March 15, 2012
March 11, 2012
February 23, 2012
NEW ORLEANS GENEALOGISTS
The population of southeast Louisiana provides a rich source for genealogy studies. However the relocations associated with Katrina has adversley affected the local community of genealogists.
As one step to help rebuild our community, a Facebook group named the Greater New Orleans Genealogical Group has been created with the following purpose.
"The purpose of this group is to promote regional genealogy discussion in several ways. Local genealogy groups are invited to post information about themselves including meeting times and locations. Individuals can post questions which might be answered by other members. Researchers may share tips and sites for others. Sponsors can publicize events and meetings that may be or interest.
The parishes this site targets includes Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany and Washington. Other parishes are welcome to participate."
We are just getting started and we welcome any suggestions that would improve the concept.
Members of the West Bank Genealogical Society are invited to join this group. Just type the group name in the Facebook search box and then select join. Please inform your members about this group and encourage then to participate.
I am a board member of the Jefferson Genealogical Society and JGS supports this effort.
Frank Bordelon
BREAUX GRAND REVEIL ACADIEN
Acadian Awakening
(Grand Reveil Acadien) www.gra2011.org
Events will be held across south Louisiana from October 7 – 16, 2011.
Tentative agenda:
Fri. & Sat., Oct. 7 & 8, 2011 – New Orleans, LA
Sun. & Mon. Oct. & 10, 2011 – Houma, LA
Tues & Wed, Oct 11&12, 2011 – Lake Charles, LA
Thurs. – Sun., Oct. 13-16, 2011 – Lafayette, LA
The finale for activities will be a French Mass, Acadian Processional, and closing ceremonies held in conjunction with the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles to be held in GirardPark on October 14-16. For festival details, check out their website at http://www.festivalsacadiens.com/.
Breaux du Monde activities:
Thursday, October 13: Cajundome, Lafayette, LA
Between 9:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Visit our Breaux du Monde table on the second floor. Meet family and request assistance with your Breaux genealogy.
Saturday, October 15: Breaux Bridge, LA
8:00 – 9:45 a.m. – Join us for breakfast at the St. Bernard Catholic Church Parish Hall,
204 North Main Street, Breaux Bridge, LA.
Cost: $5 per person paid at the door
PLEASE RSVP by October 1:
Gayle B. Smith, 7251 Palmetto Drive, Baton Rouge, LA70808, 225/766-8970, or email breauxdumonde@cox.net
Meet family and listen to Breaux family presentation.
10:00 – Mass honoring Vincent Brault descendants at St. Bernard Catholic Church and paying homage to our Breaux family saint, Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis.
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow (1)
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae: In Flanders Fields (1915)
Canadian poet John McCrae was a medical officer in both the Boer War and World War I. A year into the latter war he published in Punch magazine, on December 8, 1915, the sole work by which he would be remembered. This poem commemorates the deaths of thousands of young men who died in Flanders during the grueling battles there. It created a great sensation, and was used widely as a recruiting tool, inspiring other young men to join the Army. Legend has it that he was inspired by seeing the blood-red poppies blooming in the fields where many friends had died. In 1918 McCrae died at the age of 46, in the way most men died during that war, not from a bullet or bomb, but from disease: pneumonia, in his case.
January 25, 2012
DEDICATION OF FLOOD MARKER
You're invited to attend the dedication of the Historical Marker commemorating the flood of 1849.
Friday, January 27, 2012 10 a.m.
Corner Sauve Road and Jefferson Hwy.
Unveiling by Mr. Elton Lagasse, Jefferson Parish Councilman at Large Division B
Informal chat with Ruth Autin about La Providence concession and Professor Richard Campanella about the New Orleans Flood of 1849 with cake and coffee at PJ's Coffee 10158 Jefferson Hwy.
Please RSVP to Ruth Autin: cajungenie2002@yahoo.com or 504-
January 23, 2012
2014 WORLD ACADIEN CONGRESS
LIST OF FAMILIES REGISTERED FOR THE WORLD ACADIEN Congress:
FAMILLES INSCRITES /families registered LOCALITÉS/locality
ALBERT Lejeune,QC
ARSENEAULT Saint-Michel-du Squatec QC
AYOTTE Ste Agatha Maine
BAKER Baker Brook NB
BEAULIEU Portage Lake Maine
BELLIVEAU Edmundston NB
BOUTOT Portage Lake Maine
BROUSSARD Edmundston NB
CAISSIE Drummond NB
CARON Madawaska Maine
CHAREST St Jacques NB
CHASSÉ Maine
CYR Madawaska Maine
DAIGLE Madawaska/St David Maine
DEVEAU Cyr Plantation Maine
DESCHAINES/DESCHÊNES Madawaska Maine
DIONNE Biencourt QC
DUBOIS Portage Lake Maine
DUGAL Maine
DUMONT Maine/Québec
FOURNIER Edmundston NB
GAGNON Maine
GAUDET Nouveau-Brunswick
GAUVIN Van Buren Maine
GIROUARD Témiscouata QC
GODBOUT Drummond NB
GUERETTE Ste Agatha Maine
HÉBERT Maine
LAGACÉ/LAGASSÉ Madawaska Maine
LANDRY St François NB/ Rivière Bleue QC
LEVESQUE Fort Kent Maine
LONG/LANG Clair NB
MADORE Van Buren Maine
MAILLET St Basile NB
MALLET-Mallais-Malley Nouveau Brunswick
MARQUIS Maine
MARTIN Madawaska Maine
MAZEROLLE Nouveau Brunswick
MICHAUD Ste Agatha Maine
MORNEAULT Ste Agatha Maine
NADEAU Lac Baker NB
OUELLET-TE St Hilaire NB
PARADIS Frenchville Maine
PARENT Hamlin Maine
PELLETIER St Marc du lac Long QC
PICARD Madawaska Maine
POITRAS St André NB
RAYMOND Dégelis QC
RICHARD Témiscouata sur le Lac QC
IOUX Grand Sault NB
ROUSSEL St Jacques NB
ROY Frenchville Maine
SAVOIE Saint Quentin NB
SIROIS/LALANCETTE St Joseph NB
SOUCY St Basile NB
ST-PIERRE Van Buren Maine
TALBOT/GERVAIS Ste Agatha Maine
THERIAULT Fort Kent Maine
THIBODEAU Rivière Verte NB
TURCOT/TURCOTTE Dégelis QC
VIOLETTE Van Buren Maine
January 03, 2012
GREETINGS TO BREAUX FAMILY
Subject: CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
The Great Acadian Awakening/Grand Reveil Acadien was a wonderful opportunity to make contacts with and meet new BREAUX cousins this year, and we look forward to maintaining those contacts in the future.
We also look forward to the possibility of other BREAUX DU MONDE events in the future and will contact you about all upcoming Acadian/Cajun events.
The Board of Breaux du Monde Association wishes all our cousins a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Gayle Breaux Smith, President, Baton Rouge, LA
James Bourque, Vice President, Youngsville, LA
Gloria Breaux Sanchez, Secretary, Duson, LA
Roy Breaux, Treasurer, Youngsville, LA
The Great Acadian Awakening/Grand Reveil Acadien was a wonderful opportunity to make contacts with and meet new BREAUX cousins this year, and we look forward to maintaining those contacts in the future.
We also look forward to the possibility of other BREAUX DU MONDE events in the future and will contact you about all upcoming Acadian/Cajun events.
The Board of Breaux du Monde Association wishes all our cousins a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Gayle Breaux Smith, President, Baton Rouge, LA
James Bourque, Vice President, Youngsville, LA
Gloria Breaux Sanchez, Secretary, Duson, LA
Roy Breaux, Treasurer, Youngsville, LA
January 02, 2012
CONGRES MONDIAL ACADIEN 2014
The region of Acadia of the Lands and Forests has been selected by the «Société Nationale de l’Acadie» to host the next World Acadian Congress (WAC) in 2014.
Our region encompasses the counties of Victoria, Restigouche and Madawaska in New Brunswick, as well as Maine’s Aroostook County in the United States and the Témiscouata county in Québec. This region covers an area of about 13 250 km2 and includes nearly 100 000 inhabitants grouped in 50 municipalities.
The WAC is a major event which attracts over 50,000 visitors and more than 300,000 entries to the activities. Held every five years since 1994 for two to three weeks in August (including August 15 - the Acadian National Day) the celebration brings together Acadians and friends from around the world.
The WAC will be held from August 8 to 24, 2014.
The theme for the 2014 congress is: Acadia of the World ... A new Acadia!
December 10, 2011
EVANGELINE OAK ORNAMENTS!
Sunday, Dec. 11, the City of St. Martinville, La. will present the St. Lucy Festival of Lights. During the festival, citizens will have the opportunity to own a piece of the Evangeline Oak. The Acorn Project will be offering handmade Christmas ornaments made from acorns and leaves from the historic tree.
In October 2011, the Evangeline Oak Tree began dropping acorns by the hundreds. According to those charged with the tree’s care, the Evangeline Oak has not produced a healthy crop of acorns in approximately eight years.
Immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1847 poem "Evangeline", Evangeline and Gabriel, a betrothed Acadian couple, are separated when forced out of their homeland of Nova Scotia. Evangeline's long and meandering search for Gabriel brings her to the Atchafalaya Basin, where at one point, the lovers' boats unwittingly glide past one another. Arriving in the Poste des Attakapas, or the area of present-day St. Martinville, Evangeline is reunited with Gabriel's father, only to be "irrevocably barred from this pastoral paradise" when she learns of Gabriel's recent departure and marriage. According to legend, after hearing this news, she is said to have died of a broken heart beneath the moss laden branches of the Evangeline Oak.
The oak's recent return to health is attributed to the benevolent work of Daniel Green Enterprises, Inc. of Breaux Bridge, La. In an attempt to preserve the legacy and integrity of the Evangeline Oak Park, The Acorn Project was established in Oct. to raise money for the Park’s beautification and maintenance and to educate the public about the Oak’s history.
November 24, 2011
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thursday November 24, 2011
Time: All Day
Notes: Happy Thanksgiving
From West Bank Genealogy Society Group
Time: All Day
From West Bank Genealogy Society Group
November 11, 2011
HISTORIC CEMETERY DISCOVERED
Historic Cemetery Discovered In French Quarter Back Yard
13 Caskets Found As Workers Dig Pool.
New Orleans is known by some as America’s most haunted city, but what was found in the city’s oldest neighborhood isn’t folklore or legend.
A man made a historic discovery in his historic French Quarter back yard – he unearthed 13 caskets while workers dug a spot for a pool.
The discovery has deep roots in New Orleans history.
The caskets were found in the 600 block of North Rampart Street
The discovery was made when Marcello decided to hire workers to dig a pool for his back yard.
Knowing the area was the site of St. Peter Cemetery, where many were buried in the 1700s, Marcello enlisted the help of archeologist Ryan Gray from the University of New Orleans.
“Part of the reason why the cemetery was closed was because it was overcrowded, and historical accounts and complaints can't dig anywhere without hitting earlier remains,” Gray said.
Gray said the wealthier people in the city likely paid to have remains removed and reburied at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 – the city’s first above ground graveyard.
“We suspect people left behind represented kind of the poorest and most marginalized elements of that early population,” Gray said.
As the city started developing the block, Gray said, the city basically stopped worrying about what was underneath.
Marcello said he’s not too worried either when his residents realize they are not alone.
“It's all part of New Orleans culture. I think they might even like it,” Marcello said.
The caskets are believed to be made of cypress and are intact.
More forensic work is to be done on the remains. Gray said he hopes to identify the family members if they exist and have a public reburial ceremony.
In 1984, 36 bodies were uncovered when condos were built on the block.
Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/29744746/detail.html#ixzz1dQZ3cVZU
November 06, 2011
CAMP PARAPET DAY
TITLE: CAMP PARAPET DAY
Date: Saturday November 12, 2011
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Camp Parapet, Arlington St. at Causeway Blvd, Metairie, LA
Notes:
Free tours of structure and grounds, historic dancers, etc. Built in 1861 as part of an extensive fortification to protect the City of New Orleans from Yankee Invasion during the War Between the States. Also, visit special vendors on grounds.
ACADIAN CROSS HOUMA
MONUMENT MARKS ANCESTORS EMIGRATION TO LOUISIANA
Published: Monday, October 10, 2011 at 11:29 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, October 10, 2011 at 11:29 a.m.
An international crowd gathered near the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum on Park Avenue in Houma Sunday to watch as organizers unveiled a new monument.
The cross and its accompanying map, which shows the emigration patterns of Acadians after they were expelled from Canada, is the first to be installed in the United States.
The ceremony was part of the Grand Reveil Acadien, or the Great Acadian Awakening, a 10-day French culture festival with events in four Louisiana cities.
There are 37 monuments in all. They were created by the Society of National of Affairs of Acadians and mark the landing places of those expelled by the Acadian Deportation.
The Acadians were forced out of eastern Canada when the British gained control of the Maritime Provinces during the French and Indian War. The original French settlers, the Acadians, were sent to the 13 colonies and France in the 1750s.
Over time, many of those moved to the American south, founding Acadian communities along the Mississippi and the bayous.
“The Acadians never forgot this history. How could they?” said Francoise Enguehard, president of the National Association of Acadians, during Sunday's dedication ceremony. “The objective of this monument is to remember, but also to reaffirm our nationhood.”
Thelma Babineau Richard, bearing an Acadian flag, was among those on hand for the unveiling. She traveled to south Louisiana as part of a delegation of 70 Canadians.
“These are our people. We share the same ancestry,” said Richard, who lives in Moncton, New Brunswick, Lafayette's twin city. “When we're here, we don't feel like we're in the United States.”
The unveiling ceremony drew Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, and Jean-Claude Brunet, France's New Orleans-based consulate general.
The monument was meant to commemorate the hardships the group's Acadian ancestors had faced, but also to celebrate the exodus' contributions to the region's heritage.
“I know I don't have to tell you that Terrebonne means good earth,” Claudet told attendees. “It's fortunate that a group excluded from another place came here, to a land so full of bounty.”
Staff Writer Cara Bayles can be reached at 857-2204 or at cara.bayles@houmatoday.com
October 24, 2011
AFGS ACADIAN HERITAGE NEWS
There is an unusual oral tradition Acadians have used to define their ancestry back to the very beginnings of the colony. In some areas, it is still in use today. The unbroken chain, both paternal and maternal, allows the listener to know from what family and what area of Acadia the speaker is describing. In one string, I can be transported from 2011 New England, to the Village of Memramcook, New Brunswick after Le Grand Dérangement, to Needham, Massachusetts during the exile, to a mid-1600s farm on the north side of the Rivière Dauphin near Port Royal, Acadia.
Between each first name is the French word “à” which in English translates as “to”.
Rob à Norma à Alda à Placide à Amable à Israël à Simon à Jacques à François à Jacques à Daniel LeBlanc. This one-from-the-other linguistic tradition can be applied to any of my Acadian lines, but not without looking at my notes first. I was surprised the first time I actually heard it in practice. My cousin was speaking with a distant relative of ours at a funeral. He is the son of Thadée LeBlanc and Domithilde Boucher.
I had never met the man before, but within moments he knew how we are related. And it still amazes me today.
http://afgs-acadian-heritage-news.blogspot.com/2011/10/from-one-to-another.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AfgsAcadianHeritageNews+%28AFGS++Acadian+Heritage+News%29
Between each first name is the French word “à” which in English translates as “to”.
Rob à Norma à Alda à Placide à Amable à Israël à Simon à Jacques à François à Jacques à Daniel LeBlanc. This one-from-the-other linguistic tradition can be applied to any of my Acadian lines, but not without looking at my notes first. I was surprised the first time I actually heard it in practice. My cousin was speaking with a distant relative of ours at a funeral. He is the son of Thadée LeBlanc and Domithilde Boucher.
I had never met the man before, but within moments he knew how we are related. And it still amazes me today.
http://afgs-acadian-heritage-news.blogspot.com/2011/10/from-one-to-another.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AfgsAcadianHeritageNews+%28AFGS++Acadian+Heritage+News%29
October 14, 2011
EVANGELINE
Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie is an epic poem published in 1847 by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians.
The idea for the poem came from Longfellow's friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Longfellow used dactylic hexameter reminiscent of Greek and Latin classics, though the choice was criticized. It was published in 1847 and became Longfellow's most famous work in his lifetime. It remains one of his most popular and enduring works.
The poem had a powerful effect in defining both Acadian history and identity in the nineteenth and twentieth century. More recent scholarship has revealed the historical errors in the poem and the complexity of the Expulsion and those involved, which the poem ignores.[1]
CLICK ON LINK BELOW TO READ THE ENTIRE POEM:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/library/digitalcollection/Evangeline.pdf
October 11, 2011
GENEALOGY FAIR
Librarians from the Special Collections area of the East Bank Regional Library who are familiar with genealogy research will be present to explain the library's resources.
The purpose of the fair is to encourage people to become interested in tracking their ancestral lineage, including:
* To acquaint library customers with local genealogy organizations and how they can help people who are trying to research their ancestry;
* To demonstrate the databases available to help patrons discover ancestors;
* To demonstrate other resources available at the library - including books and microfilm - that can help customers locate ancestors.
The genealogy fair is held in conjunction with National Family History Month, established in 2003 and recognized by the United States Senate that year. In doing so, the senate was encouraging Americans to set aside time for family history research and education. When President George W. Bush signed the proclamation in support of Family History Month, he said, "Lessons in family lineage are often lessons in courage, endurance, and love. While tracing our roots can be challenging, the rewards can be great - affirming our pride in our history and keeping us mindful of the sacrifices of our forebears."
For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, manager of adult programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or mailto:wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us
October 02, 2011
BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN
Filmmaker Glen Pitre will introduce the film. After the screening, Pitre and re-release producer Michelle Benoit, a native of Lake Charles, will host a question-answer session with the audience.
The screening is part of the Great Acadian Awakening, which features a variety of activities on Oct. 11 at the Civic Center.
Admission is free but seating is limited for the screening; your name must be on the list to enter. Reserve a seat by calling the museum at 439-3797.
“Belizaire the Cajun” is set in pre-Civil War Acadiana where a wily herb doctor must save a life, defeat murderous vigilantes, win a woman’s heart, and escape the gallows in what Variety called “one of the looniest hanging scenes ever committed to film.”
The movie was shot at Acadian Village in Lafayette, Evangeline Park in St. Martinville, south of Abbeville and other spots around Acadiana.
http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpnewssum/?p=28950
September 11, 2011
GREATER NEW ORLEANS GENEALOGY
The population of southeast Louisiana provides a rich source for genealogy studies. However the relocations associated with Katrina has adversley affected the local community of genealogists.
As one step to help rebuild our community, a Facebook group named the Greater New Orleans Genealogical Group has been created with the following purpose.
"The purpose of this group is to promote regional genealogy discussion in several ways. Local genealogy groups are invited to post information about themselves including meeting times and locations. Individuals can post questions which might be answered by other members. Researchers may share tips and sites for others. Sponsors can publicize events and meetings that may be or interest.
The parishes this site targets includes Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany and Washington. Other parishes are welcome to participate."
We are just getting started and we welcome any suggestions that would improve the concept.
Members of the West Bank Genealogical Society are invited to join this group. Just type the group name in the Facebook search box and then select join. Please inform your members about this group and encourage then to participate.
August 09, 2011
ICITTE, ON PARLE FRANCAIS
The Louisiana State Museum presents
“Icitte, on parle français”
The History and Diversity of the
Cajun French Language
by Dr. Nathalie Dajko
Thursday, August 11, 2011
6 to 7 PM
The Cabildo at Jackson Square
Dr. Nathalie Dajko is a professor of anthropology at Tulane University.
The Cabildo at Jackson Square
Dr. Nathalie Dajko is a professor of anthropology at Tulane University.
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