Thanks for this, Eugene. I miss my grandfather Frank terribly and I dream about him at least once a month. I worked for him for several years after I got out of the Army and loved to hear his stories about his time as a pilot flying the Himalayan Hump, and about his years working for his own father, Frank, who I remember from childhood (not many kids were as lucky as I was to still have great grandparents living with whom I could visit). At his memorial earlier this year, his son, my uncle, Frank, gave me a pair of his silver pilot's wings which I have pinned on my own jacket now. Thanks for this bit of extra knowledge about my grandfather and great grandfather and their people. Karma -------------- Original message from "Eugene Ray" <[email protected]>: -------------- > +M O B I L E+ > ************** > >has always been special in my > >(deep seated)< > +G E N E T I C +M E M O R Y+ > **************************** > >after all it was the original french > colony along the gulf coast and > i remember how impressed i > was as a boy in the cabildo > >TO FOCUS ON THE STONE > +MARKED 1699+ > *************** > >such a precious talisman< > FOUND AT THE SITE > OF THE ORIGINAL > +MOBILE FORT+ > ************** > > +THE LOST COLONY+ > >even later in life i remember writing > to a stamp shop in mobile inquiring > >FOR LOST FRENCH COLONIAL > +C O R R E S P O N D E N C E+ > **************************** > >(mobile was rather like new > orleans in its primal days > >with a french genus loci) > ************************* > > +THANKS TO KARMA FOR+ > (wonderful name) > >I L L U M I N A T I N G< > ********************** > +THE MOBILE VERLOIN deGRUY+ > ( shades of bienville ) > >this branch were well known by my > father, randolph ray sr. son of > +LUCIE VERLOIN deGRUY RAY+ > ****************************** > >she was the daughter of james verloin > degruy, son of francois verloin degruy > OF PINELAND PARK PLANTATION > ( near madisonville ) > ****************** > >+( WHOSE PORTRAIT HANGS > IN OUR LIVING ROOM ) > *********************** > > >MY GREAT GRANDFATHER'S< > (dapper younger brother) > >james verloin degruy's younger brother > the dapper francois verloin degruy > of the derby hat photograph. > (degruy family website) > *********************** > +HAD A SON, AGAIN NAMED FRANCOIS > VERLOIN deGRUY, WHO ORIGINATED > THE MOBILE VERLOIN deGRUYS. > ********************************* > >it was his son, by this time with > name modernised > to > +FRANK VERLOIN deGRUY+ > ( but really francois) > >that was my fathers friend and of > +HIS GENERATION+ > ****************** > >IT WAS HIS SON, RECENTLY DECEASED, > ( yes, known as frank degruy) > & OF MY GENERATION THAT I SPOKE > TO BY TELEPHONE 3 YEARS AGO. > ********************************** > +CORDIAL MEMORY+ > >he remembered my father who > would stay with them during > gulf coast trips of the 1940s. > ***************************** > >THE RAY / deGRUY FAMILY OF MY > NEW ORLEANS GRANDMOTHER > HAD MAINTAINED CLOSENESS > >TO THE MOBILE deGRUYS. > *************************** > >my father was deeply fond of the > mobile degruy branch. a child > absorbs that family empathy. > +I NEVER SAW THEM+ > >we could have passed on the > street like ships in the night. > ***************************** > > +GENETIC NOSTALGIA+ > (the lost degruys) > >FRENCH TROPIC SYNDROME< > >i do believe the nostalgia i have felt > about mobile, ( our ship this year > to the yucatan left from mobile) > ********************************* > >CAN BE TRACED VIA MY FATHER > AND HIS MOTHER TO HER > father > +JAMES VERLOIN deGRUY+ > brother of > +FRANCOIS VERLOIN deGRUY+ > whose son went to mobile > >(NEVER TO RETURN)< > ******************** > >during my conversation with "frank" > degruy on the telephone he told > ( SEE INTERNET ) > >me about michael degruy his > marine biologist son who > lives in santa barbara. > ********************** > >I EXTEND AN INVITATION TO HIM > TO VISIT US IN SAN DIEGO > **************************** > +VAUDECHAMP PORTRAIT+ > (check the internet) > >where the portrait of his great (3) > grandfather, francois verloin > degruy of pineland park > ************************* > >POSESSES EYES THAT SHALL FOLLOW > HIM AROUND OUR LIVING ROOM > *********************************** > >AND THE KING'S DIAMONDS > STILL SPARKLE ON HIS > >FORMAL WHITE SHIRT< > (elegent & noble) > **************** > gene ray, san diego, california > (google) eugenerayart.com > > The productivity of our Degruy list depends upon generosity in sharing family > research. This is a "discussion" list. Individual messages cannot be assumed to > be "fact." All data should be verified. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message