+BREAKING NEWS+ >this small yonne riverside town was built on the french/champagne border to protect france. >BEFORE THEY OWNED CHAMPAGNE. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +(very important for us)+ >ONCE THE PALACE OF THE FRENCH KING LOUIS VII, BUILT IN 1163 (original name was "villeneuve le roy"... the king's new town) >THIS MAY EXPLAIN THE ORIGINS OF OUR VILLENEUVE ANCESTORS !!! (perhaps even the le roys) >KING/SAINT LOUIS LIVED HERE. he left for the 8th crusade from the castle here.... >A POWERFUL ATTRACTION FOR OUR deGRUY(ERE) ANCESTORS> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >see my message below... gene -----Original Message----- From: Eugene Ray Sent: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 9:52 AM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: LOST FRENCH family quest 15 C. / VERLOINdeGRUY return to roots /ROOM RESERVATION / research of CHAMPAGNE FAMILIES from 300 years ago / REQUEST HELP. +LESLIE CARON+ >auberge la lucarne aux chouettes villeneuve-sur-yonne, france DEAR MS. LESLIE CARON ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >my wife , marianne, and i send greetings and a request to reserve your room "THE SUITE" +THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 22.2009+ (we also request a table for dinner at 8 p.m. in your dining room. >outside if weather is warm. +LOS ANGELES, 1940S & 50S+ >(my wife grew up in westwood village in los angeles where tyrone power was an usher in her church. we +GOLDEN MEMORIES+ >are both fans of your cinema.) +P I L G R I M A G E+ >we are coming to your champagne region in search of traces of my grandmothers french family. +VALENTIN VERLOIN deGRUY+ (gruyere counts descent) >is the name of my grandmother's family who lived in the chateau +MAGNY FOUCHARD+ >it was in 1738 when our ancestor >ANTOINE JEAN BAPTISTE VALENTIN VERLOIN deGRUY >imigrated to new orleans where his descendents were pioneer sugar and indigo planters. >HE WAS BORN IN THE VERSAILLES (louis xiv and louis xv) >PALACE WHERE HIS FATHER WAS >col. in the king's bourbon reg. >RELATED ANCESTRAL FAMILIES WHO ONCE LIVED @ CHATEAU >(our roots), +M A G N Y + F O U C H A R D+ >a partial list of relatives< 1) VILLENEUVE as early as the 15th century, probably earlier. >villeneuve married our daniel deverloing 2) PERRY 1) BOSSANCOURT 2) RICHEBOURG 3) DAGOBERT 4) SAINT SIMON 5) PAMPLUME 6) MESNIL 7) AULNAY +OUR VILLENEUVE ANCESTORS+ >note: the villeneuve family is the earliest family to live at chateau (15TH C. OR EARLIER) >magny fouchard and i believe must relate to your history >VILLENEUVE-SUR-YONNE< (originally) >VILLENEUVE-DE-ROY< >we shall photograph chateaux and mies en scene... many degruy relatives await in native louisiana. >PERHAPS SOME DESCENDENTS >ARE STILL IN THE REGION. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >we look forward to our visit and hope historians can help us. >LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OR (perhaps e-mail) >LOCAL HISTORIANS >NEWSPAPERS ETC, (we send our visa card no. in a seperate e-mail to you). +THANKYOU AND ALL BEST REGARDS... >eugene (verloindegruy) ray architect, master of fine art professor emeritus tel. 858 457 1054 e-mail:, [email protected] >5161 renaissance ave. san diego, california u.s.a., 92122