+PRINCE AND SHOWGIRL+ +A DEJA-VU STORY+ >my father loved the french spirit of louis desmare and his family and this story will tell you why. (ONLY IN NEW ORLEANS) ************************* >THE OBITUARY OF >(thanks helen) +ANTONIA VERLOIN deGRUY+ ( august 30,1948 ) wife of +LOUIS J. DESMARE+ ******************* >this was my grandmother lucie verloin degruy's fun loving, spirited sister +"AUNT TINA"+ >she of the powdered face peering into my 10 year old startled eyes. ********************************** +LOUIS DESMARE+ ( pronounced "looey dema") >her equally fun loving husband was a descendent of christine charlotte >desmare a famous parisian actress +WHO WAS THE MISTRESS OF+ +THE FRENCH KING LOUIS+ +14TH's SON/DAUPHIN+ (later the) +KING LOUIS deFRANCE+ (1661-1711) >louis de france was married to marie adelaide of savoy to make this doubly interesting >TO OUR deGRUY HISTORY< ************************** +CHRISTINE CHARLOTTE DESMARE+ (of the famous comedie francaise) +A PARISIAN TREASURE+ >was quite a beauty and had a daughter by the dauphin who provided her w/ +"HOTEL VILLE-ROI"+ >a very plush townhouse at #78 RUE de VARENNE >PARIS< (a very elegent address, later the dutch embassidor's home) ******************************* +KING LOUIS 14th+ (the sun king) >was apparently not too happy with the dauphin's love affair with the beautiful actress and closed one of her most famous productions +"LA FOSSE PRUDE"+ >(the title speaks for itself) ************************** +MADAME MAINTAINON+ >king louis mistress who started the +ST. CYR SCHOOL+ >(antoine's sister's school) >may have been the "false prude" of this scandelous production held at the theatre in the >"HOTEL de BURGUNDY"< *********************** >IT CAUSED A SENSATION IN PARIS< and charlotte's troupe of italian actresses were closed by the police at the order of the +S U N + K I N G+ **************** >flash forward 250 years to >new orleans< ************* +KINTA DESMARE+ >beautiful actress daughter of LOUIS J. DESMARE and +ANTONIA VERLOIN deGRUY DESMARE+ (kinta famous broadway/palm beach) >causes a sensation by marrying +CHARLES MERRILL+ >(good time charley merrill) *************************** >FOUNDER OF MERRILL, LYNCH, FENNER, AND BEAN THE GREATEST OF THE NEW YORK INVESTMENT FIRMS ********************************* >charles merrill then worth 5 million dollars (1939, value) was credited with founding the safeway and +(KRESGE COMPANY)+ >k-mart stores and of divesting many stocks in anticipating the 1929 market crash. *********************** >HE WARNED CALVIN COOLIDGE BUT OLE CAL. TURNED AWAY (we all know what happened) ***************************** ( charles merril gave kinta desmare 300,000 dollars when they divorced (IMAGINE TODAY'S WORTH) >same as w/ his other 2 wives ) ****************************** +LOUIS DESMARE & AUNT TINA+ had four children >mrs howard uran, mrs charles merril mrs harry mccall & louis j. desmare jr. (VERY RESPECTABLE PEOPLE) ***************************** >IT WAS KINTA WHO CORROBORATED MY DISCOVERY OF OUR CONNECTION ( valentinois/grimaldi ) +TO THE PRINCE OF MONACO+ >perhaps charley merril looked into +HER BLOODLINE+ >that was important in palmbeach *********************************** +EUGENE RAY MY GRANDFATHER+ >NOTE: in researching this i noticed that in the 1890s my grandparents lived at 315 bienville st. in new orleans +LUCIE VERLOIN deGRUY RAY+ (she of quiet elegence) >while her 2 sisters, antonia and gabrielle lived with their new husbands at 1711 & 1712 >BIENVILLE STREET< ******************* +BEFORE THEY MOVED UPTOWN+ >the james verloin degruy homestead must have been in that area >CREOLE NEW ORLEANS< ************************ gene ray, san diego, california (google) eugenerayart.com