Cross Country Thibodeaux Travelers

During a rare free evening earlier this week, I did a little poking around Ancestry.com and my own private family tree there. It's been so long since I've been able to work on my own ancestral lines that there were dozens of "shaky leaves" or hints waiting for me.

Two of the hints were for my great-grandfather, Noel Holly Thibodeaux. Both were for city directories that had been added since I last worked on my own tree. 

The timeline for this man is a work in progress. He moved his wife Josephine (my great-grandmother) and his family back and forth between Louisiana and California several times. This was in the 1920s and 1930s before a national highway system, convenience stores and everything we expect for a road trip.

Circa 1926. One of many road trips between Louisiana and California.

Photo courtesy of my cousin, Eldridge, whose parents were along for the ride.

Though I am still searching city directories in southern California and Louisiana, here is a loose timeline of the many residences of the Noel Holly Thibodeaux family:

between 1914 and 1916 - Noel and Josephine got married. My grandfather says his parents got married in California. However, my great-grandmother was a young lady in an established Louisiana family. Did they elope to California? That would be quite a scandal, though I wouldn't put it past Noel as he looked like he was a handsome charmer. I'm still looking for a marriage record.

1917 - lived in San Bernardino, California with a child on the way.

1920 - Noel, Josephine and 2 children lived in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1922 - lived in "furnished rooms" in San Bernardino, California.

1924 - lived in Los Angeles, California

1926 - at least one trip to Lousiana, as the photo above was on a trip from Louisiana to California.

1928 - lived in Brawley, California. They had 4 kids then.

1930 - lived in Josephine's parents' house in Rayne, Louisiana.

1931 - lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. They had 5 kids.

1937 - lived in El Centro, California. They had 7 kids.

1939 - lived in El Centro, California at a new address.

1940 - lived in El Centro, California at a new address.

1944 - lived in Bell Gardens, California.

1948 - lived in Bell Gardens, California at a different address.

1950 - lived in Downey, California.

1962 - lived in San Jacinto, California, at the time of Noel's death.

I can't imagine moving around that much, especially cross-country with kids, but they did it. Hopefully Josephine had a sense of adventure and it wasn't just a chore. Here is a photo of my great-grandparents and one of the cars that took them there and back and there again:

Josephine Bourgaux and Noel Holly Thibodeaux

On the road again. And again. And again.

Hopefully this summer I'll get some more time to scour the city directories and fill in this Thibodeaux timeline. Until then, those shaky Ancestry.com leaves will continue to tease me.

[Here's a search tip: don't always trust the search box for city directories on Ancestry.com. I've found this family in two separate directories where the search said "not found," but they were there when I manually searched the books page-by-page online. This manual search isn't hard, as the directories are in alphabetical order. Put in the extra time in searching. They payoff is worth it. --A]

Book review: On the Banks of Plaquemine Brulee by Gene Thibodeaux

On the Banks of Plaquemine Brulee: Une Histoire de la Pointe de l'Eglise is a history of Church Point, Lousiana written by native Gene Thibodeaux.

My own interest in this book stems from my connection to the area. My great-great grandparents Noel Thibodeaux and Eliza Eldridge were married there. You may remember Noel as the one with the wandering eye.

Thibodeaux's book is organized into eighteen chapters, sorted by time period. The first chapter begins with the Native American history of the area. Later chapters each cover a set time period and the events that occurred during that time.

A typical chapter includes and overview of the national, state and local history of the era. Notable events, social changes and disasters are included. Readers will get a detailed picture of the region, it's economy and local flavor.

On the Banks of the Plaquemine Brulee is a history book with value to genealogists. Thibodeaux includes many names of Church Point citizens and their role in the city's history. A name index is included in the back of the book.

Numerous black and white photographs are featured in certain sections of the book. Thibodeaux also included an impressive source list and several appendixes featuring lists of names in historic Church Point groups, censuses, etc.

On the Banks of the Plaquemine Brulee is a well written, thoroughly researched look at a slice of Acadiana. It helped me get a sense of the former home of my ancestors and learn more about Louisiana. It also makes me wonder if I'm distantly related to the author through my Thibodeaux line. That's a search for another day, however. For now I'll just be content with my new knowledge of Church Point, Louisiana.


Information on ordering the book can be found here.

Fun with Search Terms

It's time for another round of "Fun with Search Terms!" People type certain words or phrases into search engines. If the combination is right, my blog turns up in the search results. Sometimes the searches are funny. Sometimes I can provide more information to users, if only they'd comment on my blog. Either way, I enjoy the process. Please note that these searches are anonymous so I don't know who is stumbling on my blog. I just comment in the hope that they find it again.

Now on with the show. Actual search phrases are in bold.


kelly rodgers cemetery cameron parish

In January of 2009, I made a trip to Cameron Parish, Louisiana. On the way home, I stopped and took some pictures at the Kelly Rodgers cemetery. I blogged about it and put the photos on Find a Grave. The cemetery is just a patch of land. It's not very big and the graves are pretty compact, Louisiana-style.


become an arbitrator on family search
After someone volunteers for FamilySearch Indexing, the next step is FamilySearch Arbitration. The arbitrators oversee the work done by the indexers and make decisions when the indexers information differs from each other. I started as a volunteer indexer and did that for several months (at least 6). One day I got a notice from FamilySearch with an invitation to be an arbitrator. I watched some videos and read instructions and the rest is history. If you want to be an arbitrator, keep faithfully doing the indexing work until your time comes.


+search blob
This blog has been described many ways, but "search blob" is a first.

who do I need to contact regarding St. Joseph cemetery Rayne, La
There are two St. Joseph cemeteries in Rayne. The first and oldest is right next to St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church. St. Joseph #2--as it is called--is on the edge of town. I do not know who handles both cemeteries, but the Church may have the answer for you. I would call them.

amy coffin book reviews
All book reviews I feature on this blog are tagged "book reviews" and can be found by clicking the label that says that on the right.

complete family tree in minutes
Oh this I gotta see...

What happened to the Shiloh cemetery in Russellville, Ark?
As far as I know, the original Shiloh-Williamson cemetery was down by Lake Dardanelle. It was moved (in the 1950's or 60's? Don't quote me on this) to its present location in order to make way for said Lake. This makes me sad because so many of my Williamson ancestors were affected. When I visit the current cemetery it just feels like I'm looking at markers and the *real* final resting place is still down by that lake. If you need more information, call the Russellville branch of the Pope County Library and ask to speak to the genealogy department. They'll be able to help.

is jay verkler evil?
I don't think so, but if the President and CEO of FamilySearch International is truly evil, he certainly hides it very well.

Genealogy Videos: Family History in 3 Minutes

 I think I found a way to share family history without people knowing they're learning family history.

(Heads up at work: there's music involved. Also, enlarging the video to full-screen makes it blurry. Blame Blogger.)

What do you think?

I love this process. It lets me tell stories with words, pictures and music. In 3 minutes, I shared with you (and my family members who are reading this blog) about my great-great grandparents, and your eyes didn't glaze over nor did you fall asleep at the table.

Genealogy purists will probably get their ahnentafels in a bunch because this piece lacks sources, but you know what? I don't care. My mission is to share about the lives of my ancestors and help others do the same. With this nifty storytelling avenue, I'm well on my way. 

The process of developing a personal genealogy video isn't too hard. You just have to have the patience and confidence to experiment with whatever software program you choose. I used Roxio Creator 2011 (affiliate link). You can also use programs that came with your computer, such as Windows Movie Maker or Mac equivalent.

Once you have that sorted, here are the basic steps to creating a narrative slideshow:

1. Gather photos. Make sure you own them or have permission to use them. Finding pictures on the Internet or someone else's Ancestry tree doesn't count. Allow time for cropping and editing if necessary.

2. Upload and sort. Upload the photos you want to use in your slideshow. All the video programs I've used have a place where you can drag images around the screen and put them in the order of your preference.

3. Add text. Depending on the story you want to tell, you can interject slides between photos or put words directly on the images. Keep the narration simple. Limit the amount of words per slide and use a big font.

4. Add audio if desired. If you choose this option, I recommend making the selection of music "Step 0" in this process. Finding music for this slideshow was the first thing I did. Why? Because once I found the right piece, it set the tone and guided my story. There are plenty of places to get legal music for videos. If you want to get all fancy, you can also use audio clips from your own digital recordings. 

Hopefully this little video gets your own creative gears grinding. Telling the story of my great-great grandparents was a fun process. I fully intend on making another narrative slideshow. In fact, I already have an idea....

[Note part 1: This video is also on You Tube. I tried to upload it here via that site, but Blogger was having a fit. Perhaps their ahnentafels are in a bunch. --Amy]

[Note part 2: Grandpa, if you're reading this, I hope you liked it! --Amy]

Fun With Search Terms

It's time for another round of "Fun with Search Terms!" Hard to believe it's the last one for 2010.

What is "Fun with Search Terms" you ask? People type certain words or phrases into search engines. If the combination is right, my blog shows up in the search results. Sometimes the searches are funny. Sometimes I can provide more information to users, if only they'd comment on my blog. Either way, I enjoy the process. Please note, these searches are anonymous so I don't know who is stumbling on my blog. I just comment in the hope that they find it again.

Woodmen tombstone
Are you looking for a picture of a specific tombstone? I probably can't help you there without more information. However, if you are looking for Woodmen of the World tombstones, we'll then here's a whole set of them and another whole set of them.

Valerie Craft and blog
I can help you with both: Begin with Craft is a blog by Valerie Craft

my experience at ighr
The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) is held every year at Samford University. I've never been to IGHR so I don't have any blog posts about my experience. However, Sheri Fenley, aka The Educated Genealogist, has been there and lived to write about it.

Here is her 2008 series, which was featured at Genea-Musings: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Here is her 2009 series, Sheri Goes to Samford, Sophomore Year: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

starting over from scratch in genealogy
Been there, done that. I don't have any detailed advice for you. Just start with your home person (likely yourself) and move back. Making sure all your facts have sources takes time, but it's worth it. Be patient and careful with your citations. If you need help in this area, consider genealogy software that includes source citation templates. Put in the work and your tree will grow and you will have a quality, accurate history of your family.

the mervine kahn building historical facts
Do you mean this Mervine Kahn building?

Or the one next to it?

Or this old photo I found of Mervine Kahn: Dealer in General Merchandise?

If you're interest is in either property in Rayne, Louisiana, you should check in with the archives room at the Acadia Parish Library. Usually there are members of the Acadia Genealogical and Historical Society there and they will be able to help you.

Merry Christmas to my husband
I have no idea why this search term landed someone on my blog. Merry Christmas to your husband, and Merry Christmas to everyone else as well.

That's it for 2010. Be ready for more "Fun with Search Terms" in 2011!

COG 100: There's One in Every Family

The topic for the 100th Carnival of Genealogy is "there's one in every family." One what, you ask? Well, it's up to each blogger to individually interpret and answer that question.

I'm always drawn to tall tales in family history: gossip about minor crimes, moonshiners, supposed ties to famous people, and the like. Everybody seems to have a tale, yet no one can provide a source for the information. They just heard the details as they were passed down through generations.

My own family has it's share of said lore. However, in researching our history, I noticed that many of the tall tales seem to be tied to the same ancestor. Moreover, the more I learn about that person, the more the tales prove to be true.

Who is the "one" in my family? No contest, it is my great-grandfather, Noel Holly Thibodeaux (1889-1962).

Here is the short story on Noel (known as Holly, but that confuses people so I'll stay with Noel). He grew up in French-speaking Louisiana. He never knew his father (who was the subject of my 57th COG entry). He struck out on his own as a teen, lying about his age as he crossed the country.

The collected records and interviews in my possession tell me he was a charmer. That must have been how he snagged such a pretty young wife from an upstanding Acadian family. I can't find a marriage record for them. Did her family disapprove? Did the young couple elope? Perhaps they traveled to New Orleans.

The tales tied to Noel include gambling, gunshots, kidnapping, boxing, jail time, Huey Long and "delivery fulfillment" during prohibition. At one point, he supposedly won significant southern California land holdings in a poker game. At another point, he supposedly lost his New Orleans tailor business the same way. Were either of these true? I don't know, but records put him in the right place and time for both, and the 1920 census confirms the tailor shop connection.

From 1917 through through the 1940's the Noel Thibodeaux family moved dozens of times to, from and around Louisiana and California. Was Noel looking for work or staying two steps ahead of the landlord and the law? The answer is probably all of the above.

Each family member I talk to has a different Noel Thibodeaux tale. So many so that it seems impossible that they could all be true. But you know what? The more I learn about my great-grandfather, the more these stories are fitting with the facts.

However, what makes Noel the "one" is the strong, affectionate impression he made on his family. For each tall tale I'm told about Noel, I'm also given three stories of how nice he was or how fun. The grandkids thought he was great. The facts shouldn't add up but they do, and it makes me want to learn more.

I started this research on Noel thinking he liked to embellish his life. Perhaps, but there's more than a grain of truth in each tale. I've yet to completely disprove any of the stories passed down by his kids and grandkids.

If there's one in every family, I'm glad to have Noel Thibodeaux in mine. He makes things interesting.

Wordless Wednesday: Unknown Grave Edition

Unknown grave

Fuselier's Cemetery

Iota, Acadia, Louisiana

Copyright July 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Unmarked Crosses Edition

Fuselier's Cemetery

Acadia Parish, Lousiana

Photo taken July 2010

On a trip to Acadia Parish, I stumbled on this little cemetery on a gravel road, far from anyone. There were several grave stones, but I was drawn to this line of unmarked crosses. Who were they for? Did the people all pass at the same time? Is this a special section of the cemetery? I sure wish I knew something about them.

Wordless Wednesday: Rice Capital of the World Edition

July 2010, Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Tombstone Tuesday: Under the Big Oak Tree Edition

Fuselier's Cemetery

Acadia Parish, Louisiana

July 2010

2010 Family Heritage Tour, Part 3

[Part 3 of 3 in a series. Part 1 here and  part 2 here. --Amy]

Yesterday was the final day in the tour of my mother's "ancestral homeland" (aka Louisiana). In the morning after checking out of the hotel, we drove out to Iota:

The town may have a big heart, but there's zero cell phone reception of which to speak. What Iota does have is a lot of rice fields:

We paid a visit to the St. Joseph church and cemetery. I've read a couple books and records that say the church was built on land my ancestors used to own. There was a big house here once upon a time.

At the cemetery, which is part of the church grounds, I showed my mom the grave site of her great grandmother, Eliza "Lizzie" Eldridge Thibodeaux Matte. At the back of this photo is also the marker of Eliza's daughter Malina Thibodeaux, who is the great-aunt of my mom.

In another section of the same cemetery, there is a marker for Josephine DeGreve Bourgaux, who is my mom's great-great grandmother from Belgium. The stone also shares the names of two of Josephine's grandchildren. Upon seeing this marker, my mom realized that her own grandmother Josephine was named for this woman:

After that, we drove around Iota, which took about 2 minutes. Then we took the slow road home.

My mom doesn't *do the genealogy* like I do, but I think she really enjoyed this trip. She had heard stories of Acadia Parish from her parents, but had never been there. Now she has pictures, memories and new cousins.  And the food...we can't forget the food!

2010 Family Heritage Tour, Part 2

[Part 2 of 3 in a series. Part 1 here and part 3 here. --Amy]

Day 2 in the 2010 Family Heritage Tour of my mom's "ancestral homeland" started early. We had a lot to do.

First, we headed out to the area where my great-great grandfather was killed in 1889. According to the newspaper articles, he stole his neighbor's wife, and flaunted the fact around town. Then he stole the neighbor's horse and that sent the guy over the edge. Anyway, here's the scene of the crime:

Last time I visited, this field was rice. I'm think these might be soybeans:

Near the scene of the crime, there was a cemetery. We stopped to see if my great-great grandfather was buried there. I've never found a grave for him and I didn't here, either:

I thought it was an interesting stop. My mom, not so much. She stayed in the car. There she is in the front seat:

For lunch, we met my mom's second cousin at Chef Roy's. We had never met before today, and this meeting was the product of a letter I sent out of the blue in March. We had a wonderful meal. She shared pictures and I feel like I hit the jackpot. I have a photo of my third-great grandmother and a possible contact with a cousin in Belgium. We'll see what happens. After lunch, we visited some more and saw some family homes.

I think my parents had a good time and my son wasn't entirely bored so it's a good day in my terms.

For dinner, we went here:

The food was fine, but really I wanted to go there for the Cajun tunes:

As you can see, I'm serious about my food, I'm serious about my live music, and I'm serious about my Family  Heritage Tours.

Next up... we'll spend some time in Iota, Louisiana before taking the slow road home.

Click here for part 3.

2010 Family Heritage Tour, Part 1

[Part 1 of 3 in a series. Part 2 here and part 3 here. --Amy]

Today began the 2010 Family Heritage Tour, where we go to my mom's ancestral homeland. For many folks, that would be another continent. For my mom, it's Louisiana since the 1700's. This particular tour, however, is focusing on the French and Belgian immigrants who came to Acadia Parish in the 1880's.

After we crossed from Texas into Louisiana, I went south on route 27 to go to Cameron. However, I forgot there were two route 27s, and I was on the wrong one. That's ok because I got to see Holly Beach again. You'll be glad to know we didn't see any oil, just a lot of shells.

The because of my wrong turn, we had to go on the ferry to get from Holly Beach to Cameron. My son took this picture while we were waiting for the ferry:

When we got to the Cameron Parish courthouse, we paid a visit to the Civil War memorial that had my great-great grandfather's name on it (among many other who died that day):

All that travel made us hungry, so we stopped in Lake Charles for lunch:

I recommend a plate of pistolettes.

After lunch, we ventured off I-10 and took the more scenic route to our hotel. My mom got to see a bit of her "ancestral homeland" along the way. Once we got to the hotel, we chatted by the pool, which overlooks the bayou.

For dinner, we went to Prejean's, where we had delicious food and sat at a table in front of the web cam. We called my aunt in California and told her to look for us online. She said it looked like we ordered a lot of food, but I think she was just jealous that she wasn't with us. (Need I remind her of the fried pie incident? But I digress...) Maybe I can do these family heritage tours for hire...

Next up, a visit to the cemetery where my mom's great grandparents are buried and a first-time meeting with my mom's second cousin. Big day ahead on the 2010 Family Heritage Tour!

Click here for part 2.

My 2010 Family Heritage Tour

My parents are visiting from another state. In the near future, I'm am taking my mom to her "ancestral homeland." This in reality is just western Louisiana, where her family roots go back to the 1700s. 

There are a couple cemeteries to visit. We're going to walk (in the oppressive heat) around the cute little town where her great-grandparents lived. I'm also taking my mom to the scene of the 1889 murder in our family. Now it's just a rice field and I bet nobody who lives there knows the significance.

Much of the time will be spent just being part of the culture. That's just a polite way of saying we're going to eat our way across the Acadia Parish and hopefully here some good Cajun music, too.

So my dad isn't left out in this Family Heritage tour, we're also going to pay a visit to Sgt. Jones. I also want my son to see this part of our family's history and the Civil War memorial on which is ancestor is named.

And of course, we're going to do it all in the Ultimate Genealogy Purchase. I knew that thing would come in handy. When the zydeco radio station comes in somewhere around Lake Charles, we might even hit the Party Button. 

Fun with CastleGarden.org

The other day I decided to poke around CastleGarden.org. I have several ancestors who immigrated before Ellis Island, and I occasionally steal a little *me* time to search for them.

This time I entered MENOU in the surname box and found my great-great-great grandparents and some kids:

Menou, Victor Francis (age 39)
Menou, Janne (age 37)
Menou, Marie (age 18)
Menou, Anne (age 15)
Menou, Francois (age 13)
Menou, Jules (age 10)

They arrived October 2, 1884 from Havre, France on the ship Marseille. They were bound for New Orleans.

I don't know who Marie, Anne and Francois are. Children? Nieces and nephews? The lack of an 1890 census doesn't help things. All I know is that I've never seen those names in family records. Jules I know.

But where is my great-great grandmother Emelie Menou? She would have been about 8. I sat there for a second, then a light bulb came on in my head. I searched the name MENON, which is a common error with this Menou surname. Guess what I found?

Menon, Pierrette (age 38)
Menon, Jane (age 17)
Menon, Emelie (age 8)
Menon, Josephine (age 6)
Menon, Pierre (age 3)

There's my great-great grandmother Emelie (erroneously listed as a male). I do not know who Pierrette and Jane are. I'm inclined to think Pierrette is a female name (though listed as a male) and maybe she is an aunt. The three youngsters are the children of Victor and Jeanne Menou above.

This second boat (Rhaetia) came from Havre, France on May 12, 1885. The group's destination was not known.

So it looks like my third-great grandparents came first with the oldest family members. Once they settled, they sent for the youngsters. The challenge now is figuring out who some of these people are.

Based on Jules Menou's obituary, the family spent some time in Seguin, Texas before eventually settling in Pointe Aux Loups, Louisiana (now Iota in Acadia Parish).

With an hour of research time and a hunch, I now have all these questions to answer and leads to follow, thanks to CastleGarden.org.


[Note to family and cousins not yet met, some of the information for this post came from Jules Menou Sr.'s obituary (1872-1941). Please contact me if you would like a copy.]

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Shoes Edition

Child's Grave with Baby Shoes

St. Joseph Cemetery

Iota, Louisiana

Tombstone Tuesday: Sweet Baby Girl Edition

In March, I was in Iota, Louisiana, looking for the graves of my ancestors. Among all of the tidy above-ground monuments that are common in this cemetery, I found these two handmade stones marking the memory of one baby girl:

Maggie Lynn Smith

July 27, 1976

I really debated sharing these photos here, because it's one parent's tender and sad tribute. In the end, I decided to do so in order to preserve the record...and her memory. I figured this was the best place to do it, with an audience who understands the concept of being moved by the stories of complete strangers and the desire to keep their memories alive. You do understand, right?


[Photo taken March 2010 at St. Joseph Cemetery, Iota, Louisiana. Copyright me. Don't steal, borrow, or pretend the Internet is a free-for-all because it's not.]

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Angel Edition

St. Joseph Cemetery

Iota, Louisiana

March 2010

Wordless Wednesday: 70578 Edition

United States Post Office

Rayne, Louisiana, 70578

Frog Capital of the World

Wordless Wednesday: Historic Property Edition

Old Mervine Kahn Warehouse

Rayne, Louisiana