Hi All, Mary Curry-Pittman sent me the following information some time ago. Mary is not a list member, but she says it's ok for me to share this. This is just a tidbit which you can store away and when we start to do our detailed investigation of this family, we can pull this out and plug it in. I'm sending it now in case there is something there some of you may find helpful. Thanks to Mary who is cataloging this information for the Jefferson Parish library: DeGruy age-old area family. SEE Jefferson Parish Successions. Original records located in storage facility in Gretna, La. Microfilm available at Jefferson Parish Public Library and I think State Archives in Baton Rouge has same. The Excel data files I have been creating begin with Docket #, Last and first names, "S" is succession, date filed in court, which Judicial District Court, the long No. is the Latter Day Saints microfilm number, "6" is a number assigned by the Jeff Parish Library to the same film. The last numbers are film marker numbers located on the edge of the film. Some are too dark to read. The prefix B is due to the film repeating numbers on the last half of the film. So, on that film, go past the halfway mark and look for where the numbers start over. 280 DeGruy Antoine Onezine S 10/25/1888 1st 04025663934865 6 3056 DeGruy Clementine Verloin S 04/16/1849 3rd 04025773934876 17 616 30 DeGruy Jean Baptiste S 01/05/1839 1st 04025623934861 2 B-000005 4056 DeGruy Joseph Verloin, Mrs. S 03/29/1830 1st 04025693934868 9 286 DeGruy Joseph Verloin, Mrs. S 05/07/1849 3rd 04025713934870 11 Further notes on the above: 280 My notes say the widow was Louise E. DeGruy and it makes a reference to docket 772. It is marked "transferred from 1st JDC to 21st JDC." This probably means you have to look for docket 772 in the 21st JDC files. If the estate was contested by a creditor, the estate succession was moved to a different court. 3056 Mrs Louis Alexander Harang nee Clementine Verloin DeGruy, filed 4/16/1849, 3rd JDC, LDS film 04025773934876, JPL roll 17, filme mark 000616, died 2/1/1849. widower, Louis Alexander Harang. Minor children, Clemence and Clementine. 30 My notes say documents are in French and in good sharp focus. English ones are not so great. LONG docket. Widow, Melonie Godin or Gaudin. Minor Children, Melanie Augustine 16, Jean Baptiste 13, Julie Elodie 12. Relatives: Pierre Verloin DeGruy, Joseph Volent LaBarre, Boutte and Troudeau. I made a note saying to see docket 34 (same roll) for Devine, James and Patrick. I looked that one up and my notes merely say it involves the Jean Baptiste DeGruy family (I didn't record any more on that one3056 I made a note that says it has to do with the name Harang). 4056 is also listed as DeGruy, Marienne, nee Coutrier. She died 07/24/1829. I didn't record any more on that one. 286 was Marie Heloise Saulet. The docket mentions: Joseph, Paul Emile, Theophile, Anthyme, Camille, Jules, Virginie (Mrs Paul Jules Fazende), Corinne (Mrs Gustave Jacquet), Estell (Mrs Francois Fazende), Laure (Mrs Etienne DeGruy), Clementine (dec'd) & Louis Alexander Harang's children Clemence and Clementine. I had a few photocopies of "D" pages from an index book and saw the following listed. However, you should look to see if there are more on pages I don't have on hand: 1852 is for DeGruy, Josephine Anais Foucher, wife of Theo. Verloin DeGruy, JPL roll 33, LDS # 04025933934892, at film mark 000354, I haven't reviewed that one yet. 1026 Is for DeGruy, Zuline and is on roll 28, LDS film #04025883934887 but I haven't reviewed it yet. 566 is for DeGruy, Etienne and is on roll 26, LDS filme #04025863934885 the widow was Marie Laure. Josephine Laure is 18. A cousin is William L. Duffy. Etienne was 54 and lived in Friburg, a suburb along Broadway north of St. Charles avenue. 408, DeGruy, Anais, Josephine nee Foucher, is on roll 57, LDS film #0402... -393...? Haven't got that one yet either. DeGruy, Harang, Verloin, Foucher, were all early plantation owners and I suggest you look for books with maps to see where the properties were. A good beginning would be the Historic New Orleans Collection's recent production "Mapping Louisiana." HNOC sells it online and it is also available through Amazon.com, the Jeff Parish Library and many other libraries in states within the original Louisiana purchase area from here to Canada. Richard Campanella also recently published a very nice book but it sticks to the Orleans parish and most of your names are from Jefferson Parish. The Betsy Swanson book is "[Historic] Jefferson Parish: From Shore to Shore," is at most local libraries and I think available for purchase from some sources. Other than those books mentioned, I am certain many others on local history and books about "lives of famous Louisiana men" will be of use to you. The succession list is only from files I have compiled at home. There may be more. I am indexing rolls and creating Exile files to upload to the internet. There is a large blue book at the library (index to the court records) and the original book at the court house records bldg on 4th street in Gretna where you can look up more references. I completed some rolls but only reviewed and written down the name of the deceased from other rolls to prepare my review sheets that I later go back and examine more closely.

Hi... just for fun... if you want to look at some photos of the area, check this out: http://www.mrfs.net/trips/2002/Switzerland/Gruyeres/Gruyeres.html Enjoy. Renee ps still working on that list of DeGruy sites.... could take forever. Maybe what I should do is list what I have and let you guys add to it..... it can grow like a coral reef! Shelley Dedman wrote: >Hi - > >In my researching I read that the title, Marquis in France (as well as other >countries), was often bestowed upon a "lesser royal" or socially >significant, extremely loyal subject, by the King. While the title of Count >was usually an inherited title, they usually functioned in much the same >manner for the King. >They were either given or inherited a chateau, castle, near or, on one of >the country's borders. They were literally considered the king's first line >of defense and were very important to the safety of the land, and formed an >intelligence network for the king. >Gruyere, Switzerland is not far from the French border. That might be one >reason for the crane in the coat of arms. Signifying the Gruyere family as >always vigilant, never letting their guard down, even in sleep, in their >protection of the people and land. > >Has logic to it! > >Shelley > > > > > > > > >

Hi - In my researching I read that the title, Marquis in France (as well as other countries), was often bestowed upon a "lesser royal" or socially significant, extremely loyal subject, by the King. While the title of Count was usually an inherited title, they usually functioned in much the same manner for the King. They were either given or inherited a chateau, castle, near or, on one of the country's borders. They were literally considered the king's first line of defense and were very important to the safety of the land, and formed an intelligence network for the king. Gruyere, Switzerland is not far from the French border. That might be one reason for the crane in the coat of arms. Signifying the Gruyere family as always vigilant, never letting their guard down, even in sleep, in their protection of the people and land. Has logic to it! Shelley

Regarding the recent thread on stories, I got this following excerpt from Isabel some time back and she said it was ok for me to share with you: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ An excerpt from a previous email from Isabel to Renee: "When I started collecting ancestors, I was about 9 or 10 years old. Mostly I collected stories about the family. I did like everyone else, except I noted my sources. Unfortunately, I noted them "as told to me by my grandmother". I never asked where she got the info. Usually, there is some truth in what was told to me. I am a social historian, more interested in the life and times of the common man than the lives of great men. When I was in high school and had to write research papers, I realized the value of primary sources especially vital records and legal documents."

Oh I was just kidding around..... moving from Switzerland and the crane to Louisiana and the pelican....! Just being silly. Thanks for that interesting quote from the heraldry book. I'll keep a look out for more on cranes. I have a ton of books on symbology... When I have time, I'll look through some of those... Renee Karma wrote: > > Renee, you said something to the effect of it must have been an easy > move from the crane to the pelican -- I missed something. Can you > explain that, or forgive me if it's something I missed or am missing? > I'm curious because the crane and pelican are usually considered two > quite distinct animals in what little I know of heraldry, and the > pelican is always specifically gendered feminine, perhaps because of > the old myth of her feeding her young from her breast with her own > blood, I wonder? I don't know any cool stories or myths about cranes > though :-) though the idea of the crane in heraldry having its roots > in the Gruyere family's coats of arms begs for a story as well! > > Off to look for inspiring pictures, > > Karma

This is from a heraldry site for people that like to dress up like knights and princesses, but they are often good about their details in costumes and heraldry, even if they're careless about their spelling, and I'd saved this bit last time I went surfing around: paste begins here****** The /crane/ is a long-legged aquatic *bird* with a long neck and bill. Its most common posture is /in its vigilance/, standing on one foot and grasping a stone in the other. The medieval bestaries held that the crane would stand this way; should it fall asleep, it would drop the stone and waken. As an heraldic charge, it dates from c.1270, in the arms of the Counts de Gruyere. Similar to the crane are the /heron/, the /stork/, the /egret/ and the /ibis/. The heron is drawn with a long tuft on its head; it is found in the canting arms of Heron, c.1255. The stork is often depicted with a snake in its bill, even when this is not specifically blazoned; it is found in the arms of Oglander, /temp./ Henry III. The ibis and egret are generally drawn as found in nature. paste ends********* Renee, you said something to the effect of it must have been an easy move from the crane to the pelican -- I missed something. Can you explain that, or forgive me if it's something I missed or am missing? I'm curious because the crane and pelican are usually considered two quite distinct animals in what little I know of heraldry, and the pelican is always specifically gendered feminine, perhaps because of the old myth of her feeding her young from her breast with her own blood, I wonder? I don't know any cool stories or myths about cranes though :-) though the idea of the crane in heraldry having its roots in the Gruyere family's coats of arms begs for a story as well! Off to look for inspiring pictures, Karma

Well today I spent a couple of enjoyable hours surfing the net using the keyword "Gruyeres"] as a focal point and I found a ton of interesting information. One web site referred to their "turf" as Heidi land! And that gave me an idea [inspired by all our recent talk of "stories" and teaching kids history. I discovered that I will be sitting my 10 year old granddaughter tomorrow night.... so I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the novel Heidi and a map of Germany/Switzerland/France..... I have plans to begin reading the novel to her and chatting with her about our Degruys and Gruyere and the cheese and the castle and the cranes.... and imagining where they lived in the beginning before they started to emigrate to France and America and ultimately, for our folks, to New Orleans! Can't wait to get started on this! Renee

Hi, In light of this mornings email, I'm forwarding an excerpt from Bonnie Bess Wood's site which came to me from Celine.... So you're getting it 3rd hand. But it's fun and I hope you'll enjoy: Degruyére, Switzerland. Castle built 998. Michael in 1530 ran up hugh debts in Fribourg, Bern, Switzerland. Fled to Austria . Married into wealthy family. Owned 3 million acres of land . Duménil & Fouchard are the names of provinces given to the Duke by the King of France. La Gruyères. A perfectly preserved old castle-village, isolated on its crag but within easy reach of Lake Geneva, Gruyères is one of Switzerland's most photogenic sights and attracts hordes of daytrippers throught the summer season, come to stroll on the village's only street and explore the impressive château. .. . The château was formerly the regional seat of power, occupied from 1080 to 1554 by the nineteen counts of Gruyères, but was decimated by a fire in 1493 which destroyed virtually everything but the dungeons. The last occupants reconstructed the living quarters in a lavish Savoyard style; Michael, the final Count of Gruyères, ran up huge debts doing this and then fled, leaving his creditors - the governments of Fribourg and Bern - to divide up his lands between them. A rich Geneva dynasty, the Bovy and Balland families, bought the castle in 1848 and supported a number of artist in residence, including the french landscap e painter Corot, before the cantonal governement of Fribourg took over maintenance of the castle in 1938. Highlights of the château include Flemish tapestries decorating the count's bedchamber, Corot's room with landscapes painted by him, and other rooms throughout the castle with grand fireplaces, heraldic stained glass, often featuring the dynastic symbol of a crane (grue in French), and booty from the Battle of Murten where Louis II, Count of Gruyère, fought on the Swiss side . The wood-panelled Knights' Hall is impressive, as is the small formal garden at the very back, on the tip of the hill. Beside the castle, Gry`eres chrch is in an exceptionally beautiful location, backed by valley vistas. [Rough Guide to Switzerland , 2004 ].

Great information Celine! I, too, have come across information which says that Gruy, Grue ... is "crane" and that the family heraldry has a crane in it. Must have been an easy move for them to go from the crane to the pelican. Ha ha.... anyway I think I remember Bonnie Bess Wood saying she has a drawing of the heraldry somewhere. Maybe she can dig it up for us..... although I don't think we can send attachments to a list. I might have to send to each of you individually [that's why I want to eventually work on a website that we can each contribute stuff to]. In the meantime later today I'll try to find my info on the "crane" part. Can't now cause I have to get to a meeting. I'ver really been enjoying the recent exhanges [Karma and Shelley]...... this list is starting to come "alive"! Renee list administrator Neil & Celine wrote: >Hello, >I was rummaging through my unorganized stack of copied material, that I haven't documented anywhere yet, and ran across this paragraph from the book "Louisiana-French" by William A. Read (LSU Press). (The book explores the French Language in Louisiana and words within the Louisiana-French dialect.) It's one of those fun facts that adds color to the names and dates routines, that we don't want to fall into... > >"DEGRUY. Bayou Degruy enters Bayou des Allemands not far from the junction of the latter with Lake Salvador in St. Charles Parish. > Bayou Degruy bears the name of Jean Baptiste Degruy, who purchased from Francisco Bouligny, on May 8, 1792, a tract of land situated on Bayou Ouachas, according to the American State Papers, VI, 675, ed. Gales and Seaton. The name Degruy is also spelled Degruis, in the American State Papers, II, 340, 840, ed Gales and Seaton. > The curious patronymic Degruy looks like a nickname for a miller; compare Old French gruis, "bran, gruel" (Sainte-Palaye, VI, 433). This name, however, may be connected with Fr. grue, "crane," dialectal gruis signifying a noise resembling tha which is made by this bird (Larchey, Dict. des Noms, p. 209). Pachino, in Die Beinamen der Pariser Steurolle von 1292 p. 14, notes and nicknames Jacques la Grue, Martin la Grue, and Vincent Gruel. Here Gruel is the diminutive of Grue." > >Celine > > > >============================== >Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration >Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > > >

Shelley Dedman wrote: >Hi - I'm Shelley, or actually, Michele Dedman. Karma and I are fairly >closely related in this family. My grandmother was Irene Verloin de Gruy >Junqua, of New Orleans, and her younger brother was my Uncle Frank >(Francois) Verloin de Gruy III, who married Aunt Era and lived in Mobile, >AL. I believe he was your great-grandfather, Karma. > > He was, and we called him PaPa, which I think you knew, but as I'm not sure what everybody is here for yet, I'm taking liberties with "family tidbits" on the list and I welcome the same, personally. I like to feel the life in our memories. Pardon me for my original post going to "sender only" instead of "all." I don't have the list details/protocol imbedded into my fingertips yet :-) Thanks for forwarding it, frequently-unthanked-admin-folks (whose proper names I never caught). >I, too, have started a book about this great family. It is quite slow >going, but putting the stories down on paper for my grandsons, and children, >has become a mission. I would love to swap family stories with you, Karma, >and anyone else. I'm probably, at least your father's age. > > I'd love to contribute what I can for you, Shelley, and hear yours. Papa (Frank) and DeeDee (Era) both died when I was still pretty young, but I do have some stories. There is a sense of urgency about this sort of project for me right now that I will save for a personal email if you want to write me ~~ but really the personal-ness of it is just that it's like you guys wrote -- you look around one day at the passing of time and realize the stories will go with your parents and grandparents if you don't get them. I noted in family history where the female de Gruys stopped getting the original patronym of Verloin as a middle name, and I'm now seeing where the males aren't -- it's a symbol that piques my interest and increases my sense of urgency. Then I found a deGruy in Atlanta who adopted the name legally but has no blood ties to it and that too piques my curiousity. Well, everything does, truth be told :-) >>> I came very late, long >after many family members had passed away, taking their stories and >their recipes with them [although I do have a great oyster dressing for >stuffing recipe from my Gramma Boolie!]. > Oooh.. oyster dressing.... you know, a recipe/story thing could get a jumpstart in a group like this.. (wheels spinning furiously)... > >>>For example, I have an Evans ancestor >[Israel] who was a physician on the Ky. side of the river across from >the Cincinnati area. In his basement was a tunnel. He was a link in >the underground railroad, and he helped the slaves escape to a free >state where his father [Richard] waited to help them take the next step >of their dangerous journey. Now, I can promise you that I would have >paid closer attention in history class, had I been able to make that >personal connection...... and it would have set my imagination free. > > Historical fiction fingers are itching... I am so glad I came to this list. That is fascinating. I have a personal anecdote about where history intersects with my lineage that I think I might save for a later time when we've all gotten to know each other a bit better, but it ties to the idea you have that family history can make a real difference in the way a child perceives the world, especially when that child spends too much time in front of the TV like my daughter does (grin).. telling family stories at bedtime is a way to "catch her back" from the cartoons and the books filled with cartoons. And you know your family is great when your kid thinks what you're telling her is fiction because it's too exciting/interesting to be a day in the life of someone they're RELATED to :-) It's good stuff! Karma

Hello, I was rummaging through my unorganized stack of copied material, that I haven't documented anywhere yet, and ran across this paragraph from the book "Louisiana-French" by William A. Read (LSU Press). (The book explores the French Language in Louisiana and words within the Louisiana-French dialect.) It's one of those fun facts that adds color to the names and dates routines, that we don't want to fall into... "DEGRUY. Bayou Degruy enters Bayou des Allemands not far from the junction of the latter with Lake Salvador in St. Charles Parish. Bayou Degruy bears the name of Jean Baptiste Degruy, who purchased from Francisco Bouligny, on May 8, 1792, a tract of land situated on Bayou Ouachas, according to the American State Papers, VI, 675, ed. Gales and Seaton. The name Degruy is also spelled Degruis, in the American State Papers, II, 340, 840, ed Gales and Seaton. The curious patronymic Degruy looks like a nickname for a miller; compare Old French gruis, "bran, gruel" (Sainte-Palaye, VI, 433). This name, however, may be connected with Fr. grue, "crane," dialectal gruis signifying a noise resembling tha which is made by this bird (Larchey, Dict. des Noms, p. 209). Pachino, in Die Beinamen der Pariser Steurolle von 1292 p. 14, notes and nicknames Jacques la Grue, Martin la Grue, and Vincent Gruel. Here Gruel is the diminutive of Grue." Celine

Hi - I'm Shelley, or actually, Michele Dedman. Karma and I are fairly closely related in this family. My grandmother was Irene Verloin de Gruy Junqua, of New Orleans, and her younger brother was my Uncle Frank (Francois) Verloin de Gruy III, who married Aunt Era and lived in Mobile, AL. I believe he was your great-grandfather, Karma. I currently live in Arkansas and as I started getting older, realized all the family history keepers and story tellers were already gone or getting much older. I used to love to listen to my grandmother talk about her childhood and the family. The stories she and other's told, and the memories I have are some of my most precious posessions. So I've begun putting together our family tree and what an experience that's been. I wish I had started much younger. However, I can devote much more time to this project now, and it seems to be addictive. I, too, have started a book about this great family. It is quite slow going, but putting the stories down on paper for my grandsons, and children, has become a mission. I would love to swap family stories with you, Karma, and anyone else. I'm probably, at least your father's age. I'm really looking forward to this new way of communicating. What a great idea! Shelley -----Original Message----- From: Degruy List Admin [mailto:degruylist@earthlink.net] Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 8:23 AM To: DEGRUY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Welcome to Karma and all new Degruy-L list members! Good Morning Degruy-L, I'm forwarding to the list this first message from our new list member, Karma De Gruy, who signed up yesterday. Welcome, Karma! [Actually several people signed up yesterday.... so greetings to them all.... hope y'all will introduce yourselves.] It's nice to get a look at all the various reasons people have to join a list and all the various ways people get started in doing family history. Personally I feel that you are very fortunate, Karma, in coming to family history research so early in life. I came very late, long after many family members had passed away, taking their stories and their recipes with them [although I do have a great oyster dressing for stuffing recipe from my Gramma Boolie!]. So congratulations on getting a head start. I'm convinced that this family history study can be a fantastic way to get children involved in the love of history. Done correctly, it can make the past "come alive" and take history out of the realm of boring facts and dates of battles. For example, I have an Evans ancestor [Israel] who was a physician on the Ky. side of the river across from the Cincinnati area. In his basement was a tunnel. He was a link in the underground railroad, and he helped the slaves escape to a free state where his father [Richard] waited to help them take the next step of their dangerous journey. Now, I can promise you that I would have paid closer attention in history class, had I been able to make that personal connection...... and it would have set my imagination free. I'm sure all of you out there have similar stories! ok... may I introduce Karma DeGruy: >>>It might be nice to baptize this list by having each of us send a message to the list in which we introduce ourselves; describe the areas in which we are currently working or folks we are currently searching. If you'd like to say what city you are located in or how long you've been doing family history, that might help us to get to know you. I'm Karma de Gruy of Mobile, Alabama. I am only a dabbler in between semesters as I'm in grad school right now, but I got started with the family history because a complete stranger emailed me asking for information about deGruys in Louisiana and I got curious. Also because I write stories and I hope to tell some lost and forgotten ones if they can be unearthed. My secret pet project which I'm usually too embarrassed to admit is a compilation of family stories and RECIPES somehow related to those stories. As yet, I've only gotten much on the other side of the family who not only seem to cook more but also to talk more. Looking forward to "meeting" you all, Karma de Gruy ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By the way, new list members,.... keep in mind that if you are sending a message to the entire list, address your e-mail to : Degruy-L@rootsweb.com and not to me personally at degruylist@rootsweb.com ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237

Good Morning Degruy-L, I'm forwarding to the list this first message from our new list member, Karma De Gruy, who signed up yesterday. Welcome, Karma! [Actually several people signed up yesterday.... so greetings to them all.... hope y'all will introduce yourselves.] It's nice to get a look at all the various reasons people have to join a list and all the various ways people get started in doing family history. Personally I feel that you are very fortunate, Karma, in coming to family history research so early in life. I came very late, long after many family members had passed away, taking their stories and their recipes with them [although I do have a great oyster dressing for stuffing recipe from my Gramma Boolie!]. So congratulations on getting a head start. I'm convinced that this family history study can be a fantastic way to get children involved in the love of history. Done correctly, it can make the past "come alive" and take history out of the realm of boring facts and dates of battles. For example, I have an Evans ancestor [Israel] who was a physician on the Ky. side of the river across from the Cincinnati area. In his basement was a tunnel. He was a link in the underground railroad, and he helped the slaves escape to a free state where his father [Richard] waited to help them take the next step of their dangerous journey. Now, I can promise you that I would have paid closer attention in history class, had I been able to make that personal connection...... and it would have set my imagination free. I'm sure all of you out there have similar stories! ok... may I introduce Karma DeGruy: >>>It might be nice to baptize this list by having each of us send a message to the list in which we introduce ourselves; describe the areas in which we are currently working or folks we are currently searching. If you'd like to say what city you are located in or how long you've been doing family history, that might help us to get to know you. I'm Karma de Gruy of Mobile, Alabama. I am only a dabbler in between semesters as I'm in grad school right now, but I got started with the family history because a complete stranger emailed me asking for information about deGruys in Louisiana and I got curious. Also because I write stories and I hope to tell some lost and forgotten ones if they can be unearthed. My secret pet project which I'm usually too embarrassed to admit is a compilation of family stories and RECIPES somehow related to those stories. As yet, I've only gotten much on the other side of the family who not only seem to cook more but also to talk more. Looking forward to "meeting" you all, Karma de Gruy ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By the way, new list members,.... keep in mind that if you are sending a message to the entire list, address your e-mail to : Degruy-L@rootsweb.com and not to me personally at degruylist@rootsweb.com

Greetings, Several new folks joined Degruy-L today and we'd like to give you a warm welcome. We have only been a functioning list for about 11 days, so we are quite new and hope that you will bear with us as we take our "baby steps." You can "catch up" rather quickly by reading through the digests which have accumulated to date. We hope you will introduce yourself and tell us where you live and who you are researching. Our first "welcome letter" follows. Glad to have you on board..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the new Rootsweb Degruy Mailing List! It is my hope that this will be a true collaborative project. I know it's dreaming "big," but I think it would be wonderful if we could work together to produce a Degruy database as complete and as error free as possible. Another "big dream" would be to be able, as a result of this list, to submit something on the DeGruy family to New Orleans Genesis; something along the lines of what Irna Centanni and others have done for such families as the Hotards and St. Amands. At the very least, it will be wonderful to have a group of folks that we can consult with whenever we find ourselves against a genealogical brick wall or when the research road has led us into yet another blind alley. Let me make some practical suggestions for navigating this list.: Make your subject headings as specific as possible When responding to a particular entry, try not to copy all the entries that appear in the "issue" [if you're using the digest form]. Delete the rest and just include the item specific to your response. Very important: do not put personal information on the web. Respond off-line if you want to give your mailing address or your phone number or a web site you do not want available to the general public. We should protect each other's privacy as well as our own. It might be nice to baptize this list by having each of us send a message to the list in which we introduce ourselves; describe the areas in which we are currently working or folks we are currently searching. If you'd like to say what city you are located in or how long you've been doing family history, that might help us to get to know you. I also hope to make an announcement in LAORLEAN so that others will know that we exist and can join us if they are interested. Feel free to share this information with friends or fellow researchers who might find it helpful. That's all for this entry. Another will follow soon. I look forward to meeting you in cyberspace! Renee Hotard List administrator degruylist@earthlink.net

Thank you very, very much, Renee, for checking on Louise for me. I'll study your e-mail again, but it appears there were no Rigob children. In theory, I am not kin to either August Rigob or Louise. My great-great grandmother, Magdalena Schehr's brother Valentin Schehr married Anna Maria Clemence Vogts widow of Antoine Rigob with young children. Antoine & Anna Maria's only surviving son, August married Mary Millan and their only surviving son August Valentin Rigob married Louise Verloin De Gruy. I always felt there must have been some affection between August & his step-father for him to name his son August Valentin and wanted to find out if there were any heirs. Evidently, the line ended. I appreciate your helping me solve the Rigob puzzle. Let me know if I need to reimburse you for any expenses. Rosemary in Texas P.S. I had a great time at the HNOC when I was there June 2003. The old and new address plats of each block in the French Quarter are worth the search if you had family living there at any time. It really gave me a thrill to discover that several addresses listed in the NO City Directory were actually for the same location, and I was positively ecstatic when I discovered old photos of the buildings my g-g-grandfather George Bischof actually owned!

Hi All, Well I have a very productive day.... went to the Jefferson Parish Courthouse and didn't have much luck there, but they directed me to the Clerk of Courts on 4th street and I found all kinds of goodies there.... straightened up a couple of mysteries, found a few more..... nothing much on my Degruys... however I did come across something that Rosemary was asking about regarding Louise Degruy who was married first to August Rigot and then to Thomas Smith. Rosemary, you can write and ask for the 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson, No 18, 123 filed on May 8th 1947 and pay for copies of a stack of papers on this succession. The bad news is that I didn't find out anything specifically about her children. The good news is that I can tell you about her estate: "It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the following named persons be and they are hereby recognized and confirmed as residuary legatees of the deceased and, as such, sent into possession, with benefit of inventory, in the proportion of an undivided one-third to F. Paul deGruy, an undivided one-third to Mrs. Corinne Mazaret, widow of Gabriel V. DeGruy, an undivided one-ninth to Miss Leona Spiess, an undivided one-ninth to Mrs. Captola Johnson, and an undivided one-ninth to The Society of the Little Sisters of the Poor, of all the property of the Succession of Mrs. Louise V. DeGruy, by first marriage widow of August Rigot and by second marriage widow of Thomas Smith, No., 18, 123 and particularly the following described property......" I don't know what the relationship of all these people are to Louise.... but maybe you can order all the papers and find out something.... You can check this out.... was on a business card: Jon A. Gegenheimer, Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court..... see: www.jpclerkofcourt.us Well tomorrow I go to the program at HNOC...so no research other than that.... and then it's back home. Renee

Received this from Jess Bergeron and am passing it on to Degruy-L in case you find it helpful. Renee ps I may be 'quiet' for awhile as I leave for New Orleans tomorrow... unless I chicken out because of having to fly a toy American Airlines plane into bad weather!!! Hi Renee; looking at the query that appeared on the web site, The Joseph Degruy married to Charlotte Falgout & Eloise Saulet are not the same person. Both Degruy/Degruise men were having children at about the same time. One in New Orleans and the other in Lafourche Parish Joseph D. Verloin Degruy s/o Joseph Verloin & Marianne Coutourier married ??? Charlotte Falgout d/o George Falgout & Marie Marguerite Chauvin Joseph Verloin Degruy s/o Joseph V. & Marianne Couturier marr. 6 Oct 1800 SLC - M 5, 13 Marie Eloise Saulet d/o Thomas & Marie Eloise Perry Like I said Joseph & Eloise Saulet were having children in New Orleans up to 1829 Joseph D. Degruy & Charlotte Falgout were in Lafourche Parish having children at Least up to 1825. Charlotte Falgout died 9 Sep 1858 (Thib Ct. Hse Succ. 518) Marianne Coutourier buried 25 Jul 1819 (SLC F,11-137 Hope this help someone. Best Regards Jess ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

The following are direct quotes from the book on the Attakapas Post listed below.... just one of those "miscellaneous" entries we were talking about in an earlier entry. Renee [hope there aren't typos!] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From Marriage Contracts of the Attakapas Post, 1760-1803, Colonial Louisiana Marriage Contracts: Volume V, Translated and Edited by Winston De Ville with Jane Guillory Bulliard and the 1774 Census of Attakapas Post, annotated and edited by Jane Guillory Bulliard with Leona Trosclair David published by Attakapas Historical Association, St. Martinville, Louisiana 1966 26 [From page 11 of book] 8 April 1783 OA Book 3, No. 66 Before deClouet, Commandant: Jean Louis Loisel - native of Paris, parish of St. Germain l'Auxerrois; son of Adrien Loisel and Charlotte Chardin. Catherine Toupart - widow of Pierre Borell, during his lifetime, artillery officer. Their son, Nicolas Pelagie Loisel, is mentioned. Witnesses for groom: Louis Grevemberg; Antoine Boutte. Witnesses for bride: De Gruis; Boutte, fils. 27 [From page 11 of book] 23 April 1783 OA Book 3, No. 68 Before deClouet, Commandant: Antoine Dufouchau De Gruiz - son of Antoine Valentin Verlouin de Gruiz and Marie Therese Aufrere; native of Illinois. Henriette Maraggret Layssard - daughter of Etienne Maraffret Layssard, commandant at Rapides Post, and Helene Fazinde; native of Arkansas Post. Witnesses for groom: Dubcley; Benoit de St. Claire. Witnesses for bride: Jean Baptiste De Gruiz; Donato Bello 29 [From page 12 of book] 13 May 1783 OA Book 3, No. 80 Before deClouet, Commandant: Paul Roquiny - major son of Francois Roquiny and Cecile Bare; native of New Orleans. Anne Catherine Ducrest - minor daughter of Louis Armand Ducrest and Anne Catherine Wisse; native of Pointe Coupee. Witnesses for groom: De Gruy; Antoine Patin. Witnesses for bride: Philippe Wisse; Joseph Wisse. From Census No. 155 -Duerit 2 Freres 0 [From page 60 of book] Probably the two Degruis brothers. 1) Jean Baptiste Degruis, native of New Orleans, son of Antoine Valentine Verlouin DeGruis [z] and Marie Therese Aufrere of Illinois, signed a marriage contract in May 1779 [SMOA 1-120] with Helisabet de Mombereault, widow of Dauterive. 2) Antoine DuFouchau Degruis, native of Illinois, son of Antoine Valentin Verlouin Degruis [z] and Marie Therese Aufrere of Illinois, signed a marriage contract 13 May 1783 [SMOA 3-68] with Henriette Maraffret Layssard, daughter of Etienne Maraffret Layssard, Commandant of the Rapides Post, and Helene Fazinde. No. 115 - Boutet 4 [page 44 of book] Andre Claude Boutte. Andre Claude Boutte was married to Francoise Bodin dit Miragouine. See No. 116. This was one of the families that emigrated from the Mobile area. The records show the names of five children: 1) Philippe 2) Francois Cezar, married Marie Therese Degruis, 12 July 1778. 3) Louis Hilaire married Marie Lucile Decuir. 4) Antoine married to Hyacinte Degruis 12 July 1778 [SMCH] Note: The names of the Degruis girls were gleaned from sources other than the marriage record. The record in the archives of St. Martin of Tours Church states only that the priest married "les deux freres M M Boutte avec les deux soeurs Degruis". 5) Jean Baptiste signed a marriage contract with Marie Louise Lemelle, daughter of Francois Lemelle and Charlotte L'Abbe, 18 December 1789 [SMOA 12-24]. The Testament of Claude Boutte [SMOA 12-24] was opened 27 September 1792. 17 [from page 9 of the book] 4 May 1779 OA Book 1, No. 120 Before deClouet, Commandant: Jean Baptiste Degruy - native of New Orleans, parish of St. Louis; son of deceased Degruy, during his lifetime, officer in the militia, and Therese Ofrere. Helisabet Monteau de Mombereault - widow of Dauterive, during his lifetime, infantry captain; native of New Orleans, parish of St. Louis. Witnesses for groom: St. Marc Darby; Boutte, fils. Witnesses for bride: Augustin Grevembert; Anastasie Boutte. Note: Only the first two pages of this document are extant. 79 [from page 25 of the book]31 January 1797 OA Book 18, No. 36 "Before Joseph Sorrel, Interim Commandant: Jacques Judice - sub-lieutenant of the militia; son of Louis Judice, lieutenant of the militia, and Marguerite Patin; native of Attakapas. Marie Louise Hiacinte Boutte - native of Attakapas; daughter of Antoine Boutte and deceased Marie Francois Hiacinte De Grui. 99 [from page 30 of the book] 5 January 1803 OA Book 21, No. 159 Before deBlanc, Commandant: Francois Cezard Boutte - native of Attakapas; son of Francois Cezard Boutte and Marie Therese Degruy Marie Louise Gonsoulin - native of Attakapas; daughter of Francois Gonsoulin, official surveyor of Attakapas, and Marie Louise Arpin de la Gautray. Witnesses for groom: his parents; Antoine Boutte, his uncle; Olivier de Vezin; Louis Le Pelletier de la Houssaye. Witnesses for bride: Her parents; Clair Benoist de St. Clair, her cousin; Jean D'Arby; Maximilien Decuir No. 141 [from page 55 of book] Berard et Sa Femme 3 Jean Baptiste Berard and Anne Broussard On 21 July 1794 [SMOA 16-39] Jean Baptiste Berard resigned after serving twenty-two years as Sindic Generale of Poste des Attakapas. His resignation was accepted 12 May 1795 by Francisco Caso y Lunego, Commandant of the Post. It is probable that his marriage to Anne Broussard took plce around 1769. Known children: 6 1) Adelaide, born 11 December 1770 [SMCH] married Charles Fagot. 2) Christine, born ca. 1771-1772, married 20 June 1786 [SMCH] to Agricole Fuselier, son of Gabriel Fuselier de la Claire and Jeanne Roman. 3) Jean Baptiste, born 15 February 1773, married Mrguerite Decoux. 4) Alexandre, born 3 March 1775 [SMCH]. 5) Camille, born 19 September 1777 [SMC]. 6) Achille, signed a marriage contract 21 July 1806 [SMOA 23-77] with Hortense Boutte, daughter of Francois Cezard Boutte and Marie Therese Degruy. Evidently, Alexandre and Camille died in childhood as SME #270, Last Will of Jean Berard, 11 July 1817, names only Christine, wife of Agricole Fuselier; Baptiste Berard; Adelaide, deceased wife fo Charle Fagot who is representing their seven children; namely, Charles, Godefroy, Rosamond, Euzebe, Aglae, Constance and Arsema; and Achille Berard, deceased father of Hortense, Achille, Camille. Only other specific references to DeGruy in book are found on page 78: DeGruy - See DeGruis DeGruiz - See DeGruis

Hi Rosemary, I've checked Bonnie Bess Wood's gedcom and don't find anything. I didn't see anything in Mary Agnes's family chart and I don't have anything myself. I did forward your message to Jerry Freyder.... maybe he has something. Sorry. Your request will go into the archives and as new people come on board, maybe someone will know. Renee ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Re your message Louise Verloin de Gruy who married August Valentin Rigob on 15 November 1900 in New Orleans. Louise was born to Joseph F. Verloin de Gruy and Josephine A. Foucher c. 1880.

Hi ya'll, I am seeking information on Louise Verloin de Gruy who married August Valentin Rigob on 15 November 1900 in New Orleans. Louise was born to Joseph F. Verloin de Gruy and Josephine A. Foucher c. 1880. I found August V. living in the Leper's Home in Iberville, LA in the 1920 Census but no Louise. What happened to Louise? Did they have any children? Rosemary in Alvin, TX