​In the quiet bayous of Ville Platte, where moss-draped oaks guard ancient secrets, a remarkable saga unfolds—the Fontenot family’s journey across time. As the sun casts its golden glow on the Evangeline Genealogical and Historical Society’s archives, we delve into the rich tapestry of generations past.

The Fontenot Family Book: A Monumental Endeavor
In the fateful year of 1999, the Fontenot Family 1600-1903 emerged—a labor of love by the diligent scholars of Ville Platte. This monumental tome, meticulously crafted, chronicles the lives, loves, and lineage of the Fontenot clan. Within its pages lie stories etched in ink, connecting us to our forebears who shaped the Louisiana landscape.

Therese Alcina Fontenot: A Life Cut Short
Ernest Sonnier, Sr., a man of the soil, wedded Therese Alcina Fontenot in 1883. Their union, though brief, left an indelible mark. Therese, who graced this world for a mere 42 years, traced her roots back to Philippe Fontenot (1727-1806) and Marie Nicole Brignac (1722-1799). Philippe, the grandson of Joachim Fontenot (1651-1725) and Marie Pradeau (1656-1694), stands as the patriarch of the Louisiana Fontenot lineage.

Evena Sonnier: A Farmer’s Daughter
Let us linger on Evena Sonnier (1888-1965), a daughter of the earth. She exchanged vows with Salomon Miller, their hands tilling the fertile Chataigner soil. Evena’s kinship extended to a constellation of siblings:

Onest Sonnier (1883-1942), who found love with Felonise Miller.  Syrice Joseph Sonnier (1885-1943), entwined in matrimony with Marice Fontenot.
Salime “Alcide” Sonnier (1887-1950), whose heart beat for Melcia Miller.
Merice Sonnier (1888-1944), who wove his fate with Jules Duroy Fontenot.
Melina Sonnier (1890-1980), whose path intertwined with Theodore Bushnell.
Avie Sonnier (1895-1953), wedded to Alcina Manuel.
Enor Sonnier (1898-1966), finding solace in Leston Guillory’s arms.
Enos Sonnier (1905-1972), who sought new horizons in Chambers County, TX, alongside Zephyr E. Kindel.

Archile Pommier’s Enigma
In the quiet chambers of history, where whispers echo through time, lies a puzzle—a Fontenot family saga spanning generations. Our journey begins with Archile Pommier, a man entwined in the Fontenot tapestry, himself a descendant of Carma M. Fontenot (1876-1954) and her husband, Alexis Pommier (1874-1951).

The Enigma of Anrala Fontenot
Archile’s obituary revealed a cryptic survivor: Anrala Fontenot. The digital labyrinth led me to various iterations—Aneulla, Andrilla, Henrietta, and Enola Fontenot. Internet whispers hinted at her lineage, but uncertainty clouded her parentage.

Anna Fontenot’s Silent Legacy
Then, a breakthrough—the hallowed ground of Archile Pommier’s resting place. There, etched in stone, was his wife’s name: Anna Fontenot (1908-1964). Yet, her children’s obituaries whispered conflicting names—Enola and Andrilla. The riddle deepened.

Eunella Fontenot: A Revelation
After countless hours, the truth emerged like a sunbeam through moss-draped branches. Eunella Fontenot, it seemed, was Anna Fontenot—the daughter of Onezime Fontenot and Celise Fontenot (nee). Their legacy intertwined, their stories etched into the very soil of Louisiana.

The Unfolding Epic
And so, dear reader, this is but one thread in the grand tapestry. As we labor to chronicle the descendants of Philippe Fontenot and M. Nicole Brignac, we tread a path strewn with names—over 16,000 souls, each whispering their truth. The book, swelling to over 2,000 pages, awaits completion—a testament to our shared heritage, resilience, and the unyielding bonds that bind us across time.

Other Blogs
Philippe Fontenot, 1717-1806, & Marie Nicole Brignac, 1722-1799​
Basile, LA - Home Town; History
I Married My Cousin, So What ?

BOOKS
​
Antoine Miller & Augustine P. Manuel Louisiana Family

​Philippe Fontenot’s 2nd great granddaughter is Therese A. Fontenot, 1866-1907, and she is my great grandmother.
While researching my Fontenot ancestry I discovered many Fontenot relatives. In using The Fontenot Family, 1900-1903, aka the Fontenot book, I found it challenging to follow all the relationships notwithstanding the excellent methodology used. I researched the Fontenot book until the pages fell apart. An abundance of family information and photos also allowed many new discoveries with the many resources online. Therefore, I gave thought to rewriting the entire Fontenot family book. I found that with the database that I have accumulated, more than 70,000 names, it would be too costly to purchase and not many people would want such a large book with so many details. Where possible, I have collected obituaries, photos and using the Rev. Hebert records,  proving the family relationships when possible. Whether I can print the Rev. Hebert references when publishing the book is yet to be determined as there are many references the family relationships. Staying organized and not missing important family relationships is also very challening.

​Accordingly, I am attempting to publish a book for the Philippe Fontenot and M. Nicole Brignac family, my 5th great grandparents. Philippe is the great grandson of Nicolas Fontenot and Jacquette Devilliers, the oldest Fontenot ancestor in the Fontenot book.

With more than 20 years of researching the Fontenot’s and connecting them to the Deshotel, Duplechain, Hebert, Fuselier, Guillory, Miller, Martel, Marcantel, Manuel, McCauley, LeJeune, Leger, Landreneau, Lafleur, Ortego and many other families, the family data collected and entered into the Philippe Fontenot (1717-1806) family book would fill, to date, three volumes. Those books would have with two 800-page books and one 300-page book. Thus, the more than 1,900 pages is still an overwhelming collection of family information.

There is no anticipated completion date for this project, but I will continue to collect and enter the family information until its completion. I am also working on the Bergeron family book. Currently, I have three different Bergeron family lines; Nicholes Bergeron, (b. 1740), Celestin P. Bergeron, (b. 1480) and Pierre Bergeron (d. 1824). I hope to connect these three Bergeron ancestors into one family. There are about 20 marriages of Fontenot’s and Bergeron’s.
​
If you have family data to contribute to enhance these two books, please advise me via email or Facebook. Contact information: [email protected].

Books available now: Antoine Miller Family (2021), Chachere Family (2023), McCauley Family (2021), Pierrottie Family (2022), George E. Pettifield (2022), Ortego Family (2014), Jean Louis Miller Family (2022), Joseph Ozincoutt Miller Family (2022), Michel Miller Family (2021),  and others at FamilyAtLouisiana.com.

See also: Fontenot blog, Bergeron blog

​ As printed in the Clarion-News, Opelousas, LA, 29 Aug 1929

Probably the most unique annual gathering in Louisiana . was held in Kinder Saturday as the members of the Chachere family, their kin and connection, descended from pioneer settlers of southwest Louisiana, motored and marched to this little Allen parish town for the family reunion which has been held every twelve months for the- past 127 years, with brief interruptions during the Civil and World Wars. The date marks the anniversary ot the family patron, Saint Louis.
 
Bearing two score names, but all direct descendants of Louis Chachere and Catherine Vauchere, founders of the reunion, more than 250 members of the clan, "dropped in at the picnic grounds to swap the family gossip of the year and talk of who has married who and who has gone on. and of the other reunions of a generation past whose memory is like a string of beads trailing back into the dusty mist of childhood.
 
There never was a time, save during the wars, when these survivors could not remember the annual gathering.
 
According to James O. Chachere of Opelousas, 84-year-old life-time president of the reunion, there never was a time in his memory when less than 250 members of the family showed up for the yearly affair. "And often there were many more," he adds. He has long worked on a complete family tree but is unable to say just exactly how many hundreds there are now in the family.
 
However, according to his partial compilation, Louis Chachere and Catherine Vauchere, the original settlers. had ten children and only the oldest son, Louis, never married. Of the other nine, Veilland Chachere (born May 25, 1801) married Heloise Lavergne and had' 13 children; Constant Chachere married Celestine Lavergne and had 11 children; Pouponne Louise Chachere married Dominique C. Sitting and had 11 children; Pouponne Louise Chachere married Leon Boutte and had five children; Lisle Chachere married Emeranthe David and had six children; Beaurepaire Chachere married Eugenie Lavergne and had five children; Jacinthe Chachere married Jack Bacon and had two children; Emelie Melite Chachere married M. Martel and had six children; Manette Chachere married Antoine Boutte and had five children.

From these are descended the Chachere, the Sittigs, the Bouttes, the Bacons, the Martels, the Davids, the Meginleys, the Pitres, the Guidrys, the Dupuys, The Darbys, the Moores, the Bernards, the Beauchamps, the Youngs, the Prandpres, the Staggs, the Carrons, the Brooks, the Hundleys, the Richards, the Fux’s, the Veltins, the Goldmans, the Cahanins, the Ewings, the Diavillas, the Sandoz’s, the Prudhommes, the Bertrands, the Pool’s, the Desmarals, the Benguerelle, the Gils, the Elmers, the Arnauds, the Milsteads, the Lyons, the Clarkes, the Comptons, the Daigles, the Savants, Bouillets, the Verrets, the Perraults, and the Bourques who gathered in Kinder Saturday.
 
 President Chachere declares that the records about the founder are vague, but that "our grandfather Louis came to this country we think the latter part of the seventeenth century. He adopted St. Louis as our patron saint. The birthday of St. Louis was August, and we the descendants of Louis Chachere mark it to the present day, assembling at various parts of this parish (St. Landry) with the few exceptions when the meeting has been held nearby. The place is always decided by vote of the family, and Kinder was selected this year to meet the convenience of the majority, The 25th being Sunday, and some objection being made, Saturday, August 24 was agreed upon.
 
President Chachere is the son of Veilland Chachere, second son of Louis and Catherine, who automatically became a sort of family head when the eldest son Louis failed to marry. Referring to his father, President Chachere says: “He was born here in Opelousas in 1801 [and] he always talked about reunions and remembering them from his infancy.”
 
It is his hope, say the chief of the Chachere the the family reunion will be kept up annually – “always.”
 
He emphasized that intoxicating liquors were never served at the reunions following the 18th Amendment, and said his family meal each year together consisted of “barbecue meat, coffee, lemonade and cakes and salads of various kinds with a barrel of ice water near at hand.”
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​Purchase the Chachere family book at Lulu.com
More about the Chachere family at: FamilyAtLouisiana.com

See also Louis D. Chachere; (2) African-American Chachere Family Lines

​In relative terms, the Pettifield family is small. Many descendants from this family were residents of Calcasieu Parish. While some still live there, many have moved to other parts of the country.
 
This family begins with George Emmitt Pettifield who was born in 1885 South of New Iberia, LA in Jeanerette, LA. George was adopted by Joseph U. Petitfils and Marie Devolin. In a story passed down by one of George E. Pettifield’s descendants, his mother died when George was very young, and the father could not care for the child. He was grateful that the Joseph U. Petitfils family would take him into their home. George E. Pettifield grew up with adopted sibilings, Mary Louise, John R. and Anatale Petitfils. As the story is told, George Emmitt Pettifield’s last name was Johnson.

​George E. Pettifield married Annise Eula Upchurch. She was born in Abbeville, LA and died in DeQuincy, LA. They married in 1907. Nine children were born to this couple.  Charles George (1908), Elaine (1909), William (1911), Inez (1912), Herbert (1913), Doris (1918), Vernette (1922), Cecil (1925), and Donald (1928), all born in DeQuincy, LA.

​Many "inline photos" are included in the book. Download file below to see an example. 

​More details about the 183 page family book may found at FamilyAtLouisiana.com and can be purchased online at Lulu.com.

More on this family.

​The Pierrottie family name is the Cajunized version of the Italian name Pierotti. Pierotti is derived from Piero of the Tuscan, Italy countryside where each Piero (Pierre) is Pierino (little Pierre) up to his wedding and Pierotto (big Pierre) when he becomes a father and grandfather.

Constantino Pierotti (1832-1892) became Constant Aguste’ Pierotti after he settled in Southwest Louisiana to escape the poor economy in his home country. In Evangeline Parish, he met and married a Cajun girl, Stephanie “Fanny” Martel (1848-1936), the daughter of Etienne E. Martel and Louise Mathilde Boutte.

Prior to his marriage to Fanny in 1866, Constantino served in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. He and Fanny were the parents of twelve children. Two of his children were named after Constantino’s Italian family. Giuseppe (1876-1876), the seventh child of Constantino and Fanny, was named after Constantino’s older brother Giuseppe (1823-1896). Ulysse G. Pierrottie (1884-1969), Constantino and Fanny’s tenth child, was named after Constantino’s oldest brother Giuseppe’s eldest son Ulisse Pierotti (1857-1926).

​Both of Constantino’s Italian family members, Giuseppe and son Ulisse, lived their entire lives in Italy. Other descendants of Giuseppe Pierotti did emigrate to the Midwestern United States.






Purchase Pierotti-Pierrottie-Pierrotti Family & Photos at: Lulu.com

​A brief video explains more about the family history:
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYmUk2MRIg

Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
Ulysse Gabriel Pierrottie, A 33 year battle for his family's rights
Mary Pierrottie Soileau
Jane Bertrand Ortego
​Sister Cesira Pierotti
Balthazar Pierotti
​Louis David "L.D" Verrette Obituary
Betty Lou Deshotel Hollier Obituary
Donald Joseph Pierotti Obituary

Historical Prospective
The Louisiana Pierrottie family information contained herein is based primarily on Pierrottie Family by Burnell Pierrottie and others published in 1977. The family information on Auguste Constant Pierotti, herein known as Constantino Pierotti as explained below, and his siblings and ancestors are based primarily on the Pierotti genealogical chart (Pierotti Genealogia). This genealogical chart resulted from the professional work by Healdic Genealogical Center Historical Research, Borgo Sata Croce 6, Florence, Italy. It was translated to English by Reno Pierotti. Reno is Giueseppe Pierotti's (b. 1832) great-grandson, the oldest child and brother of Constantino Pierotti. Additional evidence supporting the family relationships of the Pierotti genealogical chart to Constantino Pierotti's Southwest Louisiana family was evidenced in Sister Cesira Pierotti's 1993 letter to Larry Hollier.
​
The Pierotti Genealogia was requested in 1961 by Joseph Pierotti. He was born in 1911 in Salt Lake City and is Giueseppe Pierotti's grandson. Joseph Pierotti married Naomi Baumgartner, a Mormon from Salt Lake City. This family settled in Los Angeles, CA. Additional information in this publication is the result of family members who provided me with updates and new information. Additionally, where possible, Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900, by Rev. Donald J. Hebert, was used to obtain and site church and courthouse records about the families prior to 1900. 

Changes Made
Suffice to say, one person cannot and should not re-compile family information and change family names unless there is better information and compelling reasons to make change(s). I believe I have better information and where I though changes should be made, I made them.

For example, is the last name Pierotti, Pierrotti, or Pierrottie? If I use Auguste Constant's passport information to determine his name, then it is Constante Pierotti. His name is Pierotti on the marriage church record to Stephanie Martel and on the church record of his death. Therefore, his last name is Pierotti.

On Auguste Constant's passport his first name is “Costante” while Pierotti Genealogia shows his name as “Costantino”. The Eunice Church death record spelled his first name “Constantin”. With many people coming from different countries marrying other foreign persons and/or persons from different cultures, your written name was based how well you pronounced your name and how well the person writing your name understood what you said. In the case of Constantino Pierotti, an Italian, who married Stephanie Martel, a person of French descent, both of whom communicated to church representatives and government officials many of which were of Spanish descent. In Stephanie Martel's obituary, Auguste's wife, her name is spelled Pierrotti. An additional “r” but without the ending “e”. In my recent correspondence with family members Larry Hollier introduced us to, they refer to our family Italian ancestor as Constantino Pierotti. Aldo Pierotti and his niece, Sister Cesira Pierotti, all spell their name Pierotti. Moreover, Auguste Constant's marriage record to Stephanie states his name Auguste only. "Auguste" could have easily been a mispronunciation or spelling error. His passport and the Pierotti Genealogical chart are different as well; one stating Constante and the other Constantino. The church death record stated Constantin.

Accordingly, I chose to use Constantino Pierotti as the name of my Great-Great-Grandfather in the revised information I have compiled. If you accept the fact that Auguste [Constantino] and Stephanie’s children were baptized and named by their parents and recorded in the church records as Pierotti, then their last name is Pierotti. If later in life the children's courthouse marriage record and church marriage record and in some cases their cemetery headstone supported the spelling of their names, then most of the children would have the last name of Pierotti.

​The second-generation children's name is Pierotti except for Constant and Ulysse. In signing legal documents both Constant and Ulysse signed their last name with two “r”s but without the ending “e”. It is very clear that Constant's headstone last name spelling is with two “r”s. Accordingly, my Great-Grandfather Constant's, husband of Avie Fuselier, last name is Pierrotti; two “r”'s and no ending “e”. 

On Ulysse's headstone his last name is spelled Pierrottie, that is with two “r”'s and the ending “e”. Ulysse' first wife Amenthe died in 1944 and the name on her headstone is spelled Pierrottie. Although he probably had no influence on the spelling of his name on his headstone, I am assuming he did when his wife died. Therefore, his last name is Pierrottie although he clearly signed as Pierrotti in 1903 as witness on Constant and Avie's Certificate of Marriage.

Louis Calvin apparently could not write but he placed his mark “X” where his name was spelled Pierrotti when he witnessed the marriage license for Constant Pierrotti and Avie Fuselier. Constant and Avie’s daughter Bernice, my grandmother, spelled her last name Pierrottie. Louis Calvin’s last name will remain Pierotti, the same as his father’s.

While Burnell's Pierrottie Family used “Grant Ulyssee” (two "e"s) I changed the name to “Ulysse Gabriel.” This is not the name on his headstone as it is spelled "Ulysses G. Pierrottie". However, his church baptism record is "Ulysse Gabriel". His last name on the church record, "Peyrrotti", is wrong.
​
Changes I made in any legal document is shown in [brackets] to show or illustrate the error in the document. For example, if Fuselier was spelled Fusilier, I inserted [Fuselier] following Fusilier.

​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos

​"Les Francois en Sud-Oust Louisiane" by S. John Francois, July 1980, Stuttgart, West Germany
 
Charles Francois was the oldest son of Jean Nicholas Francois and was the first of three brothers who came to America. The two younger brothers, Yacinthe, 20, and Theophile, 18, arrived in New Orleans on December 24, 1846. They departed home, Saulxures-Lex Vannes, Canton de Colombey, Department de la Meurthe-et-Moselle, in Novermber 1846. They traveled on the ship J.N. Copper from Port of Havre bound for New Orleans. The fare was 125 franks per person.
 
Theophile stayed in New Orleans to work in his Uncles's leather shop. Later he lived with Charles in Opelousas, called Prud'humme City (also called Bois Mallet). Charles was keeping a small country store. The census of 1850 lists the two brothers as storekeepers. Tanning hides was a skill he brought back from France. His father, Jean, was a tanner and a vigneron (grower of grapes).
 
Epidemics of yellow fever raged, each summer there was an outbreak. Charles and Yacinthe were very sick. Charles wrote to Marc, "Jevous dirais que les maladies on ete pres Au Opelousas. Yacinthe boucoup malade par la
fievre et moi pareillement. [I am telling you the sickness is bad in Opelousas. Yacinthe is very sick with the fever and so am I.]
 
On Feb. 6, 1856, Theophille Charles and possibly Yacinthe entered into a verbal agreement to form a "societe" or a business cooperative in Phud'homme called Francois Freres [Francois Brothers]. On March 21, 1862, this agreement was set in writing. Theophile was responsible for running the tannery, Charles devoted himself to running the store and overseeing the farmlands. Yacinthe was not included. Possibly he might have been in the army. No proof.

​Charles married Emmaline (Malinda) [Emeline] Miller [daugher Jean L. Miller, Sr. and Louise/Elise M. Taylor] of Opelousas. They were married the 9th of April [1850] in the St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas. Shortly after that Charles purchased from Stephen Young 140 arpends of land for $250.00.
 
Charles died unexpectedly on the 29th of March 1879, at the age of 58. The cause of his death is unknown. He left his wife and 13 children, five of whom were married. He left an estate that included over 900 acres of land, a general store, a tannery yard, a new cotton gin, a store house, a very commodious home, numerous heads of livestock, various farm implements, and an uncertain amount of debts.
 
The widow lost everything.
-------------------------------------- Other Family Below ------------------------------

Jean Louis Miller, Jr. at Findagrave.com

Lillian Taylor (1907-1986), daughter of Adam Taylor & Lezimen Miller, and wife of Hugh M. Adams.

Purchase Jean L. Miller, Sr. & Louise/Elise M. Taylor Book.

​U.S. Navy Lt. Justin Bergeron (1921-1944), a pilot who flew in excess of 35 missions while stationed at the South Pacific island of Bougainville before dying in a plane crash over New Hebrides Island on July 15, 1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as a posthumous Purple Heart.
 
EuniceToday- Mowata paid high price for freedom fight in World War II
 
Justin went into the Navy as an army pilot right after attending LSU.Died in the Pacific.Killed in WWII.
 
Lt. Justin Bergeron
     Memorial Mass for Lt. J. Bergeron in Mowata tomorrow. Services at 9 a.m. for flier killed in Pacific Plane Crash.
Rev. Father Joseph LaFleur, pastor, announces that services will be held at the Mowata Catholic Church Thursday morning for Lt. Justin Bergeron USNR (United States Naval Reserve)son of Mr. & Mrs. Adaus Bergeron of the Iota section who has been reported killed in a plane crash on July 15 in the performance of his duty to his country according to a telegram received Saturday, July 22, from Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs, chief of Naval personnel, by the youth's parents.
     Lt. Bergeron, a member of a well-known Acadia Parish family was very well known in Iota & Mowata. Born April 14, 1921, in Iota he attended school at the St. Francis Catholic Convent in Iota & graduated from Iota High School. He then attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture on June 1, 1942.
While attending LSU he was a member of the F.F.A., Newman Club, Delta Signa Phi, President of the Agriculture Fair Association, also of the Holy Name Society.
     After joining the United Naval Reserve he began training on July 15, 1942 in New Orleans, La. He received his primary & basic training in Pensacola, Florida where he also received his naval wings and was commissioned an Ensign. From there he received his adbance training in Jacksonville, Florida. On July 15, 1943, one year after he had entered the service he came home to visit his family on a fifteen day leave.
     When he returned from his leave he reported to Norfolk, Virginia for duty. He then proceeded to Rio Grande, New Jersey and to a naval base in Rhode Island. In the early part of December he received his orders to report to San Francisco, California for action with the Pacific Fleet Air Force. In route to California he flew his plane over Crowley, Iota, Frey, etc. and recognized each place. On March 6, 1944 he left San Francisco for the Southwest Pacific. He then entered combat with the enemy in the far-flung islands in the Southwest Pacific. He was killed on July 15, exactly on the same day he had entered the service two years before. He was the pilot of a Torpedo Bomber.
     All those who knew Lt. Bergeron have words of praise for him. He had led a good Christian life and was an inspiration for the men serving under him. He was the right arm of his Chaplain and was instrumental to bringing to church many a boy in the service. His cheerfulness brought him many friends in this vicinity and in every place where he was stationed. He sacrificed his life for his country, and for his father & mother, whom he loved so much. On Mother's Day he wrote "Unfortunately, some of the son's won't return, but their mother's should be proud of them because they fought for the right to live and love their homes and love a mother and family as free as when they left them behind.
​

​     Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur (He was ordained a priest in New Orleans, in 1938, and celebrated his first solemn high mass at his home parish of St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana, on April 5, 1938. He was assigned to St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Abbeville, and there joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, before the U.S. entered World War II. In July of that year, he was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Unit, and was sent to the Philippines as their chaplain. He became a prisoner of war when his unit was captured by the Japanese, and was killed September 7, 1944, when the ship on which he and 750 prisoners were being transported, the Shinyo Maru, was torpedoed by an American submarine. Father Lafleur refused to leave the ship when the men had the chance to climb out, instead remaining behind to help the other men up the ladder. Those who made it to shore last saw him in waist-deep water, assisting others. His body was not recovered.
     For his bravery in action, he won the Distinguished Service Cross and was later awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Then, On Oct. 17, 2017, he posthumously received a second Distinguished Service Medal and Purple Heart for his actions on board the Japanese prisoner of war ship that cost him his life but saved scores more.
     A cause for canonization to sainthood for Father Lafleur was opened in May, 2012.
     On Friday, September 7, 2007, the 63rd anniversary of his death, a monument erected to the memory of Rev. J. Verbis Lafleur was dedicated on the grounds of the St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana, his home town.
​

Paul Wesley Miller (Creole) (1925-1945)
​Entering the Marines when he was 18, Paul Wesley Miller of Creole went through many Pacific battles. He even made it through the deadly Iwo Jima invasion safely. But as his 28th Regiment, 5th Marines Division raced across the island of Iwo Jima he was killed on Mar. 11, 1945. (Cameron Parish Pilot, 3/31/2011. A quote from the books "SW La. Veterans of WWII" by Nola Mae Ross.

​Edmond Pierre Vige (1835-1863)
Death: 22/23 May 1863, Vickburg, Miss.
Marriage: Katy (living 1916)
Service: Pvt., Co I, 28th (Thomas') La. Inf. En. 15 April 1862, New Orleans, La. Present on all Rolls to Feb. 1863. On daily duty guarding the powder magazine, Vicksburg, Miss. Killed 22 or 23 May 1863, siege of Vicksburg, "having his head shot off with a shell".

Joseph Ozincoutt Miller (1830-1863)
Some records support the fact that Joseph was in the Confederate Army. This may not be Joseph Ozincoutt Miller, however. The records state that "a" Joseph was wounded in the right leg and admitted to hospital at Port Hudson 6/22/1863. When paroled after siege, he died at Port Hudson on 7/18/1863.
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The following from:  Post Hospital Ledger, Port Hudson 1862 - 1863, by Lawrence Hewitt, Arthur Bergeron, Jr.
 
"Joseph Miller, Pvt., Co. F, Miles Legion, 6/27/63, gunshot wound in the leg, amputation of right leg above knee."
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According to Minos D Miller in his statements on the Miller family dated in 1937 obtained by Edison R Mhire, stated "the last news of him was that he had been wounded and a leg had been amputated." This supports the Joseph Miller listed as wounded at Port Hudson. Minos D. Miller spelled the middle name "Ozincourt".
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"The Civil War Veterans of Old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana" states:
Service: Pvt., Co. F, Miles' Legion, LA Inf. 27 June 1863, Port Hudson, LA hospital, gunshot wound in leg; amputation of the right leg above the knee.

William Harrison McCall (1838-1864)
A Confederate soldier in Gen. Richard Taylor's army facing a Union invasion up the Red River, died of pneumonia somewhere near Mansfield, LA.

Isaac Bonsall (1824-1864
According to The Civil War Veterans of Old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana:
Civil War Service:  Pvt., Co. D, Crescent Regt., La. Inf.; Co. G, Cons. Crescent Regt., La. Inf. Enlisted/Enrolled 15 Dec. 1862, Camp Pratt, La. Roll for Jan. and Feb. 1863, "On Police Guard". Roll for May and June 1863 "Deserted April 18th, 1863 while in retreat from Bayou Teche". Roll for Jan and Feb. 1864, "Present". Died 8 April 1864 from wounds received in battle of Mansfield. Age 38. Hair, black. Eyes, hazel. Complexion, dark. Height, 5 ft. 7 in.".

​Norman Lee Dupre (1930-1966)
Listed in article "28 Men Are Listed as Viet Name Casualties" in Fort Worth-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, 01 Oct 1966, in "From Missing to Dead". He is husband of Helen A. Dupre, Daleville, Ala. The status change from missing to dead was also report in the Alabama Journal, Montgomery, on 30 Sept 1966.
 

Andrus Floyd Duplechain (1949-1970)
   Funeral services were held Tuesday, October 6, 1970 at 5:00 p. m. in St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Eunice for PFC Andrus E. Duplechain. Burial was in the Mt. CVary cemetery with Ardoins Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
   PFC Andrus was reported killed in action In Vietman on September 28, 1970, when the combat operation he was on encountered a hostile force.
   He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Duplechain, of Eunice; 2 brothers, Herbert (Black) Duplechain, of Mamou and Vernon Duplechain, of Eunice; and 1 sister, Mrs, Willius Reed of Basile; and paternal grandmother, Mrs. Francois Duplechain, of Eunice. (Basile Weekly, Basile, LA, 07 Oct 1970)

Joseph Ozincoutt Miller is the son of Jean Miller and Marie Magdelaine Boutin. The ninth and last child of that marriage. He is the twin brother of Pierre Valcour Miller. Joseph Ozincoutt Miller. married Marie Fruge. From this union, one child was born in 1853, Mary Alida Miller.
 
The Joseph Ozincoutt Miller Louisiana Family book totals 313 pages with family contents of his grandfather Jacob Miller and his descendants (three generations) 125 pages; Joseph Ozincoutt Miller descendants (seven generations), 71 pages; Prevat Broussard ancestors (thirteen generations), 23 pages; and Robert W. Stewart ancestors (17 generations), 94 pages.
 
Family photos, about 3 per page, are also included in this book and include the following:
Joseph Ozincoutte Miller – 4 pages; Benjamin F. Winch and M. Rosann Broussard – 5 pages;  Luther L. Winch & Margaret Guidry – 4 pages, Daniel Webster Stewart, Jr. and Ruth Mims – 5 pages.
 
With the three generations of the Jacob Miller and Anne M. Thaison family and all the descendants of Joseph Ozincoutt Miller, this family is complete to the extent possible using all the resources online and from some family member. The research includes family information on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org , FindAGrave.com, and other sites located online. Additional information may be located at FamilyAtLouisiana.com.  Purchase book here.

"Evangeline, Its History and Background" by Robert Gahn
(The Ville Platte Gazette, ville Platte, LA, 29 Jan 1942)
 
Chataignier, a little village located in the southeast section of Evangeline, is considered the third oldest settlement in the parish. It concern-was originally designated as Point Chataignier, meaning Chestnut, or Chinquapin Point. This region, according to the earliest records obtainable, was first settled by Ursiana Manuel. The Spanish Judicial Records of 1796 reveal that an emigrant from Mexico by that name settled in the Opelousas country. According to the tradition of this pioneer's descendants he settled in Chataignier, which was a part of the Opelousas country during this period. The American State Papers, Public Lands records show Jacque Fontenot, General Garric de Flaugeac, Louis Ridon, and Arteman Lafleur as being the earliest land owners of Point Chataignier. These land grants were confirmed in 1811. but the date of their original occupancy is not given; it is possible that such grans could have been made at a much earlier date.
 
Other early settlers of the community were: Pierre Manuel, Pierre Dondiegue Lafleur, Antoine Miller, Lastie Rosas, Henty Young, Celestin Fontenot, and the VeilIon family, who are the forebears of Louis "Celestin" Veillon, Sr.
 
Valentine Savoy, an early settler of Chataignier, was born in 1836. He was a conspicuous figure during the period of the late 1850's, because the was the first man in the Opelousas Country to begin the manufacture of spinning wheels. His ancestors had been prominent pioneers in Opelousas for many generations.
 
Mr. William Ashford, whose parents were natives of South Carolina, was born in St. Landry Parish in 1849. He started life at Chataignier as a school teacher just after the Civil War. He became one of Chataignier's leaders in political and civic circles.
 
According to Boudier's Catholic Church in Louisiana the first church services to .be held in the vicinity of Chataignier was in 1856 by missionaries from Opelousas. The tradition of today, as related by some of the older citizens, is that these services were conducted in the open air and under crude sheds. In 1869 the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was created with Father Jean Batiste Bre as first pastor. The land for the church was donated by Mr. Bertrand Paussion.
 
Postal service was established at Chataignier in 1879 by Mr. Alphonse Guillet, a native of France. The mail was brought to this point from Washington, Louisiana by horseback service. Mr. Guillet served as postmaster continuously from 1879 to 1940 with the exception of one year when this position was filled by Mr. J. A. Hardey. This community obtained railroad and telegraph service in 1908, when the Texas Pacific railroad was routed through the territory that is now known as the settlement of Chataignier. Mr. Adam Rozas acted as receiving agent until the appointment of J. D. Heck Sr., as the regular agent.
 
The coming of the railroad and location oi the depot in its present location marked the beginning of this community. Beside the railroad, telegraph, and postal service which is still maintained in this community, Chataignier has a state approved high school, two cotton gins, a number of modern stores, and for a number of years the Evangeline Bank and Trust Company maintained a branch there.

​Schooner E. O. Gladys
The schooner E. O. Gladys was named after Papa's Mother and his two sisters.(Emma, Olive and Gladys).  I really don't remember when Papa got the schooner.  I believe he had gotten it before he and mama were married.  Charlie Nelson took Papa on Capt. Nelson's schooner to Galveston to get the schooner.
 
The first thing I remember about the schooner was we could tell when he was getting close to home.  His old dog, Rover, would begin barking and Mama would say, "Papa's coming."  Going outside at the old homeplace, we could see the masts of the schooner.  It appeared to be around Lower Mud Lake.  In those days there were not many trees & plenty of farming.
 
The only mate I knew that worked for Papa on the schooner was Jack Monique.  I remember going on a trip on the schooner with Papa, Mama, and Raphiel Miller.  When we got in the Gulf, Mama and I stayed in the hold until we reached Galveston.  Most of Papa's trips were to Galveston.  On one of Papa's trips to Galveston he lost his rudder and had to steer by letting out a long heavy rope.
 
Years later on a trip to New Orleans on the Winona, Mama showed me the place where the schooner came to rest in a bayou (seems like it might be Schooner Bayou).  Joe said he thought it was common to junk old boats in remote areas like that.
 
Riverboat Winona
The Winona was built on the Mermentau River in Papa's yard by Mr. Waterman.  A boat builder from some south Louisiana city, I believe it was Franklin.  It took one year to build.  It was built parallel to the river and it was launched into the river sideways.  I saw it being launched and was frightened it made such a big splash.  I was seven when it was finished, 1917.
 
The original engines were gasoline, but in the summer of 1922, Papa took the boat to Lake Arthur at Lezay Roy's wharf and changed the engines out.  He replaced them with two, 30 horsepower, 2 cylinder, Callenburg diesel motors.  I was out of school at that time and stayed on the boat with Papa and Mama.  I slept on deck under a mosquito netting, while Papa and Mama slept in the cabin.
 
Papa first worked between New Orleans and Grand Chenier; and hauled cotton and cotton seed.  Bales on deck and seed in the hold. I went on several trips to New Orleans on the Winona.  Papa took different routes.  You or John would know the routes better than me.  Sometimes it was in the Gulf to Vermilion Bay, then though bayous to Bayou Black and on to the Mississippi River near  New Orleans.  Other trips were into Bayou Plaquimine into the Mississippi near Baton Rouge.
 
Later (1920 - 1925) Papa made passenger and freight trips to Lake Arthur.  Some of the freight were cars, lumber, caskets, whatever people needed.
 
Between 1925 - 1929, he worked between Lake Charles and Grand Chenier. Freight only.  After that he brought oil and gasoline from Port Arthur to Grand Chenier, until about 1940.  He left the Winona tied up in the pasture until 1943 when Adam Nunez bought it.  Adam make a tug-boat out of the Winona.  It finally sank in the Gulf off the coast of Galveston. That's about all I remember about Papa's boats.
 
Winona Miller Achee daughter.
More about this family: Michel Miller & Hiacinthe Lejeune LA Family (2021)
​

Evangeline, Its History and Background by Robert Gahn
(The Ville Platte Gazette, ville Platte, LA, 29 Jan 1942)

Chataignier, a little village located in the southeast section of Evangeline, is considered the third oldest settlement in the parish. It was originally designated as Point Chataignier, meaning Chestnut, or Chinquapin Point. This region, according to the earliest records obtainable, was first settled by Ursiana Manuel. The Spanish Judicial Records of 1796 reveal that an emigrant from Mexico by that name settled in the Opelousas country. According to the tradition of this pioneer's descendants he settled in Chataignier, which was a part of the Opelousas country during this period. The American State Papers, Public Lands records show Jacque Fontenot, General Garric de Flaugeac, Louis Ridon, and Arteman Lafleur as being the earliest landowners of Point Chataignier. These land grants were confirmed in 1811. but the date of their original occupancy is not given; it is possible that such grants could have been made at a much earlier date.
 
Other early settlers of the community were: Pierre Manuel [father of Augustine P. Manuel, wife to Antoine Miller], Pierre Dondiegue Lafleur, Antoine Miller, (1) Lastie Rosas, Henty Young, Celestin Fontenot, and the VeilIon family, who are the forebears of Louis "Celestin" Veillon, Sr.
 
Valentine Savoy, an early settler of Chataignier, was born in 1836. He was a conspicuous figure during the period of the late 1850's, because he was the first man in the Opelousas Country to begin the manufacture of spinning wheels. His ancestors had been prominent pioneers in Opelousas for many generations.
 
Mr. William Ashford, whose parents were natives of South Carolina, was born in St. Landry Parish in 1849. He started life at Chataignier as a schoolteacher just after the Civil War. He became one of Chataignier's leaders in political and civic circles.
 
According to Boudier's Catholic Church in Louisiana the first church services to .be held in the vicinity of Chataignier was in 1856 by missionaries from Opelousas. The tradition of today, as related by some of the older citizens, is that these services were conducted in the open air and under crude sheds. In 1869 the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was created with Father Jean Batiste Bre as first pastor. The land for the church was donated by Mr. Bertrand Paussion.
 
Postal service was established at Chataignier in 1879 by Mr. Alphonse Guillet, a native of France. The mail was brought to this point from Washington, Louisiana by horseback service. Mr. Guillet served as postmaster continuously from 1879 to 1940 with the exception of one year when this position was filled by Mr. J. A. Hardey. This community obtained railroad and telegraph service in 1908, when the Texas Pacific railroad was routed through the territory that is now known as the settlement of Chataignier. Mr. Adam Rozas acted as receiving agent until the appointment of J. D. Heck Sr., as the regular agent.
 
The coming of the railroad and location oi the depot in its present location marked the beginning of this community. Beside the railroad, telegraph, and postal service which is still maintained in this community, Chataignier has a state approved high school, two cotton gins, a number of modern stores, and for a number of years the Evangeline Bank and Trust Company maintained a branch there.

(1) Antone MIller Family Book

In our last edition of The Basile Weekly, I noted that many times, names have great significance, including lessons from history. Locally, many names of great citizens and interesting locations have been lost to history. Names of towns, parishes, schools, and streets usually reference people who were of great importance in times past. Last week’s feature on the topic of forgotten names told the story of the origin of Wilburton Lane. This week, we want to share the background of Schambers Street.
 
Schambers Street’s significance
The road that runs in front of the Basile Care Center is named East Schambers. A separate road that extends from the west side of the St. Augustine Church Cemetery is called West Schambers. At one time, the two roadways were joined and ran behind the Catholic church. When the church purchased additional land for a cemetery, the church straddled the south side of Schambers Street and the cemetery was on the north side. Eventually, the road between the church and cemetery was closed and became church property thus separating Schambers Street into two parts. According to the late Asa Buller, Schambers was an important thoroughfare when it was first laid out because it continued northwest into the woods leading to a bridge that crossed the Bayou Nezpique into Allen Parish, leading on to Elton to the south and Oberlin to the north. This was the only local crossing of the Bayou Nezpique until the mid 1930s when the Highway 190 Bridge was erected.
 
Who was Schambers? The naming of Schambers Street was to honor L. F. Schambers, Jr., Basile’s first postmaster. First Basile post office L. F. Schambers, Jr., was not only the first postmaster of the new village of Basile beginning in 1906; but he was also the first postmaster in a small neighborhood located 3 1/2 miles south of today’s Basile. The post office there was originally named Schambers (April 24, 1888)). It was common at the time to name post offices using the name of the postmaster at the location. The post office there was inside Schambers’ grocery store, located in an area known as Berwick Point or Berwick Cove.

​F.E. Garrould replaced Schambers as postmaster on January 5, 1889, and for an unknown reason, the post office was renamed as Basile on January 25, 1889. Schambers reclaimed the postmaster position on June 10, 1893, but the name of the post kept the name of Basile.
 
Leader in new Acadia parish
Anyone looking through old copies of the Crowley Post Signal from the 1880s to 1906 will quickly realize that Schambers was not only the postmaster of the Berwick Point area but probably the most active community leader there. For a time, he was the local correspondent for the Crowley newspaper, served on the Acadia Parish School Board, and actually made repairs himself to the Berwick Point school, which at two separate times was called the Schambers school. He was a deputy sheriff, a notary public, and a justice of the peace.
 
Schambers moves northwest with the Basile post office
When a new settlement was laid out just northwest of the community in 1905 by landowners and business partners J.J. Lewis, Louis Bourg, and Gus Fusilier, it was believed that the new site would be called St. Louis. In 1906 as the railroad came through and homes and businesses began to be built in the new community, the post office in Acadia parish was closed and moved to the new settlement, keeping the name of Basile. Schambers made the move as well and retained the position of postmaster, continuing to handle the mail at his store (pictured above) which he and his son Mayo moved from its original site to the new settlement. By 1911, the place was incorporated as the village of Basile with 267 citizens, and Schambers continued as postmaster until July 24, 1914.
 
Schambers was more than just postmaster
In 1909 when locals organized a grade school at the new townsite, Schambers became one of the school’s trustees. He also served the village as mayor for one year (1916), replacing the town’s first mayor Dr. E.S. Taylor during a leave of absence during his terms as mayor which lasted from 1911 to 1917. In 1922, after Mayor Walter McCain was run out of town after only a few months in office, Schambers again stepped up to serve as mayor to complete the two-year term. (Records indicate that the mayor and council were elected to two-year terms prior to 1926.)
 
Schambers family
Schambers was born July 5, 1850, in New Orleans, a mere 10 years after his family moved there from Strasburg, France in Alsace-Lorraine. He received most of his education in New Orleans during the Civil War before the family moved to LaFourche parish. In 1870, his family, led by his father, L.F. Schambers, Sr., moved to Berwick Point on a 160 acre homestead on the vast Mamou Prairie in what was then a part of Imperial St. Landry parish. The Schambers family was among the first to settle the area that stretched from what is now the town of Mamou to the present community of Evangeline near Jennings.
 
In 1876, young Schambers married Severin Fusilier. Eight children were born to the couple, including Cleveland, who would become the village of Basile’s third police chief, serving the community in the police department for 44 years. For his leadership role at the original Basile settlement in Acadia parish as well as the new village site in what would become Evangeline parish, Schambers could be given the title of “Father of Basile”. A framed photo of the leader has been a part of Basile’s town hall for most of the town’s history.

Other Blogs: 
​https://www.familyatlouisiana.com/blogs/basile-la-home-town-history

This picture was taken from the second floor of the Basile High School building by Willis J. Fruge, a seventh grade teacher at the time. It was the end of school day and kids and teachers are pictured heading home. (Bonnes Nouvelles, Buggy Tracks, July 2013)

This second photo shows kids boarding the old wooden school buses. Both phots are courtesy of James R. Fruge, son of Willis J. Fruge.

​The McCauley Family of Louisiana – 2021 Revision to the 2015 Book
 
This much improved book includes several new features. The photos are in color and printed on better quality paper. Moreover, many individual photos are printed “inline” and are placed next to information for the person discussed.
 
The oldest ancestor is Henry McCauley, born in 1740 in Ireland and his wife Catherine Camela, also born in Ireland in 1752. His descendants include 10 generations compiling 300 pages with 288 “inline” photos.
 
Furthermore, there are photo albums for families with the number of pictures for that family in parenthesis:  Hince McCauley, (8 photos), Lanzy McCauley, (4 photos) Helin McCauley, (6 photos) Lou Fontenot, (9 photos) Clarence Vidrine, Jr. (Becky McCauly husband), (20 photos), Cory McCauley, (2 photos) Nealy Joseph McCauley, (11 photos) and Agnes Marguerite McCauley, (6 photos).
 
See Video of some family photos.
Review the Table of Contents and the Index at FamilyAtLouisiana.com

​Davis, Grace M of Kirkland, WA passed away … Born second of eight children, she valued family connections and spent time and effort to maintain them even as her life led her away from her native Louisiana.
 
Graduating early and With Distinction from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette, Grace worked as a teacher at her alma mater, Mamou High School, until her life-long wanderlust drew her to New Orleans. There she met and married Bill G. Davis in 1949 and moved to Oklahoma, where she provided most of the support for the family while Bill got his degree in Geology. She then concentrated on their growing family, managing four children and households in foreign lands and new languages as they moved overseas from one oilfield to the next.
 
Grace and Bill finally settled in Phoenix, Arizona, where Grace became a Remedial Reading teacher at Saints Simon and Jude School.
 
Every second summer determined that her children should know their extended family, Grace would load the four wriggling, whining kids into the car and drive long days (but never more than two mph over the speed limit!) across the deserts of three states to spend time with relatives in Texas and Louisiana.
 
In 1975, Grace left teaching to work with her husband in their small manufacturing business. After he suffered a debilitating heart attack, Grace took over as CEO, dealing with mechanics and the IRS, bank managers and salesmen, each in their own jargon about their own subjects. When she needed to know something, whether about the design of an oil valve or the terms of a contract, she would study into the night until she knew it cold.
 
Grace grew that business by over half a million dollars within 10 years while tending an ailing husband until his death in 1987. In 1991, Grace sold the company and eagerly moved into an active retirement. She played expert bridge and volunteered at the Washington Adult Center, for which she was twice recognized by the City of Phoenix.
 
She served as Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and participated in Bible Study at her church; she studied literature and Party Piano at the junior college; and she traveled. One of her most memorable trips was to the Oberammergau Passion Play in 2000. Sadly in 2004, Grace suffered a stoke and agreed to move to Washington State to be near her daughter. Redoubtable as ever, she continued to engage in life as fully and as long as her deteriorating health allowed, living independently until a fall made it unsafe. In the end, most else had fallen away, but Grace’s faith had been a source of strength and support for her whole life. To the last week of her life, her continued attendance at Sunday Mass, rain or shine, made her an icon to many. To the end, she lived her motto, “Forward ever, backward never.”
 
Grace is preceded in death by her parents, Cleophas Miller and Isabelle Michot Miller; her daughter, Lynne Davis; her husband, Bill G. Davis; and her siblings Freida Miller Thomas, Quentin Miller, Roderick Miller and Ludger Miller.
 
She is survived by her children Mark Davis, Paula Davis Christiansen, and Brian Davis; by her grandchildren Ravi, Bethany, Alexis and Devon Davis; Zach and Nate Christiansen; and by her siblings Eugene Miller, Elaine Miller Richardson, and Ione Miller Villars.
 
The Funeral Mass … in Kirkland, WA, … a second Memorial Mass … in Louisiana.
(Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 09 Nov 2008)
---------------------------
More about her and her family in the Antoine Miller & Augustine P. Manual Louisiana 2021 Family 600+ page book.