Southwest Louisiana Genealogy for Family At Louisiana
  • Family At Louisiana
  • Blogs
  • George Miller Family
  • Jacob Miller LA Family
    • Table of Contents - Jacob Family Books >
      • Index - Jacob Miller Family 2018 >
        • Table of Contents - Jacob Miller Photos
  • Jacob Miller, Jr.
    • Jacob, Jr. -Table of Contents >
      • Jacob, Jr. - Index
  • Jean Miller Louisiana Family
    • Table of Contents
  • Antoine Miller
    • Book Details >
      • Table of Contents
      • Index
  • Frederic Miller Family
  • Jean Baptiste Gus Miller Family (Hardbound with photos)
    • Gus Miller - Table of Contents
  • Jean Baptiste Gus Miller Family (Softbound book without photos)
    • Gus Miller (Softbound) Table of Contents
  • Michel Miller & Hiacinthe Lejeune Family
    • Book Details >
      • Table of Contents
      • Index of Names in the book
  • Pierre Valcour Miller
    • P. V. Miller - Table of Contents >
      • P.V. Miller - Index
  • Chachere Family
    • Chachere Table of Contents & Index
  • Loranzo (Laurent) Sturlese & Pierre (Larche) Achee
    • Index (Martel)
    • Sturlese & Ache - Table of Contents >
      • Sturlese & Ache - Index
  • Martel Family
    • Index (Martel)
  • McCauley Family
  • Ortego Family
    • Table of Contents (Ortego) >
      • Index (Ortego)
  • Pierotti or Pierrottie Family
    • Pierrottie, Pierrotti, Pierotti Photos
    • Pierrottie, Pierrotti, Pierotti Photo Descriptions
  • Albert A Pierotti Family
  • Balthazar Pierotti Family
    • Index (Balthazar Pierotti)
  • Jean B. P. L. Vidrine, Sr.
  • Printed Articles & Other
    • A Cajun is not a "Coonass"
    • Baccigalopi, "Family has Italian Heritage"
    • Bonsall Family
    • Bonsall 300th Reunion
    • Broussard Family
    • Cameron Parish Beautiful Teachers
    • Diggin Up Miller Roots
    • Fur & Wildlife Festival 2013
    • Inquest Concerning George Stelly
    • Lindsey Veillon & Gladys Miller
    • Sanner Family
    • Savoies of Cameron Parish
  • FindAGrave.com
    • Your Family Book
  • Family Research Resources
  • Forum; Let's talk
  • Contact Information
  • Photos
    • BHS 1962 & '63 Class Reunion in Summer 1993
    • Merry Christmas
    • Rhonda Means Medieval Dinner
    • Bohannon Sunday School Fellowship, November 21, 2014
    • Elvis Last Seen - 10/31/1994
    • Brandon High School Lunch Presentation, May 22, 2014
    • Chataignier
    • Pierotti/Pierrottie >
      • Pierrottie Photo Book
  • Family Videos
    • Mardi Gras - Tee Mamou/Iota Training
    • Harley
    • Fishing Trip, Pensacola, FL, May 2015
  • Karen Ileta Art
  • BHS 2017 Reunion
  • Music from Louisiana
  • Bateman Family of Canada
  • Holland Family of Canada
  • Temp
  • Bergeron
    • Bergeron Index

‘Zick’ Miller Family Two Hands to the Plow

11/29/2016

0 Comments

 
by Jim Miller, Bonnes Nouvelles, September 26, 2003

This family book available at Lulu.com.
In this world of light speed lifestyles I thought it would be nice to reminisce about a time and era as well as a family who moved at a slower pace and enjoyed life for the mere sake of living. We will be looking at the Dosite “Zick” Miller family as well as the genealogy of both Zick and his wife Oliva. The Zick Miller Family like many families of the area begas as immigrants. Zick’s forebearers can be traced to four brothers who emigrated from Germany during the 1800’s with the last name Mueller. Alexon Miller and Alicia Leger. Zick married Miss Oliva Faul her parents were Phillip Valmon Faul and Eva Boudreaux. Both families had twelve children each.
 
These rather large families by today’s standards were necessary for help on the farm. Zick and Oliva Miller made their home in Sunset, where they had a farm and a small store. Oliva spoke only French and was known as Maw Maw Petite while Zick spoke both English and French. They had an Acadian style home with a picket fence reminiscent of those depicted in drawings by Floyd Sonnier. Like most families of this time they grew everything they could and only bought the absolute necessities. Joyce Miller Coreil of Ville Platte, granddaughter of Zick and Oliva, and daughter of Jack and Joyce Miller, remembers spending a couple of weeks every summer out at the old Miller home place in Sunset. She said, “I can remember how they had all kinds of fruit trees such as: figs, mulberry, pomegranates, etc. They would grow almost everything including watermelons, cantaloupes, and peanuts. I remember a large assortment of vegetables. Anything that could be grown, was. They also had plenty of livestock such as: cows, chickens, ducks, horses and pigs.”
 
“I remember Maw Maw had a long table and when the table was set there were always three kinds of meats and all the fruits and vegetables you could eat. A tradition at that time was that the men ate first while the women served them then the women would eat and then finally the children. Also the children were to remain and play outside while the adults ate. Maw Maw for a long time cooked on a wood fire stove and there was no electric lights, only lanterns. Also there was no indoor bathroom. Slowley they added electricity and other new amenities but they were an old fashioned people and like life simple.” She did not recall the store as clearly as her brother Kermit Miller who was told about it by his dad Jack Miller. “Remember at the time there were no regular grocery delivery trucks to Daddy (Jack) said that “drummers,” people who would carry loads of everything from flour to pots and pans on makeshift backpacks, would walk from one country store to the next selling there wears. Often these ‘traveling salesman’ would board with the family overnight.” Many hours were spent by Oliva and her daughters sewing whether it was making clothes, mending or making quilts. They would pass away hours rocking and sewing. Joyce said, “I can remember going up into the attic and seeing garlic cloves drying and potatoes and preserves being stored. On Sunday the family would go to mass in Grand Coteau. On Sundays and Holidays we would have big dinners at Maw Maw and Paw Paw’s houlse. All of the aunts, uncles, and cousins would come over for dinner.
 
The house was heated only by the fireplace. They made their own mattresses out of moss and Maw Maw was known for home remedies such as mustard plasters. Going to Maw Maw and Paw Paws’ house was like taking a trip back to yesteryear. One final memory that is vivid is how paw Paw (Zick) was laid out in the kitchen for his wake.” Here is certainly a glimplse into a world that had passed away, though times were harder, life was simpler. On Hwy 93 at Zick Miller Rd. south of Sunset Zicks’ mercantile store and home can still be seen today.
 
This family is not the only example of a country farming family, it is merely one out of many who lived deliberately. These families living in the rural areas of St. Landry Parish in the early twentieth century lived close to the land. Theirs was a world not of the surplus waste which overwhelms us today, but rather a simple life carved out by their own hands from the plentiful land they tended. Eventually Zick’s daughters Lillian and Louise along with their brother Alexis “Boo-key” sspent the remainder of his days in a local nursing home until his death.
 
Genealogy of Dosite “Zick” Miller
Alexon and Alicia L. Millers children were:
Dosite’ “Zick” Miller
Alexon “Beb” Miller married to Eva Lavergne. They had three children.
Theogen “Tage” Miller married to Elzora Lavergne. They had five children.
Elena “NaNa” M. Cetrephon. They had two daughters.
Elia “Ya” M. Barton had no children.
Clarice Marie M. married Philogen Savoy.
Artemese Miller never married.
Cellizza M. married Enos Burleigh.
There were two more children who died young or at birth.
 
Parents and sibling of Oliva Faul Miller
Philip Valmon Faul and Eva B. Fauls’ children were:
Arcard Faul married Melissa Vidrine.
Ovile Faul married Mr. Palnay Meche.
Louis Faul married Mabel M.
Tanis Faul married Adel Venable.
Oliva Faul married Dosite’ “Zick” Miller
Ammont Faul married Will Venable.
Louise Faul married Laynore Kaddy.
Azola Faul married Saul Richard.
Zuima Faul married Marius Venable.
Agnes Faul married Jules Doucet.
Arvina Faul married Dosilite Venable.
Zick and Oliva in turn had twelve children they were:
Charles Miller married Emma Vesseur who died then he married Alice Bernard [with whom] he had a total of six children: Leeverta, Emma, Mildred, Alex, J.D. “Joe,” and Anna Bellee.
Lillian Miller
Rose M. Doucet.
Odile M. married Gaston Dugas.
Alicia Miller.
Jack Dosite Miller married to Joyce Helen Chapman together they had four children: Joyce, Jackie, Kermit, and Oliva.
Alexis “Boo-key” Miller
Simon Miller
Simon Miller
Louise Miller
Eva M. married to Rene Thibodeaux together they had three children: Ruby, Philip, and Raymond.
Phillip Miller married to ? together they had three children: Nolan, Robert, and AV.
Theresa M. married to Lewis Marks together they had three children: James, Pauline, and Allen.
 
Simon Millers’ Clock Ship
Zick and Oliva Miller’s fourth oldest son Simon took over the store after his dad. Simon in youth had been crippled by what we can gather must have been polio. He was permanently hunched over and could not stand upright. Zick built a special ledge on the family’s porch that Simon could lean against and rest. It was here Simon began tinkering with watches and other mechanical items. Over the years Simon taught himself to fix watches, clocks, sewing machines, etc. Though life had thrown him a curve he overcame it and because a well established and much sought after clock and sewing machine repairman. People from all around the area brought Simon things to work on. Monette Miller granddaughter of Jack Miller recounted, “I remember walking in his store and there were clocks everywhere and he always gave us kids Kit Kat and a Coke in a glass bottle while the clocks were constantly chiming.” The memory always brings a simile to her face. Simon was also known for his great sense of humor. His passing marked an era, both for the family and the community.

Related article on the George Miller Louisiana Family.
Purchase George Miller Louisiana Family book.
0 Comments

Emma Armeta McCall Arceneaux (1930 - 2016)

11/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Emma McCall Arceneaux, 86, of Lake Charles, died at home on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016.
    She was a native of Grand Chenier and graduated from Grand Chenier High School in 1947. She furthered her education at McNeese State University, but finished her home economics degree at Louisiana State University. Afterward, she taught in Cameron Parish schools for seven years.
    She attended Our Lady Queen of Heaven and Christ the King Catholic Churches. She was also part of the Catholic Daughters of
America.
    Survivors include a daughter, Mona Arceneaux; a son, Robert Arceneaux; two brothers, Norman McCall and wife Joyce and Henry (T-Boy) McCall and wife Faye; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
    She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Gladys [Miller] McCall; husband, Charles L. Arceneaux; daughter, Phyllis Ann Arceneaux; son, Patrick Ross Arceneaux; one brother; and one sister.
    A funeral Mass was held on Monday, Nov. 21, at Christ the King Catholic Church. Rev. Wayne LeBleu officiated. Burial followed in
Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Grand Chenier.
0 Comments

Betty Lou Deshotel Hollier (1939 - 2016)

11/25/2016

0 Comments

 
    Betty Lou Deshotel-Hollier, born May 8, 1939, was the eldest daughter of Lester Deshotel, Sr. and Yolanda Gotro-Deshotel.     She was a graduate of Vidrine High School in 1957.
    Betty married Larry Hollier on May 17, 1958. They were the proud parents of three loving daughters and hand in hand they traveled and saw the sights of the world. Betty was a member of the Evangeline Parish Homemakers Club, St. Anne’s Chapter of the Catholic Daughters of America and volunteered as a Pink Lady at Savoy Medical Center in Mamou, Louisiana for approximately 35 years.
    Betty was known for her kindness, generosity, sewing and baking skills. She was a loving and supportive mother to her daughters and grandchildren as well as to her to confidant and husband Larry for 58 1/2 years.
    Betty will be immensely missed by her husband Larry, daughter Roxanne Hollier-Roessler and husband Herman of Westlake, LA; daughter Lauren B. Hollier-Perkins and husband Edward of Lafayette, LA and daughter Daphne M. Hollier-Bihm and husband Wayne of Humble, TX. She had two grandchildren Ashlyn Fontenot-Castete and husband Scott of Moss Bluff, LA and Seth Fontenot and his companion Brittany Childs of Sulphur, La., step-grandsons Herman Frederick Roessler Jr. and Carlton L. Roessler, of Westlake, La. She also was blessed with two great grandchildren, Aaron Castete and Kaitlyn Fontenot.
    Betty leaves behind her siblings Verdie Deshotel-Lamke of Ville Platte, LA; Lester Deshotel, Jr. Of Eunice, LA; JoAnn Deshotel-Ardoin and husband Joel of Eunice, LA and James W. Deshotel of Ville Platte, LA. Also, Rinal Hollier, brother-in-law and wife Leola Young of Mamou; Bobby Hollier, brother-in-law and wife Sarah Barnett of West Monroe; Loretta Hollier, sister-in-law of Ville Platte and Ramona Hollier-Yarborough, sister-in-law and husband Bob of Carencro form Lyn Schaeffer Hollier, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
    Waiting for her at Heaven’s Gate is her mother, Yolanda Gotro-Deshotel and father, Lester Deshotel, Sr. along with her brother Layton W. Deshotel and his wife Patsy and brother-in-law Verdon Lamke. She will rest in eternal peace with many other family and friends who departed before her.
    A time of remembrance and reflection will be observed Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at Ardoin Funeral Home in Mamou, from 5PM until 9PM. Rosary services will be conducted at 6 PM. Visitation will continue Thursday, November 10, 2016 at 8 AM at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian burial will be conducted at 11 AM at Saint Ann's Catholic Church. Mrs. Betty Will be laid to rest in the Saint Ann's Mausoleum.
0 Comments

McCauley ---drafted in 1943

11/11/2016

0 Comments

 

Veteran in Recognition

by Lisa McCauley. Bonnes Nouvelles, September 22, 1998
Picture
Usually the first thing I do after getting to know someone is ask to see any old pictures they have of themselves and of their families. I love oral history, especially that wrapped around a good photograph. I was elated when I discovered the stash of photographs my mother-in-law, Lou Ella McCauley, kept. Even more exciting was the fact that she was a war bride, and I couldn’t wait to learn the story of those early years.
 
Lou Ella Fontenot grew up in the community of Pointe aux Tigres. She remembers being at school in Basile when war was declared. Everyone, she recalls, knew there was trouble in Europe, but an attack by Japan came as a complete surprise.
 
Helin McCauley, my father-in-law, was raised in L’Anse ‘Prien Noir, a community north of Duralde. He can’t recall how he learned of the war, but speculates it was over his family’s radio – they were the only household in the area with one.
 
Lou met her future husband in the summer of 1942. She was staying with her aunt Lillian [Naquin] Miller in Duralde while her uncle Murphy was away at work. Lillian had been left with 2 daughters and a farm to manage, and needed help. For entertainment, Lou would occasionally go to Piersall’s dance hall in Mamou (located on the same block as Fred’s Lounge) with her cousin “Sis” Fontenot. She remembers that Eugene Daigle, who owned a bus, would drive kids from the country to the hall each Wednesday night. The romance started when Helin asked Lou to dance.
 
Like many young couples, Lou and Helin found themselves separated by the war. Helin was drafted in 1943 and chose to join the Navy. He had originally hoped to join the Cavalry, but was informed that it longer existed. On February 26, Helin left for basic training in San Diego, CA. He had only ever ventured as far as Pollock, LA (where he worked for the Conservation Corps in the 1930s), and while the trip to California was not difficult to make, he did regret having to be so far from home.
 
Life in the Navy was not hard for Helin. He had grown up with hard work on the farm, knew how to shoot from hunting, could already swim. Perhaps the most difficult thing was getting home for leave. He would take the train, the bus, sometimes catch a ride with pilots to various bases. More often he’d hitchhike, which was safe for servicemen (and rather patriotic for drivers) despite the fact that there were fewer cars on the road due to tire and gas rationing. One trip took 17 rides to get to Oakdale, another took 34!
 
Helin’s time with the Navy was memorable. On more than one occasion, due to no fault of his own, he was prevented from joining his fellow sailors at the front line. His first assignment was on an aircraft carrier off the coast of California. Their ship was used for “qualifying”, or training, pilots and Helin’s job was to repair and maintain their airplanes. He next traveled to Brisbane and Pert, Australia (remembered vividly for it boiled mutton consumed for weeks afterward) on route to Karachi, India (now Pakistan). His ship was transporting important equipment and aircraft to the area, and the crew learned upon leaving Australia that no ship had ever made the journey past 5 days. Helin recalls that, unescorted, the boat [ship] maintained a zigzag course; history was made when they arrived unharmed in India. The crew later learned that for part of the way they had been trailed by a submarine.
 
Perhaps Helin’s most lively encounter during his time was the hazing which took place upon crossing the equator. Each initiate stood trial with a judge whose biggest complaint was, “That hair! A working soldier shouldn’t have that!” Each had their hair shaved sloppily, and was passed through various stations of punishment, including one for whippings. In the end, Helin received a card and certificate certifying his new rite of passage.
 
Helin then joined Cajou 5, located on North Island in San Diego, where he worked as an airplance mechanic through “shore duty”. Not long after, he joined a “commando squadron” at a special camp in Point McGoo. Cajou F69, as it was called, was a fighting unit whose purpose was to clear a way on Pacific Islands for landing strips. Instead of shipping out with the group (his squadron was on leave at the time), Helin was sent to 29 Palms in the Mojave Desert where a new type of rocket was being developed and tested. The closest highway was 53 miles from the air base. The war ended before any other missions could come Helin’s way.
 
While most young men from home were in the service, there were few locals in Helin’s immediate area. One day, while out for a walk, he met Octave Fruge from Gueydan. Heline approached him from behind and asked “Et-ou tu deveins, Fruge?” (Where do you come from Fruge?) Octave, never having left home before, was extremely homesick, and it’s easy to imagine how wonderful it felt for him to hear his native tongue again! The two became life-long friends, visiting each other often after the war. The only other Frenchman on board Helin’s ship was S.B. Ardoin of Mamou.
 
Louisiana French culture was certainly new to many sailors, and Helin recalled the time that some of his crew first heard French music. His family had sent some recordings of Amede Ardoin, Leo Soileau and other to his ship – at first, he said, the goup became very quiet, only looking at each other, bewildered. Eventually their feet were tapping along with the music.
 
The old saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” certainly held true for this young couple during the war. In March 1944, when Helin returned home on emergency leave, they decided to marry immediately. They obtained a marriage license in Ville Platte and drove directly to St. Ann’s in Mamou. Unsuccessful here, they continued on to St. Anthony’s in Eunice. It was during Lent, a time when marriages weren’t usually held, but the assistant priest performed the ceremony anyway (quick marriages were common during the war, after all). Their witnesses were two individuals who happened to be making the Way of the Cross at the moment. Helin had to immediately return to California, leaving his new wife to care for her mother at home.
 
Letters were the only means of communication the family had with Helin during their separation, so he devised a code to warn his family of impending movement. If a form of endearment was included in the greeting, such as “Dearest Lou”, they knew theat he would be shipping out soon.
 
The couple was united three months later, when Lou made the long, tiring journey to San Diego. Trains, used for transporting troops, offered little space for civilians. Lou remembers having to stand holding a strap all the way to Beaumont. The journey across Texas lasted 32 hours, after which time Lou had no further desire to ever see desert again.
 
The couple was assigned a room in an old house which, despite its simplicity, offered many amenities that the couple had never had before: a telephone, electricity, running water, a bathroom in the house with hot water… Life in the city definitely differed from their lives back home.
 
Rebecca, their first baby, was born in April. Two months later, Helin got word that he was shipping out and the couple agreed that Lou should go back to Louisiana. The train ride home for mother and baby was unforgettable. At supper one evening, an officer explained to her that she was on the wrong section of [the] train – these cars were heading to Chicago! Panicked, unprepared for such a declaration, Lou moved to the correct train cars only to find them overcrowded with no available seats. The two spent the night on the floor between two cars – well shaken and dusty by journey’s end!
 
I wondered how everyday life was affected by the war. The couple explained that farmers and their families suffered less from rationing than those in the cities. While there were plenty of eggs, milk, and meat, canning materials (metal lids, rubber gaskets) were in short supply. Sugar, a precious commodity to all and was often hidden in jars buried in the ground.
 
While in California, the couple was well supplied with meat-rationing coupons from their families, often leaving Lou the envy of other shoppers. Of course, with the men abroad, it was difficult and emotional time for wives, children, and mothers at home.
 
Aviation machinist mate 3rd class [Petty Officer] was discharged on December 3, 1945. He eventually settled in the community of Soileauwhere the couple raised five children; Rebecca (Grand Chenier), Gentry (Tampa, FL), Monica (Reeves), Malcolm (Alexandria), and Cory (L’Anse ‘Prien Noir). Helin and Lou Ella will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary next month.
-----------------------------------
The McCauley Family book available for purchase at Lulu.com.


0 Comments

Wilda Ann "Toto" Martel (1935 - 2016)

11/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Wilda Anna Martel died at a Tampa hospital on October 29, 2016. She was born in Eunice, LA to Gervis P. "Slim" Martel and Ellenor Fontenot on April 23, 1935.

She is survived by her half-sister, Sandra Martel Roger and husband Nick of Tampa; three stepsiblings; one half-nephew; and four half-grand nephews and nieces.

Wilda Anna was preceded in death by her parents Gervis and Ellenor; her loving stepmother and caretaker, Lillian Martel; her caretaker and great-grandmother, Ernestine Aguillard Savoy; her half-brothers, Rawland and John Martel; and her half-niece, Tara Spicer Mramor.

She will join all her heavenly family in a reunion as God promised in Micah 4:6-7. "I will make the lame (people with disabilities) my remnant…" They are God's chosen ones, his remnants.

Funeral arrangements will be handled by Quirk & Son Funeral Home in Eunice. Interment will be in Savoy
Cemetery. A Memorial Service will be held in Eunice in March of 2017.

Wilds Anna “Toto” Martel Family

At the time of her birth Ellenor Fontenot and her husband Gervis Martel knew that she was God's special gift. Wilda Anna Martel was born in April 1935. Her father, 23 years old at the time and working at what men did at that age for family income. It was three years after Huey Long completed his Governorship term and was now a U.S. Senator. Huey Long was planning to challenge F.D. Roosevelt for the Presidency until his assassination in September 1935. All people were struggling to make ends meet during the depression. It was going to become more challenging for this Martel family.
 
Gervis and Ellenor married in 1931. They were probably unaware that they were 2nd cousins. Their common ancestry is Pierre Savoy (1832-1876) and Eugenie Miller (1836-1924). Eugenie Miller is a descendant of Jacob Miller and Anne Marie Thaison/Theigen.
 
Wilda Anna was almost 2 1/2 years old when her mother Ellenor died in December 1937.  Ellenor was two months shy of 22 years old. Gervis probably had help while attending to a sick wife and an infant daughter. Ellenor's father and mother, David Fontenot and Anna Savoy probably lived nearby. Anna's mother, Ernestine Aguillard Savoy was also nearby. Ernestine's husband, Julien, Wilda Anna's great grandfather, died in 1933.
 
Savoy Cemetery, Eunice, is the final resting place for all persons mentioned in this family. Wilda Anna's great grandmother, died in 1964. Prior to his death in 1994, Gervis, aka "Slim" and "Marty", made plans for Wilda Anna's burial. Her eternal resting place is between him and her great grandmother; Tante Ernestine. That  was what she was called by family member. My mother introduced me to her in the mid-1950s. It was courtesy at that time  to call her "Tante"  because my step-father Gervis called her "Tante". I did not know it at the time but Tante Ernestine was my half 3rd cousin once removed. Our common ancestry is Pierre Placide Savoy and Abelaide Babineaux.
 
Very near Ernestine's tomb is her daughter Anna Savoy Fontenot and Anna’s husband David A. Fontenot. Ellenor Fontenot, their daughter is buried nearby. Ellenor's obituary printed in the Eunice News clearly states that she was married to Gervis Martel. We may never know why Ellenor’s headstone excluded her married name - Martel.
 
My step-father Gervis never talked about the difficulties encountered after his 1st wife's death nor the challenges he faced prior to his enlistment in the U.S. Navy in October 1942. He was honorably discharged in September 1945. Many young men in his age group felt a responsibility to defend their country in WW II.
 
Gervis made pay grade E-6, 1st Class Petty Officer, Carpenter's Mate, during his 3 year hitch. The USS Carina, on which Gervis served most of his enlistment, a cargo ship, supported the Pacific Fleet. It was hit by the enemy several times. A Carpenter's Mate was responsible for the ship's repair while at sea. The USS Carina received three battle stars for WW II service, thus it saw battle action with the enemy on more than one occasion. With the skills learned in the Navy, Gervis worked as a carpenter after his discharge.
 
Wilda Anna was cared for and living in Tante Ernestine's old farm house near Eunice when I first met her in the 1950's. It was out in the country. The house seemed very large with a huge fire place. There was a walkway to the kitchen, a smaller building near the large house. My mother, Mary Lillian Naquin, married Gervis, known as "Slim" to many, in 1948, shortly after her divorce from my father, Murphy Miller, Sr.
 
Also in the 1950's Gervis was offered employment with a Tampa firm that manufactured and installed retail store decor and floor display units. He purchased property near Brandon, FL where the family relocated in 1957. Wilda Anna was still in LA. After Gervis and Lillian became FL residents, Wilda Anna too was relocated to FL. She was in a State home in Marianne, FL, then Acadia, FL. She later resided in a Fort Myers home serving people with developmental disabilities for about 45 years. Wilda Anna relocated to Tampa for health reasons in 2006.
 
Gervis Martel and family came often to visit family in LA. His brother Dewey owned the Shell station on Hwy 190. In June 1957 the Gervis Martel family stayed with Dewey and his wife Rose Sittig as Hurricane Audrey delivered its destruction to Eunice. Vellion "Popsi" Martel and his wife Virginia LeDoux were included in the family visits. Prior to their deaths, Gervis' father Etienne and his twin brother Theogene, attended a family gathering in 1952.
 
At 81.5 years old, Wilda Anna will be laid to rest in Savoy Cemetery, Eunice, LA.  Her earthly struggles are over. She will join all her family in a heavenly reunion as God promised in Micah 4:6-7 (NIRV). " 'The time is coming when I will gather those who are disabled,' announces the LORD. 'I will bring together those who were taken away as prisoners. I will gather those I have allowed to suffer. I will make the disabled my faithful people. I will make those who were driven away from their homes a strong nation. I will rule over them on Mount Zion. I will be their King from that time on and forever.' " They are God's chosen ones, his remnants.

More information on the Martel Family of Louisiana can be found on Lulu.com.

0 Comments

Vernon Clyde Fontenot (1931-2016)

11/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Vernon Clyde Fontenot, age 85, peacefully entered into eternal rest on Friday, October 14, 2016. He was born on October 5, 1931 in Basile, LA to the late Euclede Fontenot and Myrza Miller Fontenot Marcantel. He was preceded in death by his sister, Louella Fontenot McCauley. Vernon is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Catherine Giraud Fontenot, loving daughters, Mary Catherine Parrish (late Walt), Judeyanne Coudrain (Mark) and Jeannine DiFulco (Frank). He delighted in his grandchildren: Lauren Coudrain Zeringue (Brandon), Joshua Parrish (Kerri), Caroline Coudrain Janzen (Jeff), Jacob Parrish (Hope), Maria DiFulco Davis (Brian), Claire Coudrain Callon (Mark) and 9 great grandchildren. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Picture
Mr. Fontenot was a proud member of the United States Marine Corp. for 4 years, serving stateside and in Japan. He was a retired auditor from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's staff. He was a founding parishioner of St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church. Vernon enjoyed exercising, gardening, reading, camping, traveling and spending time with his family. The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to his caregiver, CeCe, Nurses Registry Home Health and Lakeside Hospice for their loving care. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church, 10021 Jefferson Hwy., River Ridge, LA on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 12:30 pm, with visitation at the church beginning at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Abbey Cemetery, 75376 River Road, St. Benedict, LA. Masses preferred in lieu of flowers. Bagnell & Son Funeral Home, Covington, LA in charge of arrangements. See FindAGrave.com for more details.

Vernon's family is included in the following Miller books:
Jacob Miller Family (2015) or Lulu.com and the Antoine Miller & Augustine P Manuel Family book or Lulu.com.
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Murphy Miller, born in Durald, LA in 1943, and lives near Gainesville, FL.

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    African American
    Antoine Miller Family
    Basile LA
    Baton Rouge
    Bergeron Family
    Books
    Boutte
    Cameron Parish
    Catherine Adam
    Cementery
    Chachere
    Civil War
    Coonass
    Deshotel(s)
    Download Your File
    Duplechian
    Eunice
    Evangeline Parish
    Fontenot Family
    Frederic Miller
    Genealogy & Family Book Types
    George Miller Family
    Jacob Jackson Miller
    Jacob Miller Family
    Jacob Miller Jr
    James Gallier
    Jay Hawkers
    Jean Baptisted Gus Miller
    Jean LaFitte
    Jean Miller_Boutin
    Jean Miller_Mayer
    Jennings
    Jr.
    LA
    LaHaye
    Lake Charles
    LeDoux
    Mamou LA
    Martel Family
    Mary Francis Miller
    McCall Family
    McCauley Family
    McGee
    Michel Miller Family
    Musician
    Obituary
    Ortego Family
    Ory Family
    Pettifield & Upchurch Family
    Pierre Valcour Miller
    Pierrottie_Pierotti
    Relationships
    Richard
    Ritter
    Savoy_Savoie
    Sonnier
    Veterans
    Ville Platte LA
    World War I
    World War II

    RSS Feed