​In the late Pascal Fuselier’s book Du Crow’s Nest by Lisa McCauley, he said “Cyprien Landreneau died February 1st. On most local papers the last line of his obituary read: ‘Landreneau was a well-known Cajun musician.’ I believe this was an understatement. In 1965 Revon Reed, Cyprien and the late Adam Landreneau were invited to tour West Germany, Denmark, Sweden and England. The Cajuns were accompanied by two other groups of folk musicians on that five-week tour. They were all well received but the people across the Atlantic loved ‘Cyp’ as he was affectionately known. His mischievous smile and singing with his cigar stub became his trademark. The rich sound of his accordion and his distinct singing style made him unique. Cyp was not only a musician, he was a hard-working good man who loved his family and his land on the Mamou Prairie.”

Over the past twenty years I have compiled the Pierrottie family of Southwest Louisiana. When printing the books, the persons listed who married into the Pierrottie family are reported. For example, Delia Pierrottie is reported as the child of Louis Calvin Pierotti and Louisiana M. LeDoux. Later in the book, Delia is listed with the person married, his parents, and their children. For the old folks reading this, they probably know that Delia married Cyprien Landreneau. For years I have searched for Cyprien’s parents and siblings. Adding Cyprien’s parents to the family information would make complete Delia Pierrottie’s family presentation in the book. 

​Today it is not uncommon to find family history on FindAGrave.com virtual cemetery as well as other internet sites. This was not the case for Cyprien Landreneau. Nowhere could I locate his obituary and his virtual final resting place was absent of any clues leading to his parents and siblings. Recently I located Cyprien’s obituary. Unfortunately, his parents were not included but one sister was included. This one sister allowed me to continue my search successfully. Moreover, Cyprien’s half-sister, Marie Landreneau died at age 17 in1924 while a senior at Mamou High School. Marie’s obituary provided more family information. With these clues, I was able to locate more of Cyprien’s family.

​Cyprien Landreneau’s (1903-1981) parents are Armand Landreneau and Celeste Rougeau. His mother Celeste died in 1903, seven months after he was born. His grandparents are Cyprien Landreneau (1834-1926) and Eugenie Hebert (1845-1902). For more of Cyp’s family information, go to Findagrave.com and enter Memorial # 8626212. His siblings are Etna (1897-1900), Alcee and R. E. Landreneau. Your photos and other family information would be appreciated. Please notify me at murphymillerjr@gmail.com or via FamilyAtLouisiana.com.

See also: Cyp Landreneau, Adam Landreneau & Revon Reed Interview, 1965
​Ulysse Gabriel Pierrottie, A 33 year battle for his family's rights
Mary Pierrottie Soileau
Jane Bertrand Ortego
​Sister Cesira Pierotti
​Louis David "L.D" Verrette Obituary
Betty Lou Deshotel Hollier Obituary
Donald Joseph Pierotti Obituary

​Books
​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
​Dominique Martel Southwest Louisiana Family

Constantino Pierotti Video

Pierrottie Family Book and Photos

By Vera LaFleur and Ethel Chachere (The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, September 23, 1956). Some small changes were made to the original article.

Were the legendary Lafitte brothers and their partner in piracy, Dominique You, really Bouttes?

This is the opinion of J. Herman Guillory, attorney for the heirs of Francois Zenon Boutte, who yesterday was at the courtroom of the Lafayette City Hall, interviewing Boutte’s heirs and distributing oil and gas lease checks.

Jean Lafitte and his brother Pierre commanded a band of pirates that operated in the Gulf of Mexico over 100 years ago. They had a hideout on Barataria Island in Jefferson Parish where they lay low when indignant American and foreign shippers got too close for comfort.
​
Now, there is a question as to the real identity of the Lafitte’s and their Number One pirate, Dominique You. Perhaps they were not a trio of Frenchmen who came to Louisiana by way of the West Indies. There’s a strong chance that they were really a trio comprised of Sourthwest Louisiana Acadians named Francois Zenon Routtee and two of his brothers, hundreds of whose heirs live in the French-speaking parishes of the Evangeline area. 

Guillory said he had come to believe in the course of his research that the Lafitte brothers and Dominique You were in reality the Boutte brothers. The Boutte heirs are now dividing the profits of what may be the largest distribution of mineral lease payments in the history of the oil industry. The heirs, numbering 3,287 at the last count, represent eight generations.

Checks were being given yesterday to members of the Lafayette, St. Martin, and Iberia branches of the family tree, including such names as Judice, Vincent and Pellerin.
​
Some 400 checks were given out yesterday, and eventually Guillory, a Ville Platte attorney, expects to distribute approximately 800 more in this area. Most of the heirs have been found in the parishes of Lafayette, St. Martin, Iberia, St. Landry, Evangeline, Jefferson, Lafourche, and Calcasieu, but some heirs have been discovered as far away as Canada and Australia. 

About 100 heirs and representatives of others crowded the courtroom at 8 o’clock yesterday morning, when the distribution began. 

Presiding over the thick sheaf of legal forms referred to as the family tree was Miss Edith Steckler, St. Martinville. Miss Steckler has been working with Ulysses Pierrcttie of Mamou. himself an heir, and the man who has spearheaded the search for heirs for about 20 years. (Pierrottie is a great-great-great-great-great grand nephew of Zenon.) As each heir was called forward, there was a general stirring and looking about. The heirs passed through the crew of clerks and lawyers sitting inside the courtroom railing.

​First step toward getting a check was the identification of the heirs. Most of them had been previously notified of yesterday’s distribution and were ready with certificates of birth or baptism. Some also held powers of attorney for other members of their families 

2c to $400
After the identification was made, the heir had to execute the lease. In some cases this required several signatures and addresses Finally the heirs reached the final step in the process, and were handed their checks. Guillory said that checks distributed in the Lafayette area yesterday ranged from two cents to about $400. Pierrottie, Miss Steckler, Mrs. Dan Robichaux, Guillorys daughter, and Mrs. Fred E. Builliard, were among those assisting with the distribution. Guillory himself has been hospitalized for a heart condition and was accompanied to yesterday’s gathering by a nurse. The attorney left shortly after the proceedings began.
 
8 Generations
Many have worked on the staggering job of tracing and contacting the over 3,000 heirs of the Boutte estate, but the man who has been heir hunting for the most extensive length of time is Pierrottie who has been working on the case for some 20 years. The search has taken Pierrottie in every court house and every Catholic church in Louisiana, painstakingly looking through old records and files in an attempt to trace the various branches of the family tree through the eight generations.
 
Pierrottie, who is himself an heir, received help in his 20-year search from his first cousin, John W. Roy of Opelousas. Roy assisted in contacting and tracing the heirs after they were discovered and securing their signatures on the leases.

At one time during the twenty-year search, Pierrottie’s funds became completely depleted and his only recourse was to mortgage his personal property. Seeking the advice of a Ville Platte judge, he explained the facts of the case to him Do you play poker? the judge wanted to know. When Pierrottie looked quizzically at him the judge continued, “You have what could be likened to a straight flush, so you can hardly lose.”  Pierrottie took the advice of the judge and mortgaged his property. That was in 1945, he said. Later had to sell half of it to redeem the other half. He will only be completely reimbursed when the case is officially cleared up. Pierrottie has retained Guillory to continue work on the legal ramifications of the case. Besides Guillory, other attorneys who have represented the heirs are A. H. Reed, Corwin B. Reed, Floyd J. Reed, Jack Voyles, Nilas J. Young, Dale, Richardson & Dale, and E. Leland Richardson.

Complicated History
Pierrottie was the coordinator of the activities yesterday, calling forth the heirs in turn, assisting with the execution of the leases, and periodically switching from English to French as he explained the complicated history of the Boutte family and their island property.

He told the assembled heirs about his years of research and explained that the present lease bonus checks are small. After the land is fully developed, he said, many of the heirs will receive substantial monthly royalties as long as the oil and gas are produced.

​He pointed out that the entire tract is still not under lease. About half of it is still undeveloped.  “But we’ve got a good foundation,” he said Now we can really roll up our sleeves and get to work. If you are patient, and give me your co - operation, the day will come when we will all have our rightful share.
Heirs present yesterday represented a cross - section of the population. There were teachers, farmers, housewives, attorneys, carpenters.

Typical Hassle
Typical of the legal hassles and missing links involved in the search for heirs is one which came up in the courtroom this morning. Cyrus Provost, Lafayette, is an heir through one Doralice Judice, a niece of Zenon Boutte. Doralice was married to a de la Houssaye, and had one daughter. She later married Ludfroy Provost and had a daughter by him, Cyrus Provosts great - grandmother, Celestine. But the records of this second marriage have been lost, and Cyrus and his family have been assembling the proof of their claim. Their claim will necessitate a re-division of one share of the royalties, and will thus mean another delay in the whole case.

Returning to the background of the island property, Guillory explained that according to historians, Zenon Boutte was a member of the band of pirates led by Jean Lafitte and in fact owned half of Barataria Island, where the pirates had their hideout.

Guillory says he has come to believe that the Lafitte brothers and Dominique You were in reality three of the Boutte brothers. As Guillory explained it, historians in the past have surmised that the Lafitte brothers came over to Louisiana from France by way of the West Indies. How could these men, strangers to that territory, suddenly know all the intricate and multitudinous turns and twists of the Louisiana bayous?

It is Guillory’s presumption that they were the native Bouttes, an idea that he would like to discuss more thoroughly with contemporary historians. When Boutte. sold his half of the 2,000 - acre island near the Gulf of Mexico in Jefferson Parish, a tract of some 800 acres remained in his possession. Zenon died childless in 1863, leaving his seven brothers and sisters as his sole heirs.

Spanish Grant
He was forgotten until 1932, when it was discovered that Barataria Island was rich in oil and gas deposits. Research disclosed that the entire island had been owned by Nonc Zenon [Uncle Zenon], as the family called him, and his uncle, Jean Baptiste Boutte. (The two had been granted the island by the king of Spain.) The research also revealed that when Zenon sold his half of the island, there remained unsold and in his name a strip lying across the island from Bayou Barataria to Bayou Perrot 5 arpents wide by 6 miles long.

At first, the oil operators believed that Zenon’s uncle and former co-owner, Jean Baptiste Boutte, was his closest relative. His descendants, numbering some 265, took possession of the strip. But further investigation revealed that Zenon had left brothers and sisters, whose descendants would have inherited instead of those of the uncle, Jean Baptiste.

When oil operators became interested in the forgotten strip of land, an extensive research of heirship was undertaken. It was established that Zenon had actually left seven brothers and sisters at his death. Since Zenon died a widower, the descendants of these brothers and sisters inherited to the exclusion of the more remote collateral relatives, the heirs of Jean Baptiste Boutte, who had taken possession of the strip.

Guillory, the attorney retained by Pierrottie several years ago to continue the “heir - hunt,” explained that in 1938 about 1,200 descendants of Zenon’s brothers and sisters filed a suit in Jefferson parish against the descendants of Jean Baptiste Boutte in the form of an action to try title to the disputed tract.
After a court struggle of 19 years and three trips to the Supreme Court, the case was resolved with the recognition of the heirs of Zenon Boutte as the rightful owners of the land. In the meantime, Guillory continued, some 800 of the original 1200 who had filed the suit died, leaving large families scattered in many states of the Union and several foreign countries. The problem then was to find the present heirs and their correct names and addresses so that a valid oil and gas lease could be executed and the lands developed.

3,000 Name
“After months of inquiry, a family tree consisting of over 3,000 names representing eight generations was finally constructed containing the correct names and addresses of the present living heirs. And it was to these heirs in the Lafayette, St. Martinville, and New Iberia areas that Guillory made distribution of oil bonus and trapping lease funds yesterday in the city hall, securing their signatures to an oil and gas lease for the California Company, which is presently developing Barataria Island. Distribution began on July 25, upon completion of the family tree, and to date the signatures of approximately 60 per cent of the interests in the oil and gas rights to the land have been secured. Heirs hold portions ranging from .000002 (1-500,000) to 0417 (1-24), the latter being the result of a double - cousin marriage with both sides being heirs. The majority of the checks presently being distributed is small, but it is expected that after the land is fully developed, they will be increased substantially. The entire royalty paid by the oil company will be received by the heirs. A one - eighth over-riding royalty will be paid the attorneys by the oil company itself. Barataria is proving to be a profitable island in more ways than one. Besides the oil production, the island is a rich trapping area, and a substantial stand of cypress timber exists there. Whether the Lafitte brothers were Bouttes or the Bouttes were Lafittes is a fine puzzle to tickle the fancies of historians of Louisiana’s colorful past, but Boutte or Lafitte, the fact remains that their descendants are today beginning to receive shares in a treasure far greater than their pirate ancestors ever imagined.

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

​Books
​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
​Dominique Martel Southwest Louisiana Family

Constantino Pierotti Video

​Download your copy below:

by Murphy Miller, March 8, 2020

​​Charles Darwin and his wife Emma were first cousins. A cousin marriage is a marriage where the partners are cousins (i.e. people with common grandparents or people who share other fairly recent ancestors). The practice was common in earlier times, and continues to be common in some societies today, though in some jurisdictions such marriages are prohibited. Worldwide, more than 10% of marriages are between first or second cousins. (1) 
​
Accordingly, it is not uncommon to find cousin marriages in Southwest Louisiana.  Moreover, the lack of mobility until the mid-20th century facilitated intermarriages as people lived in the same geographic area from birth to death when the U.S. was predominately an agrarian society.  Parents frequently made room for a child by gifting property to farm.  First cousins lived in close proximity to each other.

Many people in southwest Louisiana are familiar with the Pierrottie families that began with Constantino Pierotti (1832-1892), also known as August Constant Pierotti.  He was from Italy and emigrated to America in hopes of earning enough money to return to Italy, perhaps to bring back loved ones so they too could escape the poor economy in Northern Italy.  His plan to settle in the ante-bellum South fell apart upon his 1855 arrival and later when he was drafted into the Civil War.

​Thirteen months following the end of the American Civil War between the states, in May 1866, Constantino married Stephanie “Fanny” Martel (1848-1936).  Stephanie is the daughter of Etienne Eugene Martel and Louise Mathilde Boutte.  She is one of eleven children born to this couple.  Her younger brother, Stephane Martel (1852-1934), married Ann Elizabeth Moore in 1877.  Stephane and Ann had six children, Etienne (1885-1970) and Theogene Martel (1885-1962), twins, were the third and fourth born to the couple.

​Theogene Martel married his first cousin Rosenia Pierotti, the daughter of Constantino Pierotti and Stephanie Martel, in 1910. This marriage had three children; Blanche (1911-1991), Louis Thomas Martel (1916-1989) and Aubry Theo Martel (1924-1988).  Their common ancestry is their grandparents, Etienne Eugene Martel and Louise Mathilde Boutte.

​Theogene and Rosenia are also 3rd cousins via the Chachere/Vauchere family lines.  Their common ancestry is their great great-grandparents Louis Dominique Chachere (1760-1827) and Catherine Vauchere (1764-1825).  The charts below better illustrate this marital union relationship.

The third union of the Pierotti family line and the Martel family line marrying are Gervis Paul Martel (1912-1994) and Mary Lillian Naquin (1923-1992).  Gervis is the son of Etienne (1885-1970), twin of Theogene, and his wife Clementine Savoy (1889-1935).  My mother, Mary L. Naquin (1923-1992), is the daughter of Olan Naquin (1904-1940) and Bernice Pierrottie (1904-1977), she the granddaughter of Constantino and Stephanie Martel.

​Gervis first married Ellenor Fontenot in 1931.  She died in 1937.  Gervis married Mary L. Naquin in 1948.  Gervis “Slim” Martel was a master carpenter.  He was employed as a Installation Superintendent and travel to the job to install store fixtures in stores like Macy’s.  In 1959, when he was 47 years old, he allowed me to live in his home with him, my mother and half-siblings.  Both he, my mother and the entire Brandon, FL community made a man out of a confused teenager.  He was not perfect, but he gave me the break I needed at the right time in my life. For that kindness, I am grateful.

​

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

​Books
​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
​Dominique Martel Southwest Louisiana Family

Constantino Pierotti Video
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF THIS BLOG

Donald J. Pierrotti is the great grandson of the ​Constantino "Auguste Constant" Pierotti and Stephanie "Fanny" Martel. Donald's parents Marion Pierrotti, Sr. (1916-1992)  and Ethel Lebleu (1919-2011), daughter of Julin Lebleu and Evangeline Sonnier, were married in 1918.

Donald's father Marion and twin sister Mary were born in 1916, the fifth and sixth child of Constant Pierrotti and Avie Fuselier. Their siblings are Bernice (1904-1977), Virginia (1906-1994), Lula (1910-1994) and George (1912-1990)

Note: Last names spellings in this family include Pierotti, Pierrotti and Pierrottie.
--------------------Obituary----------------
​MAMOU-Funeral Services will be held at 2:00PM at Ardoin's Funeral Home in Mamou on Saturday, January 19, 2019, for Donald J. Pierrottie, 81, who passed away on Thursday, January 17, 2019 in Mamou, LA surrounded by his loved ones.

Chaplin Jeff White will conduct all funeral services.

Burial will take place in New St. Ann's Cemetery in Mamou.

Donald J. Pierrottie was born in Mamou, LA on October 25, 1937 to his parents Marion Pierrottie, Sr. and Ethel LeBleu Pierrottie. He served as a Production Foreman in the oil field for 35 years. Donald was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. He spent his free time with his family hunting, fishing, and camping. He enjoyed taking pictures and capturing as many special moments as he could. He also liked doing projects around the house and loved to garden. 

He leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving wife, Jane Pierrottie of Mamou, one daughter, Kimberly Pierrottie of Mamou; two sons, Kenneth Pierrottie and wife Mona of Eunice and Greg Pierrottie and wife Kim of Terral, TX; six grandchildren. Tasha Johnson and husband Travis of Vidrine, Randi Fontenot and husband Jeremy of Ville Platte, Shae Pierrottie of Vidrine, Seth Pierrottie and wife Maggie of Vidrine, Hunter Pierrottie of Terral, TX, and Kenzie Pierrottie of Mamou; seven great grandchildren, Kaitlyn Johnson, Ava Johnson, Elliana Johnson, Maddox Johnson, Gage Fontenot, Maddie Fontenot, and Rhett Pierrottie.

Donald is preceded in death by his parents, Marion Pierrottie, Sr and Ethel LeBleu Pierrottie; and son, Rusty Pierrottie.
----------------------------------------
See Also:
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
​Louis David "L.D" Verrette Obituary
Betty Lou Deshotel Hollier Obituary
Donald Joseph Pierotti Obituary

​Books
​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
​Dominique Martel Southwest Louisiana Family

Constantino Pierotti Video

Jane Elden Bertrand was born August 19, 1938 to Lincoln Bertrand and Virginia Pierrottie. She was the only daughter and the last born. Her oldest brother Elvin "Bee" Bertrand died in 1992.

Her mother, Virginia, was the second of six children born to Constant Pierrotti and Avia Fuselier. Constant Pierrotti is the son of Constantino Pierotti, aka Auguste Constant, and Stephanie "Fanny" Martel. Constantino P:ierotti is the progenitor of the Southwest Louisiana Pierrottie families. 

Jane said of her mother "... I want to give much deserved credit to my MOTHER.  The one person who was always there for all of us! Her entire life was dedicated to being the best WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, SISTER & FRIEND!  I can honestly say my Mother was "My Best Friend" and I miss her so very much.  

She taught us the real "values" of life and she did it by "example".  She taught us "religion" and the role it would play throughout our lives.  She taught us "morals", "honest" and "love".  She taught us that the most important thing in life is FAMILY."

Her father, Lincoln, was the third of six children born to Olizia Bertrand and Marie Bercia Soileau. His family roots trace back to Pierre Giles Joseph Bertrand of France and his wife Louise Therese LeJeune. His ancestry includes, Fontenot, Aucoin, Hebert and Lamirande.

In a tribute to her Dad, she said "...My father was my idol! He was a good husband for my Mom - a good provider for his family and WONDERFUL Dad for the three of us kids...My Dad was never formally educated but he was one of my best Mathematicians I've ever known. He did figures "mentally" quicker than I can, using a calculator - He was a hard-working, proud and honest man - He was a Farmer and a Carpenter, by trade.

He spoke very little English and I taught him how to sign his name when I was about 10 years old."

She graduated from Mamou High School in 1956.  As Licensed Practical Nurse and worked for Dr. A. C. Miller, Eunice, and in the Lafayette Hospital. 

While Jane trained to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, she became a real estate professional beginning as a Real Estate Salesperson 1974 and received a Broker's license in 1978. She formed Old South Realty in 1978. She is a CRB, CRS, GRI and Broker. On the Local Board, she served on or achieved the following: Education Committee, MLS Committee/Chairman; REALTOR of the Year Committee Chairman; REALTOR of the Year Recipient, 1985; Member Honor Society since 1982; Professional Standard/Ethics Committee; Board Orientation Committee; Nominating Committee; Convention Committee; President's Committee; Make America Better Committee; Million Dollar Club Chairman, Board of Directors 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1990 and Strategic Planning Committee.
​
On the State Association level, she served on or achieved the following: State CRS President, 1982; State Director 1981-1984; Education Committee, Education Division Chairman, Marketing Committee, Professional Standards/Grievance, CRB Committee, State Strategic Planning Committee; "99"Club Member Since 1980; Executive Board, 185-1986; Nominating Committee; "REALTOR of the Year" Recipient, 1987; Strategic Planning Committee Chairman, 1990 and LA Real Estate Certified Instructor since 2001.
On a National Association level, she served on or achieved the following: GRI (Graduate Realtors Institute) Designation, 1977; CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) Designation, 1979; CRB (Certified Residential Brokerage) Designation, 1983; RS Convention/Special Events Committee; RS Membership Committee; RS Council, 1982-1985; RS Presidents Committee, 1982; Marketing Committee RNMI; CRB Designation Committee; CRB Designation Committee Chairman, 1984; "Real Estate Business" Publications Committee; Editor for "Real Estate Business", 1983-1994; Nation Director, 1984-1986 and 1986-1989; MLS Policy Committee; NAR (National Association Realtors); Nominating Committee, 1986, 1989 and Education Committee, Marketing Committee.

She was recognized for her professional achievements by her realtor peers, the Realtor Association of Acadiana. The following was printed in the Acadian Home Finder, November 21, 2010

Ortego Recipient of 2010 Lloyd G. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award
Jane Ortego, ERA Stirling Properties was recently awarded the REALTOR Association of Acadiana's Lloyd G. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lloyd G. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award was established to honor an outstanding REALTOR who has devoted many years of service to the REALTOR profession. Lloyd worked and served unselfishly in almost every capacity with the Lafayette Board of REALTORS, the Louisiana REALTORS, and the National Association of REALTORS. During his active years, he was seldom absent from local, state or national meetings and conventions. Over the years, Mr. Smith was known, and most of all respected by hundreds of REALTORS from coast to coast. Most everyone remembers him as being a sincere southern gentleman; the same image that he portrayed with his local peers and those people outside the REALTOR profession. 

Jane Ortego has served as an active member of RAA for 30+ years. Active not only at the local level; she has been active also at the state and national levels. Jane has earned the GRI, CRS and CRB designations; and was a million dollar producer in first year of real estate. Moving from sales into management in the earlier years she continues listing and selling real estate.

Ortego's community involvement includes: Junevile and Young Adult program, the local orphanage, Lafayette Child Abuse Center and United Way.

"Growing up with a small town integrity and virtue, Jane gained an early respect for the land, county and God," said Judy Garber, fellow REALTOR who nominated Jane.

Congratulations to Jane Ortego, Lloyed G. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award recipient!
-------------------------------------Obituary------------------------
​A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, January 2, 2018, at 12:00 pm at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette for Jane Elden Bertrand Ortego, 79, who passed away Saturday, December 30, 2017, at The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice in Lafayette.

Visitation will be observed on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, from 8:30 am until the time of services, at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette.
A rosary will be recited Tuesday, January 2, 2018, at 11:00 am at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home.

Entombment will follow in Fountain Memorial Cemetery in Lafayette. Father Kenneth Domingue, Pastor of St. Leo the Great Church in Leonville, will officiate and recite the rosary.

Jane was born August 19, 1938, in Mamou and was a long-time resident of Acadiana. She was a nurse for 13 years and later became a realtor for 40 years. Jane was a parishioner of St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church in Lafayette.
Jane was active in her community and belonged to the State, Local and National Realtor Associations and was a Certified State Instructor. She was an avid traveler, loved working as a realtor and enjoyed going to casinos. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family and friends.

Jane is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years, Jimmie Ortego of Lafayette; two sons, J. Dana Ortego of Houma and Jody Keith Ortego of Lafayette; two daughter-in-laws, Debbie Ortego of Houma and Harvette Hebert Ortego of Lafayette; one brother, Herman Bertrand of Lake Charles; five grandchildren, Matthew and his wife, Kelly, Michael and his wife, Megan and Anna Catherine Ortego, all of Houma, Cody and Adam Ortego, both of Lafayette and numerous dear nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lincoln and Virginia Pierrottie Bertrand and one brother, Elvin Bertrand.

Pallbearers will be Matthew, Cody, Michael and Adam Ortego and Brian and Mike Bertrand.

The family wishes to thank Father Paul, Dr. Michael Horaist, other surgical staff along with Robbie Wadsworth, the nursing staff of the ICU, all of Lafayette General Medical Center and The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice in Lafayette for the compassionate care given to Jane and her family.

A special thanks to Mona Bertrand, Judy Garber and Brunella Fischer for their support over the past month with Dad and the family. You made Mom’s life and our lives so much easier. God bless.
​
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Jane's name to The Little Flowers of Jesus Mission for the Sick and Needy, Father Paul Onuegbe, P.O. Box 365, Loreauville, LA 70552 or give to any charity of your choosing.

Ulysse Gabriel Pierrottie, A 33 year battle for his family's rights
Mary Pierrottie Soileau
​Sister Cesira Pierotti
​Louis David "L.D" Verrette Obituary
Betty Lou Deshotel Hollier Obituary
Donald Joseph Pierotti Obituary

​Books
​Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photos
​Dominique Martel Southwest Louisiana Family

Constantino Pierotti Video

President Woodrow Wilson, with Congress' approval declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917. For all who served the United States of America in uniform as well as those not in uniform, we honor and salute the service men in this article and the many men and women not mentioned in this article. Without their sacrifices, we could not enjoy the many freedoms we enjoy. 

The known descendants and family of the Jacob Miller and Anne M. Theigen who served in that war are listed below:
​
WW I Veterans (1914 to 1918 [U.S. Entry on April 2, 1917])
Doucet, Cloublia (Hathaway). US Army. Husband of Ellia Lavergne, daughter of William Lavergne and Froisine Miller, the 2nd great granddaughter of Frederic Miller and Victoria Mayer.

Guillory, Issac (Lake Charles). US Army. Husband of Hazel Fuselier and son of Theophile Guillory and Feodora Miller.  He is the 3rd great grandson of Jean Miller and Marie M Boutin.

McCall, Henry Albert (Grand Chenier), US Army.  He is the son of William Robert McCall and Catherine Norwood. He married Mary Gladys Miller, the daughter of Alcide Miller and Emma Nunez.  Alcide Miller is the grandson of Michel Miller and Hiacinthe Lejeune.

Miller, Adam. (Acadia Parish) U. S. Army Pvt. Infantry. He is the son of Aurelien Miller and Zelphie Gotte and the 2nd great grandson of Frederic Miller and Victoria Mayer.

Miller, Benjamin. (Eunice), U.S. Army. Headstone reads "Louisiana Pvt 1cl Evac Hosp 29". He served in WWI and died May 24, 1941. He is the son of Dulva Miller and Marie Ise Fruge and the 2nd great grandson of Jean  Miller  and Marie F Mayer.

Miller, Cleophas Mark. U.S. Navy, Chief Water Tender. He is the son of Emile Miller & Leonie Lafleur and the great grandson of  Jean Miller and M. Magdelaine Boutin.

Miller, Eraste (Eunice). U.S. Army. PFC Co M 103 Infantry. He is the son of Jean Baptiste Miller and Marguerite Courville and the great grandson of Jean Miller and M. Magdelaine Boutin.

Miller, Felix. (Port Arthur, TX). US Army. Texas PVT 1 Casual CO. He is son of Joseph Miller and Louisa Romain and the 2nd great grandson of Jean Miller and Marie Francoise Mayer.

Miller, Minos D., Sr. (Jennings). Major. US Army.  He is the son of Pierre Valcour Miller, Jr. and Beatrice Sturlese and the grandson of Civil War Veteran Pierre Valcour and Emelia Broussard.  

Miller, Rovelia  (Bayou des Cannes near Pine Point and Mamou, LA), US Army. He is the son of  Jean Pierre Miller and Caroline Guillory and the grandson of Antoine Miller and Augustine Fuselier. He died from the flu pandemic.

Miller, Sevenia (Grand Chenier), US Army. Pvt in 165 Inf 42 Div.  He is the son of Civil War Veteran Damon Miller and Onasia Miller. Damon is the grandson of Jean Miller and Marie Magdelaine Boutin.
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Miller, Sydney Dominic. Beaumont, TX).  He is son of Joseph Miller and Louisa Romain and the 2nd great grandson of Jean Miller and Marie Francoise Mayer. Brother of Felix Miller, above.
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Mathew Hertzog Chopin. Private, US Army. Lisa Finley McCauley's grandfather.

Ubaldo Pierotti. Served in the Italian Army.
------------------Family Books-------------------------
Jacob Miller Family books, Vol I, II, and III
Jacob Miller Family photo books, Vol I, II, and III
Pierrottie, Pierrotti, Pierotti Family
​Pierrottie, Pierrotti, Pierotti Photos

    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.

The grandson of Onezime LeDoux, Jr. and Rose Lucille Pierotti, L.D. Verrette passed away August 23, 2016.
 
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MAMOU - It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the family of LD Verrette announces his passing at Savoy Medical Center in Mamou on August 23, 2016 at 7:33 a.m. at the age of 89. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Mamou. Rite of Committal will follow in the New St. Ann's Cemetery with Father Thainese as Celebrant.

A wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend L D will be greatly missed by his wife of 67 years, Loretta (Lolo) Verrette of Mamou; one son, Glen Verrette and wife, Susan of Mamou; four daughters, Wanda Verrette, Brenda V. Guillory and husband, Chris, Valerie Fontenot and husband, Eric and Jackie Verrette Vidrine and husband, Keith all of Mamou; one brother, Harold Verrette and wife, Shirley of Lake Charles; one sister, Delores Matt of Mamou; twelve grandchildren, Amy Faul, Maci Lejeune, Allie Verrette, Kade Verrette, Courtnei Tate Richard, Alaina Martel, Alicia Vidrine, Mary Allison Fontenot, Adam Fontenot, Misti Fontenot,

Krista Vidrine and Erica McPhatter; fifteen and one/half great grandchildren.
L D will now reunite in Heaven with his parents, Valcour and Fannie Verrette, one son, Davis Verrette, three brothers, Leroy Verrette, Burke Verrette and Earl (Pal) Verrette and one sister, Amedine Fontenot. They surely await his arrival with open arms and joyous hearts.

Purchase the 2022 version of  Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierotti Family & Photos

​His FindAGrave.com memorial:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=169496902

Sister Cesira Pierotti passed away on July 7, 2016. She is related to the Pierrottie families of Southwest LA as a descendant of Giueseppe Pierotti, brother to Constantino "August Constant" Pierotti of Eunice, LA. He is the husband of Stephanie "Fanny" Martel.

Sister Cesira was the driving force in my obtaining family information to her family line. She was a dear friend that I enjoyed talking to on the phone and communication with via mail and email.
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The FindAGrave.com memorials are located here:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi…
and
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi…

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
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A new and revised 2022 version of the Pierotti - Pierrottie - Pierrotti Family & Photo is available here.

Purchase the Family and photo books at Lulu.com.

Mary and her twin brother Marion were born December 17, 1916. Mary died on January 17, 2011. They are the fifth and sixth child of Constant Pierrottie and Avie Fuselier.  Her siblings are Bernice (1904-1977), Virginia (1906-1994), Lula (1910-1994), George (1912-1990) and her twin brother Marion (1916-1992).

Mary married Davis Soileau (1915-1995) on November 23, 1935.  It was a double wedding with her first cousin Louis Thomas Martel, son of Theogene Martel and Rosennia (Pierrottie) Martel, to Mary Eva Landreneau.  Mary and Davis have one daughter, Jessie Line Soileau.  She married Curtis Joseph Lafleur in 1952.  Jessie and Curtis have five children, all boys.

Mary’s Pierrottie family moved from Eunice soon after she was born. They moved in the country near Mamou where the Constant and Avie Pierrottie family farmed cotton, potatoes and corn. The family garden provided other vegetables for the family meals. When old enough, Mary worked on the farm as did all the children. There was no electricity in the rural areas, thus no electric lights, refrigeration, television, phone nor power for pumping water.

Mary awake early each morning to make fresh coffee for her parents. To make coffee, she started the wood stove to heat the water. The fireplace was used to heat the water during the winter time. The coffee was made in a pot with a container that fit on top of the coffee pot with a small sack to hold the ground coffee. The green coffee beans were purchase at the grocery/general store then parched in a cast iron skillet while moving the beans continuously to keep them from burning. Small hand turned coffee grinders were used to grind the parched coffee bean into coffee grinds and it was a required appliance in most homes.

Her mother, Avie, prepared breakfast. Most often they eat fresh baked cornbread, sometimes some leftover from the previous night’s meal, with milk.  The cornbread was cooked in the wooden stove.  Unlike many farm houses where the kitchen was built away from the home with an attached walkway, the Pierrottie kitchen was part of the main home. Sweet potatoes were also a common breakfast meal. Potato bread was served for breakfast too. Most families baked bread for supper. Any leftover baked bread from supper made a great meal in the morning with fresh milk or with cane syrup and a cup of milk. Glasses were not common and cups or bowls were multipurpose; used for eating and drinking.

The family had a cow for drinking milk. Milking was her father’s, Constant, chore. The milk was drunk at room temperature. What was not drunk was left in a large bowl which turned to clabber and often eaten with bread. Milk could also be lowered in the cistern in the cool water below the hot temperatures from the summer heat.

In the summer everyone worked in the fields after breakfast. During school session, it was not uncommon for the children to pick a sack of cotton before leaving to make the walk to school. Upon returning from school, all the children picked cotton until dark. During the summer after noon dinner was completed, Mary made a fresh pot of coffee for her parents. 

Mary attended school and completed the 8th grade. She walked 2.5 miles to and from school except for the 8th grade where she rode. School ended about 3:30 pm. Since there was no school cafeteria, sweet potatoes were often taken to school for lunch. School lunches sometimes included boiled eggs and toasted bread. After the 2.5 mile walk back home, working in the fields and doing other chores were a way of life. Books were carried back home to complete teacher assignments at the kitchen table lit by the lantern fueled with coal oil.

Meat for the family meal came from two main sources, the boucherie and poultry from the farm. Her family participated in the boucherie held every several weeks in the community.  The boucherie was on a “turn about” schedule.  One week one family hosted the butchering and next time is was someone else’s turn, or what Mary referred to as the “turn about” schedule.  Families shared the meat.  Killed hogs produced fresh sausage. Everyone had a smoke house.  Smoke sausage, while edible for a short time, it was stored in lord in gallon cans to preserve it longer than just smoking it. The bacon was preserved with salt. Vegetables were served fresh from the farm or they were canned. Dried beans were also a way of storing food for future use. The dried beans from the fields were first beaten with a broom to remove part of the outer covering.  After they were completely peeled and dried they were stored in cans to be eaten later.

Chickens were used both for fresh eggs and for cooking. Since preserving chickens was not an option, they were killed and cooked on the same day. Most people rang the neck, dropped it in hot boiling water, plucked and cleaned outdoors and brought in the home for cooking.  Ducks were also a food source. The feathers were kept for pillows.

Bricks were warmed in the one fireplace in the winter and wrapped in a cloth and tucked under the blanket to keep warm during the night. The mattress consisted of corn shucks in a sack placed on a spring about three inches long on a single bed that was tied to the bed frame, or slipped through a hole every four inches for a medal frame. The springs surrounded the bed and they were attached to span of tight wire much like fence wire with small 2 x 1 in. squares.  Also popular was the spring mattress that lay in the bed frame or on boards within the bed frame.  The springs in the spring mattress were also used in automobile seats.  Another sack filled with moss laid on top of the corn shuck mattress. Once a year the corn shucks were added and/or replaced with new ones as was fresh moss gathered from the nearby trees. Moss was gathered and pulled apart in small pieces then dried in the sun for several days to dry it and remove any insects.

The “chamber pot” was near each bed. This chore was passed around to all the children. The “pee pot” was dumped in the outhouse then cleaned for the next evening’s use.

In 1935 Mary married Davis Soileau. They lived on the farm for a couple of years and then moved into the city of Mamou. Davis was a farmer, a carpenter and a Mamou policeman. He ran for Chief of Police in 1961.

Mary had a good married life. Her grandchildren are a source of inspiration and pride. They have always helped her in her need.  Camping was always an integral part of the family entertainment. They fished and hunted together.  They owned a camp near Mamou. They sold the camp and bought a pop-up camper so they could go to different places. Later they sold the pop-up and purchased a used travel trailer. Holly Beach was one of their favorite places to visit.

Mary is a proud housewife and homemaker.  She was employed in the cafeteria at Mamou High School. She currently resides at a Savoy assisted living home.

​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

His 33 years of work, took him into 10 states, traveling over 200,000 miles.  He sold most of his property, even a 40-acre tract of land in Allen parish, to finance his project.  In October 1963, he had a claim of $47,167.64 (equal to $333,831.28 in 2008 dollars) filed before the Gretna district court, seeking this sum, as payment for his efforts of 33 years to the estate of Francois Zenon Boutte.

Ulysse (1884-1969) is the son of Constantino “August Constant” Pierotti and Stephanie Martel.  He married Aminthe Fruge in 1907.  They had five children, Olivia (married Tanies LaFleur), Gladys (married Herbert Soileau, Sr.), Pearl (married George Richard), Ruby and Frances (married Warren J. Strohmeyer).

Ulysse was a farmer and later a deputy Sheriff with Ville Platte Sheriff Charles Pucheu. 

According to Pierrottie, Francois Zenon Boutte died about 1869, long after the deaths of his wife and child, leaving no natural heirs, and all of his fortune gone. His life and death were completely forgotten until 1930, when the Standard Oil Co., of Texas came into Louisiana to explore and develop the piece of land called Lafitte Island (now called Barataria Island) on the southern tip of the Louisiana boot.

While engineers and surveyors were going over the island, abstracting each and every strip of territory, they came across a forgotten strip of land some five acres wide and six miles long, land which belonged to Francois Zenon Boutte, and left by him to his heirs after his death. The story goes back into the years here, when Pierrottie told of how the land came into ownership by Francois Zenon Boutte and his uncle, Jean Baptiste Boutte. This island was once given to the famous pirate, Jean LaFitte by a grant of General Andrew Jackson, in payment for his services in the battle of New Orleans.

Jean LaFitte later sold the island to a man named "Villa" and this same Villa sold the land to Pierre Lavigne. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase it was owned by Pierre Lavigne, whose heirs sold it in 1915 to the brothers Hilaire and Jean Baptiste Boutte (uncles of Francois Zenon Boutte).

Pierrottie pointed out that Hilaire then sold his undivided half of the island to Joseph Triscoue and Triscoue sold his half to Francois Zenon Boutte in 1819, but the notary making the sale made a mistake and the sale read that Triscoue sold the entire island to Zenon Boutte. This necessitated a new document to read that Zenon Boutte had purchased only half of the island, the other half belonging to Jean Baptiste Boutte. To make it more clear, the two Bouttes then decided that they would divide the island in two equal parts, with Jean Baptiste Boutte taking the northern half of the island and Francois Zenon Boutte taking the southern half.

It is at this point, following the discovery of a forgotten strip of land located in the southern half of the island, land which belonged to Francois Zenon Boutte that Pierrottie comes into the story.  After digging back into old records and birth records, history books and deeds some 33 years later, Pierrottie completed his work - the finding of close to 3,000 heirs and descendants of Francois Zenon Boutte, Heirs and descendants of eight generations, of brothers and sisters, of Zenon Boutte - Marie Louise Hycinthe Boutte, Antoine Hilliare Boutte, Modeste Boutte, Louis Hilliare Boutte, Juan Leon Boutte, and Celestine Boutte.

Pierrottie's grandmother, Louise Mathilde Boutte, was a daughter of Antoine Hilliare Boutte.  Pierrottie's work came about by a request of heirs of Francois Zenon Boutte, who thought then that the estate could never be settled and nor could all the heirs be located.

In 1963, Pierrottie stated that this 500-acre tract, more or less, will never be sold by the heirs, and today is worth millions of dollars, and will, as years go by, bear more fruits, and will create more hardship, as heirs die and other heirs are added on, which could reach 5,000 heirs by 1975.

In his years of research, Pierrottie said, his work was greatly hampered because of all old documents and records being recorded in French.  This necessitated an interpreter and added expenses.  He also had to establish the fact that because of the known birth of a son by a second marriage, his son may have had heirs who would then be heirs of the Francois Zenon Boutte estate.  This claim had been filed by the heirs of Jean Baptiste Boutte, he stated.  After seven years of research of old records of the St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, it was officially established that his only son had died at the age of seven, Pierrottie said.

Ulysee won the court case and assets were distributed.  However, as a descendent of this family, am I owed some of these royalties?
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The above is based primarily on "One Fellow's Evangeline" by Elvin Reed and printed in The Daily World, Opelousas, LA on October 6, 1963
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See also: Pirate Lafette Really Name Boutte, Southwest LA Man