Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Attention Southwest Louisiana Genealogists!

I just wanted to write really quickly about a discovery I made today. I've recently decided to finally source all of my research on my paternal side of the family that comes from Louisiana. This was the first side of the family that I began researching when I was a kid because I've always lived within a few hours of Southwest Louisiana. Well, with the move to North Carolina fast approaching, I've realized that I may not have as much access to these resources. My surname Saturday post on the Trahan family really got me thinking that I may really miss these resources in a few months. Most of my sources have been Father Donald J. Hebert's series of books titled Southwest Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records. He was a priest that extracted and compiled Catholic, Methodist, and Episcopal church records, as well as courthouse records, all around the Lafayette and Lake Charles areas of Southwest Louisiana. These books spanned the years 1750 to 1909 and were published from 1978 into the 1990s. It stated on his publishing website, however, that he had completed research up to 1921, but that the books had not been published. I was afraid that since he had died about 10 years ago, and not a single book had since been published, that we could just forget about it. Well, after all these years, books covering 1910 to 1915 have been published recently and are now available at my local genealogy library in Baton Rouge! Anyhow, I'm really excited about the find. If anyone needs me to look up something in them, just let me know!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Surname Saturday: TRAHAN

I've decided to start participating in the Surname Saturday meme. I will start with the first surname on the Ahnentafel system. This is my paternal grandfather's line and my surname, TRAHAN.

1. Jennifer Nicole TRAHAN (me)

2. Michael David TRAHAN (my dad)

4. Benford Maurice TRAHAN was born 1 Mar 1935 in Ossun, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was baptized 23 Mar 1935 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He died 6 Sep 2009 in Sulphur, Calcasieu, Louisiana and was cremated. He was the son of 8. Bienvenue TRAHAN and 9. Beatrice Marie BONEAUX. He married 5. Merlene Golda MERTENA 2 Feb 1955 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Vinton, Calcasieu, Louisiana. She is the daughter of 10. Merlen Paris MERTENA and 11. Hassie Cora PROFFITT.

8. Bienvenue TRAHAN was born 26 Oct 1908 in Vatican, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was baptized 12 Dec 1908 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He died 18 Mar 2006 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana; buried 21 Mar 2006 in Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was the son of 16. Oscar TRAHAN and 17. Virginia PREJEAN. He married 9. Beatrice Marie BONEAUX 14 Sep 1929 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 18. Maurice BONEAUX and 19. Marie Alice SONNIER.

16. Oscar TRAHAN was born 17 Oct 1889. He was baptized 24 Dec 1889 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rayne, Acadia, Louisiana. He died 5 Aug 1962 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana; buried 6 Aug 1962 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was the son of 32. Theoville TRAHAN and 33. Anna WISE. He first married 17. Virginia PREJEAN 18 Jan 1908 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 34. Paul Lucius PREJEAN and 35. Marie Alicia BERNARD. Oscar and Virginia divorced between 1910 and 1920. He then married Bertha DUHON 31 Dec 1921 in Goose Creek (now Baytown), Harris, Texas.

32. Theoville TRAHAN was born 15 Sep 1852. He was baptized at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. He died 11 May 1915 and was buried at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was the son of 64. Delphin Stinville TRAHAN and 65. Marie Cidalise TRAHAN. He first married Emerida MARTINEZ abt 1870-1871. She was the daughter of Sosthene MARTINEZ and Maria HERNANDEZ. Theoville then married 33. Anna WISE 5 Nov 1883 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 66. Andrew WISE and 67. Anna GREY.

64. Delphin Stinville TRAHAN was born about Jul 1826. He was baptized at the age of 3 months 1 Oct 1826 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. His succession was dated 30 Nov 1865 at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was buried at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Scott, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was the son of 128. Michel Athanese TRAHAN and 129. Susanne GUIDRY. He married 65. Marie Cidalise TRAHAN (his first cousin) 18 Mar 1847 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 130. Pierre Jani TRAHAN and 131. Susanne Ursule BOULET.

128. Michel Athanese TRAHAN was born 20 Mar 1785. He was baptized 22 May 1785 at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in present day St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana. He died between 1860 and 1870. He was the son of 256/260. Jean Athanese TRAHAN and 257/261. Madeleine THIBODEAUX. He married 129. Susanne GUIDRY 16 May 1809 in St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 258. Olivier GUIDRY and 259. Marie Felicite AUCOIN.

130. Pierre Jani TRAHAN was born 25 Jul 1783. He was baptized 9 Nov 1783 at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in present day St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana. His succession is dated 18 Nov 1837 at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana. He was he son of 256/260. Jean Athanese TRAHAN and 257/261. Madeleine THIBODEAUX. He married 131. Susanne Ursule BOULET 1 May 1809 in St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana. She was the daughter of 262. Louis BOULET and 263. Jeanette LANDROT.

256/260. Jean Athanese TRAHAN was born about 1754, in Acadia (now Nova Scotia). He arrived in Louisiana with his parents and siblings in Feb 1765 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, via St. Domingue (now Haiti). They settled in the Attakapas District of Louisiana near present-day Lafayette. He appeared in the 1771 census of the Attakapas District at the age of 16 in the household of his parents. His succession is dated 1836 at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was the son of 512. Michel TRAHAN and 513. Anne Euphrosine VINCENT. He married 257/261. Madeleine THIBODEAUX about 1777, probably in the Attakapas District of Louisiana. She was the daughter of 514. Charles THIBODEAUX and 515. Brigitte BREAUX.

512. Michel TRAHAN was born about 1726, probably in Riviere-aux-Canards, Acadia. He arrived in Louisiana with his wife and four children in Feb 1765. They settled in the Attakapas District of Louisiana, and he appeared in the census there in 1771 at age 45. He was buried 20 Feb 1784 in the cemetery at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, St. Martin, Louisiana. He was the most likely the son of 1024. Rene TRAHAN and 1025. Elisabeth DAROIS dit Jerome. He married 513. Anne Euphrosine VINCENT about 1750 in Acadia. She was the daughter of 1026. Michel VINCENT and 1027. Anne Marie DOIRON.

1024. Rene TRAHAN was born about 1693/1694, probably in Minas, Acadia. His parents appeared in the Acadian census at Minas in 1693. He died before 6 Jun 1734, probably in Peticoudiac, Acadia (his widow married Sylvain BREAUX on 6 Jun 1734 in Beaubassin, Acadia). He was the son of 2048. Jean Charles TRAHAN and 2049. Marie BOUDROT/BOUDREAUX. He married 1025. Elisabeth DAROIS dit Jerome 8 Nov 1717 at St. Charles des Mines Catholic Church in Grand Pre, Acadia. She was the daughter of 2050. Jerome DAROIS and 2051. Marie GAREAU.

2048. Jean Charles TRAHAN was born about 1668, probably in Port Royal, Acadia. He appears at age 3 with his parents in the 1671 Acadian census at Port Royal. He died between 1725 and 1729, possibly in Pisguit, Acadia, where he appeared in the 1714 Acadian census. He was the son of 4096. Guillaume TRAHAN and 4097. Madeleine BRUN. He married 2049. Marie BOUDROT about 1692, probably in Port Royal, Acadia. She was the daughter of 4098. Charles BOUDROT/BOUDREAUX and 4099. Renee BOURG.

4096. Guillaume TRAHAN was born between 1600 and 1610 in Monteruil-Bellay, France. In 1635, a judgment was issued against him for illicit wood cutting in the forest of Bourgueil, France. He left La Rochelle, France, on 1 Apr 1636 aboard the St. Jean bound for Acadia, with his first wife and two daughters. He died before 1686 in Port Royal, Acadia, which is when his widow is found with her second husband in the Acadian census of 1686 in Port Royal. He was the son of 8192. Nicolas TRAHAN and 8193. Renee DESLOGES. He first married Francoise CORBINEAU 13 Jul 1627 at St. Etienne de Chinon Catholic Church in Chinon, France. He then married 4097. Madeleine BRUN about 1666 in Port Royal, Acadia. She was the daughter of 8194. Vincent BRUN and 8195. Marie Renee BROT/BREAUX.