught respect, they worked right along side their parents where they learned the values that made them the Greatest Generation.

 My Grandfather often said he wanted to live to be one hundred years old. It was his greatest wish. He loved life. He loved his family. He loved his faith. He especially loved the little great grand children who sat upon his lap and giggled and laughed with him. He would often say, "I wish I could see them grown." He would be so proud of them all if he were still here. Although I know somehow he sees them still. He lived to be 91 years of age.

He was a prime example of what I wish my sons to be. I am often told by those who knew him that, he was a good man, and he was.

My mother often said that he felt he was doomed to die at a young age, since his grandfather and his father both did. He made every moment of his life count I think because if this. His grandmother had died after giving birth to her 12th child and three years later his grandfather followed her after striking his head in a fall. The eldest daughters raised the brood of children left behind. Then his own father was killed walking down the road, being struck by a car. He left his wife and 10 children, the eldest my grandfather at 19, the youngest only 3months old. My grandfather then raised his siblings and supported his mother for the rest of her life.

I miss him everyday, today most of all. His birthday always meant so much to him. I still have a picture that my eldest son made at age two. It was little pumpkins he drew with silly little faces. When he finished he gave it to his PaPaw L. for his birthday. My grandfather was so proud and this meant more to him than any store bought gift. After he passed my Aunt found it among his things. He had kept it all those years.

He instilled in me the love of family. Who we are and where we came from. He often said, "All we have in life is our good name."

In memory of his birthday today I would like to post a story told by him many years ago about another birthday he had in a time so long ago.....

"The Hurricane and Navigational Charts"

   But anyway. So, Papa was hauling shells for the county, or the city. He hauled these clam shells for the roads and stuff. And he'd get them out of the Louisiana marshes. So, I'll never forget that when they left, the weather was kinda squally; like this see, and rough out there. But they left. There was five men on the boat and they had the load of shells. They were coming home when the hurricane hit. So, they stayed at St. Joe's lighthouse. Which is past Lakeshore at the end of the road on the beach. You've been that way haven't ya'll?
(Robyn, Mmm, probably many years ago) Never have huh? So they, uh, it was Papa and Uncle Semore Necaise, his name was Simon, but they called him Semore in french (He laughs). But anyway, uh, That evening it got so bad Papa said, "We better make it to the lighthouse" So they were coming, see to the lighthouse and the Kahler's, you know the Kahler's that have the grocery store? His grandpa, Eddie Kahler's grandpa, was a boat Captain, and they were going into New Orleans and Papa and them was coming outta there and they passed one another. And papa hollered at them, they passed real close to one another. He hollered at them that they better come back, they weren't going to make it. They said, "Oh, yeah we'll make it." But they didn't, they made the first bridge, the Rigolets; the next bridge, see back then they didn't have no traffic bridges, or nothing you see. And the second one, they didn't make it. They hit the bridge and the boat went into pieces, and drowned everyone of them, the men. So anyway, that day that the storm hit I watched that water come over the beach road, and you see there's a marsh on the side of our house. A wide marsh. And on the other side of that marsh there was the Catholic church on the beach. Well that marsh; you know the marsh grass is that high, so I watched that water come over the road and into the marsh. And the marsh got pretty soon where you couldn't see that grass. It looked like a bayou in there instead of a marsh. See, and I kept saying, "Mama let's get out!". In the evening when the water started coming in that marsh, I said, "Mama let's get out!" She said,"We will later, we will." So it was getting dark, well it wasn't no sun, it rained all day like it did here. Like it was this morning, that's the way it rained all day, and I said, "Mama let's get out it's getting late!" I was nine years old, that day, 29 of September 1913, on my birthday. So I begged mama all day. I was scared really, and look when it got so nearly dusk, and our family cemetery was on my great grandpa's property, joining ours right there. We had a barb wire fence with these steps you go up over you know. And just then, she said, "Well go on over to Tante Ledi's and get Robert then." Edward Necaise and them's daddy. Uh, he must've been about twenty years old. She said, "Go get him to come help us with the other two kids." And let me tell you when I went down our back steps the water was up to my knees. Already! Boy, when I got to that cemetery;  and I was frightened, I was only nine years old and that wind was blowing me! Ohh, and I know mama must've been excited. I couldn't hardly stand up. It would take me. Just when I got to those steps, Here comes Robert Necaise, with some coats under his arms, to get us. Taunte Ledi said, "Go get mother at the house." y'see. And good thing! Boy, we got to Taunte La Di's and all them kin, Henrietta Dubuisson, her mama and them they all came, they lived right close, half a block, and all the kinfolks, came to Tante Ledi's. ( Robyn, was she higher up?) Oh, they were back from the beach about two blocks. So, uh, we went. And honey, it blew that night! Taunte La Di's house felt like it was about to come off the blocks a couple of times! Everybody was scared, you know, And so the next morning, it blew on out; the next morning bout toward daylight, like Camille did, it started calming down the next morning. The sun came out and it was just as smooth. So we went to see the damage. We went by the house first. My grandpa's house; boy, it was (laugh) one of them old time houses. Look you know it was old when it had one of those dirt chimneys on the outside. They had, the roof was big homemade shingles, cypress shingles. And uh, an old time house. The blocks were cypress blocks. The house stood about that high off the ground. It was off the foundation, but it didn't go to pieces. It was kinda like this (Robyn Laughs) And the flooring was this wide cypress boards about 15 to 18 inch boards. Plain straight boards, ya know. Well they was bowed up, clothes wrapped around like, picture that. Clothes and furniture under the house. Everything, the only thing we had left was the clothes on our backs. Let me tell you all this, those old time houses had high ceilings and you know it was about a foot from the ceiling, the water mark was around. We'd of drowned like rats in that house, everyone of us. We'd of drowned in there, y'see.
So my daddy and them were worried about us, my daddy said. Papa said, "Oh, I hope they got out of that house!" And we were worried about them. We didn't think we'd ever see 'em. But, I got a book on hurricanes, Kenneth gave it to me, from the 1700's. I've got a book on all of them. I read in it about Captain Kahler and them. So I was telling Mr. Guice about this way back, and he wanted me to come to his office. He wanted to get that on tape. I never did go tell him you see. So in this book Kenneth gave me it's got all this about Captain Kahler, and Mr. Guice and his wife when they were young. And I was telling him one day about it and I said, "Doggone, if I'd of come and gave you that my daddy would have been in a book." He said, "I would of gotten it in there." You see. They had about Captain Kahler and they all drowned and his son, Eddie Kahler's daddy, they went over there to Louisiana, and found his daddy where they buried him, and they brought the body back . Okay, so back to Papa now.
The next morning we're all out there after we left the house you see, it was destroyed. We went to the beach, y'see and we kept scanning the water. So after awhile I saw a speck and said, "Ohh, I believe that's them! Look at that boat, it's a skiff coming." And boy, when they got from here, I guess, about to the other end of the street down there. One of them stood up and was shaking his shirt or something in the air. I said "That's Them! That's Them!" and we all got excited. Y' see. Sure enough it was them. But the boat,,, let me tell you what happened. So, when they made it to the lighthouse they didn't get all the way up to it. The schooner sank, it was loaded, it sank. It's still there. And they swam. They had to swim, in all that rough, high waves, the people all could swim. They swam to that light house, see. Okay, that boat that sank in 1915, is on the Navigational Charts today. So I was telling Mr. Ford, F. Ford, the lawyer. I went.., he had a yacht, he had a nice one. He said, "Vic, if you get off a week." That's when I worked for Joe Whittman. He said, "We're going to the rodeo in Grand Isle." That was before we had them here. So I went to Joe and he said, "Sure man, don't miss that opportunity. Go." So I went five days with them on that yacht. I was telling them about Papa's schooner and he said, "We're going to pass right by it." He got his chart out and put it.., he had a big yacht, he put it on the table and I pointed it out. There it is right there. So when we got there he said, "Right here is where it's at."
 Taken from my website: A Lagniappe of Family Stories

Note: The Hurricane of September 29, 1915 was a category 4 Hurricane that hit Grand Isle, Louisiana. It devastated the Louisiana and the Mississippi Coast. Killing 275 people.

Happy 106th Birthday Poppy!




Monday, September 24, 2012

Mississippi Educable Children Records

I love when I haven't checked a resource in a while and then decide to and BAM! they have added something new and worthwhile.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History have added the  Educable Children Records to their digital archives collection.


You can browse the records by county. They have various years, with parents and children being listed in 1885 and beyond. You get the names and ages of the children in each household of educable age. Children of all races are listed in the records. Which may help those who are researching hard to trace families. 

I was able to find my great great grandfather, shown below, E.V. Ladner and six of his children in the 1885 record book.

Note that this is not a searchable database. You will have to go through page by page to find what you are looking for. In my case this was a time consuming but very rewarding experience, as I found many other people along the way. It was also extremely helpful in regards to finding several families which I have been having a hard time finding in other local records.

There is also a print option, which I have not tried as of yet, but plan on trying out. Just so I can put the paper form in an easily accessible file so when I need to do a look up I won't have to click through 93 pages to find the one page I need.




Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sentimental Sunday- Tuscaloosa Nights

My grandfather's sister Ruby Saucier Thompson and her husband William lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We would travel from the Coast to go visit with them at least once a year. We always spent the night since it was a good four hour drive from the Coast.

When we arrived we were greeted with warm hugs and plenty of love. Aunt Ruby always had fresh fried chicken cooking for us with plenty of side dishes. We sat at her table and ate until we were stuffed. While all the adults talked and laughed with one another over the remnants of lunch, my brother and I would sneak out to the yard to investigate the surroundings.

Aunt Ruby always had cats about and I was very interested in catching one or two. She also had the neatest plants growing all around her yard. I would love to look at them all. She had some that grew these little peppers and I thought they were so cute. Once she gave my mother a cutting and also let me choose which plant I wanted a cutting from, I choose the Wandering Jew and so did my sister.

We would all migrate to the back yard where pictures would be taken, stories told and just catching up on life in general. Uncle William had lost both legs to diabetes and was wheel chair bound. But he was the sweetest man and I loved to sit and listen to him talk.

Sometimes after dinner we would go to town and shop in the mall. Since it was a college town there was a large mall and plenty of shops. Then we would come back and sit on the porch and talk some more. Aunt Ruby was all about family and our heritage. She knew the Saucier history and I was always willing to listen. I loved her stories. She is one of the people I credit in gifting me with a passion for genealogy. I would write down all she told me. In later years she gave my father a very large compilation of Saucier history, which I treasure still.

My favorite part of the trip was the night time. That is when the fire flies came out. Aunt Ruby always had a jar for us and we would catch those fireflies and put them in the jar. We would spend hours with our little glow friends. Fireflies were one of the casualties of Hurricane Camille for us on the coast. They never came back. So, it was a glorious treat for us to see them like this.

Whenever I see a firefly today, I am always transported back in time to those carefree Tuscaloosa nights.






Saturday, September 22, 2012

Surname Saturday- Necaise

Nicaise/Necaise

This name was always spelled as Nicaise in records before World War I. After that the name began being spelled as it was pronounced, Necaise, (Knee- Case). There are still a few local families that have kept the original French spelling of Nicaise. Which ever way it is spelled they are still one in the same family.

Jean Baptiste Nicaise was a native of Paris, France. He was the son of Jacques Nicaise and Catherine Duveer. Jean Baptiste Nicaise occupation was listed as master wig maker. He left France for the Louisiana Colony. 

Here he married Marie Angelique Miot daughter of Andre Miot and Marie Angelique Girard in Mobile, Alabama on May 11, 1745. 

They had eight children :

  • Andre Nicaise
  • Noel Nicaise
  • Marie Jeanne Nicaise
  •  Jean Baptiste Nicaise
  • Joseph Nicaise
  • Charles Nicaise
  • Henriette Nicaise
  • Marie Louise Nicaise
Jean Baptiste Nicaise served in the French army and was released from his service on May 1, 1750.  He settled with his wife and family on the Fowl River just south of Mobile.

Of Jean Baptiste and Marie Angelique's children only four apparently survived. They married and had large families that many can claim descent from today. 
  • Marie Jeanne Nicaise married Barthelemy Grelot. They had five children, Justine Greolot who married Antoine Bayard. Marguerite Grelot who married Honore Turin. Barthelemy Grelot who married Marguerite Bousarge. Ursule Grelot who married Phillipe Pierre Saucier. Isabel Grelot who married J.J. Belon Dedeaux.
  • Jean Baptiste Nicaise Jr. married into the Ladner family. He married Louise Baptiste Ladner, daughter of Jean Baptiste Ladner and Marie Louise Fisseau. They had eight children, Eliza Nicaise who married Jean Jacques Saucier. Louise Nicaise who married Jean Mallet/Malley. Judith Niciase who married Pierre Pedro Morin/Moran. Marie Niciase who married Francois Nicolas Ladner. Claude Nicaise. Ursule Nicaise who married Jean Pierre Dedeaux. Justine Nicaise who married Elihu Carver. Marie Therese Nicaise. Isabel Nicaise who married Pierre Saucier. Jean Baptiste Nicaise III. Charles Nicaise married Euphrasine Favre, Josephine Garnier and Cecile Ladner. Arsenette Nicaise who married Pierre Sorbet and Michel Luc de Guerre.

  • Joseph Nicaise married Jeanne Dufilly and they had eight children. Marie Nicaise who married Eugene Dubuisson. Louise Nicaise who married Sylvan Dubuisson. Jean Baptiste Nicaise who married Genevieve Ladner. Charles Nicaise who married Euphrosine Favre. Francis Nicaise. Margarita Louise Nicaise who married Silvan Basil Dubuisson. Louis Nicaise. Josephine Nicaise who married Phillipe Saucier.

  • Marie Louise Nicaise married into the Saucier family. She married Phillipe Saucier, son of Henri Saucier and Barbe LaCroix. They had ten children, Marie Louise Saucier married  Ramon Sebastiano Lizana. Marie Saucier, no further record. Magdeleine Saucier married Jean Pierre Dedeaux. Eugenie Saucier married Louis Decalogne. John Phillipe Saucier married Marguerite Grelot. Victoire Saucier married Jean Baptiste Toulme. Lucielle Saucier married Bertrand Lassabe. Basalice Saucier married Jean Cassibry. Jacques Saucier married Adele Saucier. Pierre Saucier married Elizabeth Nicaise.

The two brothers, Jean Baptiste and Joseph left the Mobile area in the late 1770's to settle in the area which is known as Delisle in Mississippi just across the Bay of St. Louis. Most descendants still live in and around this area today.




Sunday, September 16, 2012

Remembering Mississippi's Confederates

The book  Remembering Mississippi's Confederates (Images of America) will be in  bookstores on October 8, 2012. It is written by Jeff T. Giambrone.

I  pre-ordered a copy from Amazon for $21.99. Click the Amazon link to bring you to the order page. The author also has a Facebook page where you can go to learn more about the book and preview some of the photos that will be in it. The link is Remembering Mississippi's Confederates.

The book contains some never before published photos of Mississippi Soldiers and over 200 photographs. An excellent addition to any historical or genealogical library.


Can't wait to receive mine! I have a feeling I will be ordering more for Christmas gifts as well!






Saturday, September 15, 2012

Surname Saturday- LaCroix

LaCroix

Francois LaCroix was born in Normandy, France around 1641. He is listed as age 25 living in Beaupre, Canada in 1666.  He married Anne Gagne daughter of Louis Gagne and Marie Michel on September 11, 1670 in St. Anne Beuapre. They had eleven children. 

Their son Francois LaCroix was born about 1676. He married Barbe Montmeunier, widow of Jean Mercier on January 19, 1701. 

Francois was given permission in 1723 to leave Canada with his wife and five children, to make his home in Illinois. 

His five daughters were , Barbe, Marie Louise, Agnes, and Marie Josephe LaCroix. 

Marie Louise married Jean Baptiste St.Gemme Beauvais.  Agnes married first Louis Boisset and then Jean Baptiste Chauvin. Marie Joseph married first Jean Baptiste Gouin and secondly to Alexandre Langlois.

Their daughter Barbe LaCroix married Henry Saucier in Illinois on November 8, 1732.  They had 10 children. They later moved the family to New Orleans and then to Mississippi. 





Friday, September 14, 2012

Georgia to Close State Archives to the Public

In case you haven't heard. Georgia is closing their state archives to the public due to budget cuts. Beginning November 1, 2012 the archives will be closed and the public will only have access through an appointment which may be limited.

 You can read the announcement here Georgia Closes State Archives.

To sign a petition to stop the closure To the Governor of Georgia: Leave Our State Archives Open to the Public.

This is not only bad news for Georgia researchers but for all of us who us the state archives anywhere.





Saturday, September 8, 2012

Surname Saturday- Create a Surname Subway Art Poster

While not exactly what I usually post for Surname Saturday... I thought this might be a fun change. Last night I decided to make a subway art style poster with many of the surnames I am researching. Since it seems to be the in thing right now and well just because I like the way they look.

I loved the old piknik program, but sadly it is gone. However several of the piknik folks got together and made a new site with many of the same features called, Ribbit. It is a free site.

Here is what you do: Log into the Ribbit site or use the link above.
  • First you will need to go to make a collage.
  • Select collage
  • Next select color choice (note there is a small box to the left that you can click to change the colors) 
  • Click done
  • Next under Basic Edits select crop
  • Crop to size choice (mine is 8x10)
  • Next go to Frames, located on the top bar (that is if you want a frame)
  • Select your frame or border
  • You can change the color and thickness
  • Select Text, located on the top bar
  • Now you can play with the text and change colors
  • Save and Share
Here is what mine looks like.




Friday, September 7, 2012

Friday Finds- Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

I love discovering new sites that will further my research. This evening I was doing a random surname search and came across this site called Harrison County MSGHN. Which is part of the  Mississippi Genealogy & History Network. The site contains indexes for marriage records. Which is great news for those researching Harrison County families! There are also many other links to explore.

You can search other counties in Mississippi as well by going to the main page or by visiting the bar that contains the links to neighboring counties. It even provides links to the neighboring parishes in Louisiana, through the Louisiana Genealogy & History Network.

Guess I know where I will be spending my time tonight!





Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Buying a Car


Back in the day when you bought a new car the dealerships put your picture in the paper announcing your good deal. This was in order to drum up future business. In this photo is my husband's aunt purchasing a new car along with her father Francis Ladner.


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Surname Saturday- Delherbe

My Delherbe family came to America from France in 1839. The family first came to New York. They were;
  Claudinette Bernard Delherbe, the mother and her children; Elisabeth, Marie, Joseph, Francois, and   Pierre Delherbe

Claudinette and Pierre stayed in New York. I have found no further record of Elisabeth and Joseph. Joseph is however a family name that was passed on in the Delherbe family sons. 

Francois married Frances and had two sons, Achille and L. Emile Delherbe. Francois moved to Georgia. He is listed as one of the original settlers of the area of Augusta. In several papers he is called one of the oldest and most respected citizen of the community. He was listed as a naturalized citizen of Augusta in 1867's list of qualified voters. Francois was a soldier in the Civil War. He was the foreman for the Augusta volunteer fire department. Francois' occupation in the census is listed as shoemaker. His son Achille can be found in several newspapers in Georgia, in voter lists and court records. He later is noted as being back in France, having moved there for his business.

Several years ago I came across several families of Delhebe living in Florida and one in California. I was able to contact a few of them to find out that they are from Chile. They told me that they are from an Achille Delherbe from France who later came to Chile and had a family there.  Am hoping to find out more on this connection one day!!

Marie Delherbe married Charles Moulin and they moved to New Orleans, La. They had a son Jules Delherbe that was born in New Jersey, the other two sons were born in Louisiana, Mathurin Delherbe and Charles Moulin. There was possibly a third son, Henry or Hilaire Moulin. I have written before in my blog the story called  Of the Grass....The Delherbe Story explaining how the sons of Marie and Charles Moulin later used their mother's name as their surname. Mathurin Delherbe married Margaret Buhr and they had 9 children, Joseph, Louise, Mary, Henry, Edna, my great grandmother, Matthew, Josephine, Loretta, and Harold. One of Mathurin's grandson's Joseph later moved to New Jersey where he worked for the railroad. He lived near his extended family while there.

Pierre Delherbe stayed in New York and raised his family. He first married Anna Herlter and later Denise LaPique. They had Julian, Charles, Joseph, Louise, and Emile. He and his mother Claudinette are listed in the Immigrant Bank Records. They also can be found in the New Jersey Directory as proprietor's of a store.

Another daughter of Claudinette Bernard Delherbe is Francoise, who very well may be Elisabeth. She is listed in several documents as the sister of Pierre Delherbe. She married Brice Aubry in New York.

I have found no record of a husband of Claudinette Bernard in America with the family. However in several records he is listed as, Pierre, or Jacques, or Francois Delherbe.  I found a marriage record for Claudinette Bernard who married a Jacques Francois Delherbe in Doubs, France on February 18, 1811.

In Marie Delherbe and Charles Moulin's marriage record she lists her parents as Claudinette Bernard and Pierre Delherbe. Charles lists his as Etienne Moulin and Adelaide Pey.

My New Orleans family of Delherbe left only one living male to carry on the name. He however was the product of divorce in the early 1900's and was raised not knowing his family and was adopted by his stepfather. I have just recently been in contact with these relatives and it has been wonderful to get to know my long lost cousins. The magic of genealogy, message board posts and search engines connected us all these years later.