Hi, Two threads [I and II] for this posting: Thread I Now that I've sent out that list of Degruy websites, corrections are coming in. I'll post these changes to this list as they come in. And, if and when we get our Degruy Website going, I'll post an edited list on it. Please keep in mind that I simply listed all the websites that came up when I searched the surname. I have not corresponded with the each of people who post these websites, nor can I personally recommend them or attest to the data contained therein...... Also, I have noticed that a lot of the email addresses listed for these websites are duds. And the websites themselves get updated and their addresses change. For example I posted an older version of our own Celine's website. Apologies, Celine. Her updated website address is below. So would you please edit your copies as follows. And, please, continue to let me know when I've posted outdated material. 1) Please change Celine's website to: www.geocities.com/celinemarie 2) Please delete the Denise Caron [Caron Braun] website. Thread II On another note -- Regarding pronunciations.... I've heard [but hardly ever remember to do this myself] that I shouldn't pronounce Degruy like a college "degree".... but to say De Groo [rhymes with shoe]..... Is that correct or incorrect? Regarding spellings: Also I've never understood the variations in spelling and I see, just within members of this list, various spellings: Degruy, De Gruy, de Gruy, etc etc. It seems pretty much a "free for all" when it comes to the way the name appears....so I suspect there are no guidelines for this? That's it... Renee

Hello - I've been out of town the last week and so am just now catching up with what I've missed. Thank you for the list of web sites. I have come across a few of the same in my own researching, but how nice to have them listed for us. I see we are trying to agree on the correct pronunciation of both de Gruy and Verloin. As my grandmother's maiden name was Verloin de Gruy, and Karma can add to this as it is still her current name (Remember Karma's great grandfather was my grandmother's brother), I will tell you how our family has always been told it was pronounced and spelled. 1. Verloin is not pronounced like the steak - sirloin - but rather a difficult way - Verl is said with almost a silent r and the Verl virtually comes out sounding more like Val. The second half of the name is more like a baby's waah, with the n also silent as there is no e at the end of the word. (Remember in French, the last letter of any word is not pronounced unless it is followed by an e or has an accent over it) 2. de Gruy is the way we, and generations back, have spelled the name. The "de" signifying exactly from where the family comes, such as in the Count de Gruyeres, or the Marquis de Circe (I can't add accents in email but that is pronounced seersay) Because the "y" is pronounced, but there is no "e" at the end of the word, then I am guessing that the original Swiss spelling with an "e", as in Gruyere is why we still pronounce the "y." One reason for the various spellings is that birth certificates were hand written and kept in the parish church or the church in which a baby was christened. The same was done for marriage certificates, etc. Unfortunately, these were often recorded incorrectly by the priest or nun doing the writing, making the tracking of a specific name difficult. I have found that these old churches sometimes burned down leaving someone down the road making a new certificate and again often misspelling the names. Louisiana, being populated by French, Acadian and Spanish meant the spelling of names sometimes were by hearing it and then spelled by that individual's own language rules. I have a confirmation certificate for one relative, from Ursaline Academy, dated 1857 with her name spelled 2 different ways on the same certificate. In researching my father's side of the family, I found that those who came through Ellis Island had entire names changed because the recording person couldn't understand the language being used by the immigrant. In that case it is extremely helpful to know the name of the town, province or in the case of Scandinavia, the farm from which a relative came. That was frequently mistaken as their last names. One last observation, another tidbit of a story, from emails of the last week. The brothers who accompanied d'Iberville to LA were the Foucher boys whose father was the Marquis de Circe, a small town on the Swiss/French border, not that far from Gruyeres. It was their sister, Felicite, or Felicie, who married a Francois Verloin de Gruy I (I think he was the 1st) in New Orleans, who is one of our direct ancestors (Karma's and mine for sure). As I don't know where everyone else comes in on the family tree at this point, I'm not sure where they would fit in your line. Unfortunately, I am going on memory as, Renee, I, too, have had my computer crash and am at the frustrating point where I can't access any of my genealogy files, which had become rather extensive. I had merged the de Gruy / Gaiennie / Foucher / Fazende (Spanish) names and had well over 2000 names in the tree. Of course, many of those were not truly a direct line from me back but are totally fascinating and represent enormous amounts of time, as I know all of you can understand. Here's my question. I am fairly computer challenged. I am buying new software that I'm hoping will let me access my files. The files are there I just can't get to them. They were entered in Family Tree Maker several years ago, the original software was loaned to another family member, who shall remain un-named as he lost the disks. The software I'm buying is the newest Family Tree Maker. Does anyone know if my old files will be compatible with the newer version software? I am absolutely at my wit's end trying to fix this without losing everything. I suppose this is long enough so I will end it here. But I have a book that documents the interesting story that a de Gruy owned a plantation that is now Audubon Park in NO. I'd heard that story all my life, but frankly never believed it. My next email will have the specific names and info on that, unless of course, all of you are ahead of me and already know about this. Good to be back and read everything. This is wonderful, I think, and has renewed my determination to get all my info in a readable narrative form for my children and grandchildren. I appreciate all of you responding to this new list and especially to you, Renee, for getting it started. I feel like this is the first "family reunion" we've ever really had - now there's a thought! Shelley -----Original Message----- From: Degruy List Admin [mailto:degruylist@earthlink.net] Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 6:37 AM To: DEGRUY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: 2 threads: changes for website listings & pronunciation and spelling of Degruy Hi, Two threads [I and II] for this posting: Thread I Now that I've sent out that list of Degruy websites, corrections are coming in. I'll post these changes to this list as they come in. And, if and when we get our Degruy Website going, I'll post an edited list on it. Please keep in mind that I simply listed all the websites that came up when I searched the surname. I have not corresponded with the each of people who post these websites, nor can I personally recommend them or attest to the data contained therein...... Also, I have noticed that a lot of the email addresses listed for these websites are duds. And the websites themselves get updated and their addresses change. For example I posted an older version of our own Celine's website. Apologies, Celine. Her updated website address is below. So would you please edit your copies as follows. And, please, continue to let me know when I've posted outdated material. 1) Please change Celine's website to: www.geocities.com/celinemarie 2) Please delete the Denise Caron [Caron Braun] website. Thread II On another note -- Regarding pronunciations.... I've heard [but hardly ever remember to do this myself] that I shouldn't pronounce Degruy like a college "degree".... but to say De Groo [rhymes with shoe]..... Is that correct or incorrect? Regarding spellings: Also I've never understood the variations in spelling and I see, just within members of this list, various spellings: Degruy, De Gruy, de Gruy, etc etc. It seems pretty much a "free for all" when it comes to the way the name appears....so I suspect there are no guidelines for this? That's it... Renee ============================== 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