I have seen the name of Rev. Richard Hoffpauir appear on several obituaries in the Lake Charles & Sulphur area over the years. Does anyone know who this Rev. Richard Hoffpauir is? I have several Richard Hoffpauirs listed in my file, but have none of them indicated to be a minister. I'd just like to add that little bit of information, if possible. -- Charlie Hoffpauir http://web.wt.net/~charlieh/

I have 13 Richard Hoffpauirs. I have a Richard James Hoffpauir who died in Lake Charles on 10 Mar 1947 having been born 10 Jun 1904at Estherwood. Don't know if he was a minister. Felton

I am what is referred to as an 'Organ builder'. I service Pipe organs here in South Louisiana. For those who do not know, I have Hoffpauir blood from both my father and mother. I presented the second Hoffpauir book , up-dating the Will Hoffpauir book. I did my book before the P/C came on the scene. I had only 50 copies printed. A note on the organ site showed up today. A Jim Westcott [a fireman] was in Germany "a while back" and visited the workshop of "Herr Hofbauer" in Gottingen, Germany. Herr "Hofbauer is primarily a church organ builder but has turned out many crank organs" "Herr Hofbauer talked about bringing his orchestra [a group of crank organs ] to Ohio in March of this year." I have e-mailed Westcott, asking for any info he has about how to contact Herr Hofbauer and his trip to Ohio. Will post it when received. lamar ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Irene, I'm here in DC to do the research at the Archives. I will be going sometime next week. Please hurry with your names, dates, etc for lookups. Best regards, Sharon

Sorry Charlie This is all I have & cannot confirm it. The reason I stated there is some confusion is over the Dewitt name. Can someone else help? Felton

Felton, I can confirm some of your data...... FelMor@aol.com wrote: > > Ya'll > > I may have some confusion here. > > I have Ward Clay Hoffpauir b 3 Jan 1912 Duson, Lafayette Parish d 1 Aug 1999 > Vinton marr 1939 to Emma Ruth Dewitt b 1915 in Poland, Rapides Parish, LA > I didn't have the information about his wife, but in the obit it lists one daughters name as a Dewitt. My assumption was that it was her married name. Do you think this was the name of his wife's previous husband, or what? Here's the obit: HOFFPAUIR, Ward C. LCAP 8/3/1999 VINTON -- Funeral services for Ward C. Hoffpauir, 87, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, in First Baptist Church. The Revs. Lee Perkins and Dale Tatum will officiate. Burial will be in Big Woods Cemetery in Edgerly under the direction of Hixson Funeral Home. Visitation is 11 a.m -10 p.m. today, and from 9 a.m. Wednesday. Mr. Hoffpauir died Sunday, Aug. 1, 1999, in Vinton. A native of Lafayette, he was a resident of Vinton. He was a longtime employee of Texaco Research in Port Arthur, Texas. He was a Mason. He was a member of Central Baptist Church in Port Arthur and First Baptist Church in Vinton. Survivors include one son, Frank Hoffpauir of Vinton; one daughter, Carolyn DeWitt of Houston; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. I guess the reference to Carolyn Dewitt in the obit could be a mistake. Do you have any confirmation that her spouse is Allan Wizig? > children to wit: > > 1. Frank Ray Hoffpauir b 3 Nov 1939 in Port Arthur, TX marr 4 Dec 1962 in > Port Arthur to Barbara F Munzel b 17 Jun 1944 Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany > (2 children) > > 2. Carolyn Ruth Hoffpauir b 20 Dec 1946 Port Arthur marr Allan Wizig (2 > children) > > Felton > > ==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== > Please remove as much of the Original Message as possible when replying > to a List Posting. Include only that part of the original message > important to your reply. -- Charlie Hoffpauir http://web.wt.net/~charlieh/

Ya'll I may have some confusion here. I have Ward Clay Hoffpauir b 3 Jan 1912 Duson, Lafayette Parish d 1 Aug 1999 Vinton marr 1939 to Emma Ruth Dewitt b 1915 in Poland, Rapides Parish, LA children to wit: 1. Frank Ray Hoffpauir b 3 Nov 1939 in Port Arthur, TX marr 4 Dec 1962 in Port Arthur to Barbara F Munzel b 17 Jun 1944 Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany (2 children) 2. Carolyn Ruth Hoffpauir b 20 Dec 1946 Port Arthur marr Allan Wizig (2 children) Felton

Linda I am certain that Thomas would have baptized his children Catholic as it was necessary for them to inherit property. However I do not believe that it was a true conversion but was only for convienence. He and his wife raised their children in a largely Protestant community and only many generations later did several members convert to Catholic, usually while marrying Catholics. You would not believe how many Methodist ministers have come from the Hoffpauir line. I met the female minister at the Hoffpauir reunion, I believe last year or the year before. Felton

Yeah, Charlie! I saw that but didn't know any of the names. My uncle, S.L. Perry lives in that area, I think. Randy

This obituary was listed in the Lake Charles American Press today. Matilda is Matilda or maybe Mathilda Hoffpauir, daughter of John Charles Hoffpauir and Malillian Harrington. Joseph D. Spell SULPHUR -- Funeral services for Joseph David Spell, 90, will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, in Robison Funeral Home. The Revs. Lonnie Gothrup and Jim Reynolds will officiate. Burial will be in Mimosa Pines Cemetery. Visitation is 11 a.m.-10 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. Friday. Mr. Spell died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999, in his residence. A native of Crowley, he moved to Sulphur in 1928. He was an operator for Cities Service Oil until retiring in 1963. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Masons, Sulphur Lodge 424, and the Valley of Scottish Rite Bodies of Lake Charles. He was a member of Houston River Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Matilda Spell; one son, Calvin David Spell of Nederland, Texas; three daughters, Charlene Flowers of Westlake, Olive Druis Campbell of Sulphur and Helen M. Moss of Beaumont, Texas; 11 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, the family said. -- Charlie Hoffpauir http://web.wt.net/~charlieh/

Hi Felton,  I appreciate your email on this topic.  I have questioned Thomas' religion for some time now as I try to locate him before LA.  With all my findings on Marie Charlotte, I have felt that perhaps Thomas converted to Catholicism basically for marriage reasons and your information illustrates many reasons why he may have done this. As in modern times,  he would have had to convert to marry her and the baptisms of their children would follow Catholic procedures.   Do we show the children of Thomas Jr., Francois and Amelia baptised as Catholic or is this where we see the Methodist church coming in?  I know we have many very early Hoffpauer ministers.  I have information on one who was a woman. Thanks, Linda ---- Begin Original Message ---- From: FelMor@aol.com Sent: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 23:21:17 EST To: HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Catholic to Methodist Linda It is not established that Thomas Hoffpauer was catholic.  Their children were baptized catholic because it was the law & required for inheritance purposes.  Most protestant emigrants to Louisiana & other catholic countries baptized their children to avoid the hassle and persecution.  One can tell if they were truly catholic if the next generation baptized their children catholic which very few Hoffpauirs did.  Of course after Louisiana was purchased by The United States there was no longer a state religion.  This also occured in Spanish Florida & Natchez prior to the British takeover.   Reading some of the old letters & papers paints a interesting picture of what the protestants faced when trying to have their own services.  Some fort commandants were more restrictive than others.  Often people were arrested or forced to leave the country.  Of course in the New England area the same worked in reverse with persecution of catholics. Felton Felton ==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== If you're into genealogy, consider joining RootsWeb...... RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative       http://www.rootsweb.com/ ---- End Original Message ---- Get your Free E-mail at http://alsace.zzn.com ___________________________________________________________ Get your own Web-based E-mail Service at http://www.zzn.com

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I have not checked my e-mail for several days . . after being on computer at work all day, I am not always in the mood to get on it at home in the evening. Let me get all the dates, etc. written down and I will get back to you. Thanks so much for offering to help. It means a lot to me. Irene -----Original Message----- From: DULCICH6@aol.com <DULCICH6@aol.com> To: HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com <HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, November 07, 1999 7:57 PM Subject: Re: look ups for Hoffpauirs >I would be happy to look up your Hoffpauir. Would you give me dates? Are you >interested in census, military, ????. Let me know. I will be back in the >Archives again, after Thanksgiving. > >Sharon > > >==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== >Have you checked out the free books on Thomas Hoffpauir's family? They >are available for download at http://users.ev1.net/~charlieh/ > >

Hi Lamar, I am glad to find this out about the church in Opelousas. Now I will have to make a trip to go see it. Thanks Sharon Spell Richard LAMAR BOULET wrote: > Another thought just hit me. Since there seems to be a connection between > the Hoffpauirs and the Methodis church, has anyone thought of searching the > records at the Methodist church in Opelousas. This church is suppose to be > the oldest Methodist Church west of the Mississippi. > > lamar > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > ==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== > The address to use for posting a message or a question is: > HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com

Hi, Does anyone know when the Hoffpauir's became Methodists. With Thomas and Marie being Catholic, I was wondering when the change over took place. Thanks, Linda Get your Free E-mail at http://alsace.zzn.com ___________________________________________________________ Get your own Web-based E-mail Service at http://www.zzn.com

Linda It is not established that Thomas Hoffpauer was catholic. Their children were baptized catholic because it was the law & required for inheritance purposes. Most protestant emigrants to Louisiana & other catholic countries baptized their children to avoid the hassle and persecution. One can tell if they were truly catholic if the next generation baptized their children catholic which very few Hoffpauirs did. Of course after Louisiana was purchased by The United States there was no longer a state religion. This also occured in Spanish Florida & Natchez prior to the British takeover. Reading some of the old letters & papers paints a interesting picture of what the protestants faced when trying to have their own services. Some fort commandants were more restrictive than others. Often people were arrested or forced to leave the country. Of course in the New England area the same worked in reverse with persecution of catholics. Felton Felton

The Indian Bayou church and the Ebenezer Church are both United Methodist.... Thanks for the transcription... you are extra special.... Myra Whitlow -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Hill <bhill@uclink4.berkeley.edu> To: HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com <HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, November 14, 1999 2:49 AM Subject: Thanks: Plaquemine Brulee >Thanks all, for info on Plaquemine Brulee. It is good to know I didn't >misread the French. Wish I knew how to do those nifty accent marks like >Charlie does. > >Out of curiosity, what denomination of church is Ebenezer and how far is it >from Indian Bayou? > >Barbara Hill > > > >==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== >If you're into genealogy, consider joining RootsWeb...... >RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative http://www.rootsweb.com/ > >

Lamar, I have two volumes of "A History of Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church, Opelousas, La. "the cradle of Louisiana Methodism. The second volume list the names of the past & present members. There were only 5 Hoffpauirs who seemed to all have joined the church in 1923. They were Asa, C.C., Mrs. C.C, Louise and Lucy. They seem to have left this church, but the date was unknown. The following is an excerpt from the Indian Bayou Church showing Isaac & Eliza Perry Hoffpauir established the first Methodist congregation at Indian Bayou. I think it is from the Indian Bayou Church many Hoffpauirs became Methodist and later Ebenezer. "A charter member and founder of the church at Kimball's Chapel was Isaac Hoffpauir, who with his wife, Eliza, is credited with the establishment of the congregation. Hoffpauir was the first "licensed Exhorter" of the new church--one authorized to recruit new members for the church." He was born in 1814, and began serving as exhorter between 1830 and 1840." Source: "Our Roots Are Deep", Indian Bayou Methodist Church, 1834-1984. A History in Commemoration of American Methodism's Bicentennial. Bonnie ---------- LAMAR BOULET wrote: Another thought just hit me. Since there seems to be a connection between the Hoffpauirs and the Methodis church, has anyone thought of searching the records at the Methodist church in Opelousas. This church is suppose to be the oldest Methodist Church west of the Mississippi. lamar ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== The address to use for posting a message or a question is: HOFFPAUIR-L@rootsweb.com

Another thought just hit me. Since there seems to be a connection between the Hoffpauirs and the Methodis church, has anyone thought of searching the records at the Methodist church in Opelousas. This church is suppose to be the oldest Methodist Church west of the Mississippi. lamar ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

I recall that the two churches, Indian Bayou and Ebenezer were two different churches. One was of the Northern Methodist and the other the Southern Meth Church. I think the Indian Bayou church was known as the Southern Methodist. There was another Methodist called the Hebern Church which was connected to the Indian Bayou church and my family attended the Indian Bayou church and at times the Hebern church. The Hebern church was within a mile or two of the Ebenezer church, both were in Acadia Parish, Indian Bayou Meth is in Vermillion Parish. Lamar ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Barbara, If you're using Win 98, the Character Map is what you want to find. Do a search for a program called Charmap.exe (it's probably on Win 95 systems also). If you don't find it on your hard drive, this means that it wasn't installed, but it should be on your Win CD, so then look for it there, and copy it to your hard drive. The accented characters are all available then, but unless you type as slow as I do, it will be much slower to generate the accented characters than regular typing, because you either have to cut & paste from the Charmap display, or read the code and enter it by typing the code for each accented character. For example, û is entered as Alt-0251. The Ebenezer Church is also Methodist, it's a few miles from Indian Bayou, maybe 5 or 10, in the direction of Crowley. Barbara Hill wrote: > > Thanks all, for info on Plaquemine Brulee. It is good to know I didn't > misread the French. Wish I knew how to do those nifty accent marks like > Charlie does. > > Out of curiosity, what denomination of church is Ebenezer and how far is it > from Indian Bayou? > > Barbara Hill > > ==== HOFFPAUIR Mailing List ==== > If you're into genealogy, consider joining RootsWeb...... > RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative http://www.rootsweb.com/ -- Charlie Hoffpauir http://web.wt.net/~charlieh/