MONDAY'S MOTHERS - Augustine Melanie Laperle Degruy Fortier (1822-1872)

Augustine Melanie Laperle Degruy Fortier
(1822-1872)

[NOTE: I made a correction to daughter Alice's date of death - she was just three when she died.]

Laperle Degruy Fortier is my 3x-great-grandmother. She was the mother of eleven children, the grandmother of twenty-three, with dozens of great-grandchildren, like myself, that were descended from her. This is her story.

Augustine Melanie Laperle Degruy was born on January 17, 1822, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her parents were Jean Baptiste Valentin DuFouchard Degruy (1751-1838) and Melanie Gaudin (1786-1853), both natives of New Orleans. Laperle, as she was called, was the third of six (or seven) children. She was baptized at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans at the age of 2; her older sister Felicite (1818-1832), just six years old, was her sister's godmother.

On Saturday, May 9, 1840, Laperle, age 18, married 27-year-old Jacques Omer Fortier (1813-1867) in New Orleans. Omer's father Jacques Omer Fortier (1792-1823), called Jacques, had died when Omer was just 10 years old, leaving his widow and three young children. Omer's mother Charlotte Adele Chauvin deLery (1796-1834) died just over 10 years later.

Omer's grandfather had once owned a sugar plantation in Jefferson Parish, along the Mississippi River, just outside New Orleans, as had his great-grandfather. When this grandfather, Jacques Omer Fortier (1759-1820), died his widow Aimee Marie Victoire Felicite Durel (1768-1843) became the owner of Pasture Plantation. The plantation was eventually sold to Minor Kenner and burned to the ground in 1870.

Omer was a clerk in New Orleans and the family lived at 256 Bourbon Street (now 1120 Bourbon Street). Laperle and Omer's first child was born just thirteen months after their wedding -  the first of eleven:

• Adele Augustine Philomene Fortier - born June 1841; she died August 17, 1841, at the age of two months.
• Ida Fortier - born September 13, 1842; she died January 29, 1848, at the age of 5 years old.
• Alice Fortier - born April 6, 1844; she died just before her big sister Ida, on January 26, 1848, at just 3 years old.
• Odalie Fortier - born August 31, 1846; she died at the age of 2 years on January 2, 1849.
• Adele Augustine Philomene Fortier - born January 2, 1849; she died at age 37 on February 16, 1886, leaving a husband and two young daughters.
• Omer Auguste Fortier - born June 30, 1855; he died at age 41 on April 13, 1897, leaving a widow and four children.
• Felicite Odalie Fortier - born August 31, 1857; she died November 14, 1920, at the age of 63. Odalie is my great-great-grandmother. She had been widowed, and was survived by four adult children.
• Gaston James Fortier - born September 1860; he died on June 3, 1917, at the age of 56. He was survived by his widow and four adult children.
• Lucian M. Fortier - born September 1861; he died at the age of 23 on October 21, 1884.
• Luciana Fortier - born September 1861, Lucian's twin; she died on July 19, 1942, at the age of 81, leaving three adult children.
• Jeanette Fortier - born May 1868; she died July 7, 1941, at the age of seventy-three, survived by one adult son.

Laperle had eleven pregnancies go full term - that's over 400 weeks being pregnant! She had her first baby when she was nineteen, and her last when she was forty-six. Four of her little girls died by the age of 5.

When her husband died on December 19, 1867, after 27 years of marriage, Laperle was four months pregnant. She had at home six children, soon to be seven, ages 6 to 17. How she managed to raise seven children at a time when women generally didn't work outside the home, and if they did their pay would be very low. There was no day care, no government assistance. Both of her in-laws were dead, as were both of her own parents. How she managed is unknown.

Omer Fortier Family Tomb
St. Louis Cemetery #1
New Orleans, Louisiana

What is known is that she lived less than five years after her husband's death, dying on November 1, 1872, in New Orleans. She was just 50 years old. She was buried in the family plot in St. Louis Cemetery #1.

[Translation of Obituary - "Died, yesterday morning, at 2 o'clock, at the age of 51 years, Mrs. Widow OMER FORTIER, born Laperle Degruy. Her friends and those of her brother, A. O. Degruy, and Fortier families, are respectfully requested to attend without further invitation, her funeral which will begin this morning at 10 am sharp. Her body is (? perhaps available for viewing) at Amour and Union Streets."  From page 1, column 6]


Notice of Death - Laperle Dugruy Fortier
New Orleans Bee, November 2, 1872

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Thomas O'Donnell (1827-1877) & Sophia Thompson O'Donnell (1839-1916)

NOTE: This story is about Thomas O'Donnell, my great-great-great-uncle. I found it just yesterday, and have now confirmed the county and parish of my O'Donnell ancestors. More exploration will now be necessary to find out about their life in Ireland, and maybe one day I can visit the exact town where my grandfather's family lived. But the story today is about Thomas, and it's not a happy ending for him.

Headstone of Thomas O'Donnell
St. Louis Cemetery, Louisville, KY

Thomas O'Donnell is one of six brothers of my great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Donnell (1823-1911). Thomas was born about 1827 to Richard O'Donnell (1787-1857) and Margaret (UNK-UNK). He was born in the Parish of Lisronagh, in the County of Tipperary, in Ireland. Thomas and Patrick came with their brothers William O'Donnell (1818-1882), Richard O'Donnell (1820-1899), Edward O'Donnell (1821-1860), John O'Donnell (1822-UNK), and James O'Donnell (1830-1894) to America and originally all settled in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. On December 1, 1849, Thomas, along with his brothers Richard, Edward, John and Patrick, arrived in the Port of New Orleans on board the ship Fingall.

Thomas, along with Patrick and John, soon settled in Henry County, all working as laborers with the Louisville, Cincinnati & Lexington Railroad (later part of the L&N Railroad). On October 18, 1857, Thomas married Sophia Thompson (1839-1916). He was 30 years old, she was just 18. Sophie, as she was called, was one of five children born in Switzerland County, Indiana, to David Thompson (1804-1866), a Scottish immigrant, and Elizabeth Bennett (1803-1865), an immigrant from England. Thomas & Sophia in the early years of their marriage lived with her family in Eminence, Henry County, Kentucky.

Thomas rose to the position of Section Boss for the L. C & L Railroad in Eminence, and he and Sophia had six children (possibly seven): James Richard O'Donnell (b. March 23, 1858); Frances J. "Fanny" O'Donnell (b. Nov. 20, 1859); Mary T. O'Donnell (b. February 18, 1862); Sophia O'Donnell (b. February 13, 1868); Elizabeth T. "Eliza" O'Donnell (b. August 1870); and Margaret "Maggie" O'Donnell (b. April 1875).

from Courier-Journal, page 1
June 20, 1877
[CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE]

A BLOODY SUICIDE
Thomas O'Donnell, a Section Boss on the Lexington Road, Cuts His Throat from Ear to Ear

"Jericho Station, 32 miles from this city, in Henry county, on the Short-line road, was startled yesterday morning by the news of a terrible suicide. Thomas O'Donnell, a man probably in the neighborhood of 50, was related to be the suicide. O'Donnell had been in the employ of the railroad as section boss, and, until lately, was stationed at Eminence, where he managed to save money, and became a proprietor of considerable property, it being estimated that he was worth about $20,000.

The railroad officers concluded to change his location, and a short time ago moved him to Dorset Station, twelve miles beyond Frankfort. O'Donnell brought his family with him and took up his residence there, but appeared discontented with the change. Monday he came to Louisville and yesterday morning, about 2 o'clock he appeared at the house of his brother Patrick O'Donnell, in Jericho, woke up the family and stated that he had missed the afternoon train from Louisville, and had come up on a freight train. He complained of sickness and went to bed.

About 6 o'clock yesterday morning, he arose with the family and asked for a razor with which he wanted to shave himself. His brother Patrick told him to wait until after breakfast, before undergoing that operation. Breakfast was taken, and between half-past 6 and 7 o'clock, Thomas proceeded to shave himself. Shortly before 7 o'clock his brother observed him going first to one portion of the fence then to another portion, and looking over as if to see whether there was anyone out in the neighboring farms. Patrick's supposition as to his action was far different from what it turned out to be. The farmer went to the barn to feed some hogs. He had been at his work but a few minutes when, chancing to glance up, he beheld Thomas lying flat on the ground about fifty yards from him.

Thinking that he had perhaps fallen into a fit, he went up to him, when, to his utter terror and dismay, he saw Thomas gasping for breath, and almost heard the sound of the death-rattle in his throat.  His throat had been cut in a most fearful manner from the top of the left to the top of the right ear, and the blood was streaming over him. The sight was sickening enough to nearly freeze him to the spot. The head was half dangling from the neck, such a gash had the suicide inflicted. Life was extinct in 5 minutes. An inquest was held by Squire R. W. Vance, at which Patrick O'Donnell testified as to what he had seen. The verdict of the jury was based upon the above facts.



Grave of Thomas O'Donnell
St. Louis Cemetery, Louisville, KY

The cause of the suicide is very unaccountable to the dead man's relatives and friends. He was moderately well off, was known, it is said, to be thoroughly temperate in his habits, was on good terms with all his relatives and had no financial or domestic troubles. The only cause that can be imagined was his discontent at being removed from Eminence to Dorset station. His family consists of a wife and seven children."  [Louisville's Courier-Journal newspaper; June 20, 1877; page 1]

Thomas was buried in the Catholic section of St. Louis Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. His wife Sophia, no doubt distraught, honored her husband with a special gravestone.  On the marble stone she had carved the place of his birth as well as the day of his death.

         "To My Husband

          THOMAS O'DONNELL

          BORN IN THE PARISH

          OF LISROUGHNA, CO

          TIPPERARY, IRELAND

          Died June 19, 1877,

          Aged 50 years"

[This information was used - 136 years later - to be able to confirm that the 'Thomas O'Donnell' in the newspaper article, who was the brother of my great-great-grandfather Patrick, was the same 'Thomas O'Donnell' from the parish of Lisronagh, in the county of Tipperary buried here.]

Notice of Death - Sophia Thompson O'Donnell
December 26, 1916

Sophia, a widow at 38, and her six children (or seven as the newspaper article stated), ages 2 to 18, soon moved to Midway, in nearby Woodford County, where she managed a boarding house full of railroad laborers, including Thomas' older brother John O'Donnell. Sophia eventually moved back to Eminence, where several of her siblings stilled lived. She died on December 23, 1916, in Lexington, where she was living with her daughter Sophia and her family. She is buried at Eminence Cemetery in Henry County.

Mrs. Sophie O'Donnell

     "Funeral services for Mrs. Sophie O'Donnell, 78 years old, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John McCullough, 348 Jefferson Street, Saturday morning, will be held Wednesday morning at 7:30 o'clock at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Rev. Libert de Waegenaere officiating.
     The body will be taken on the 9 o'clock Louisville & Nashville train to Eminence, her former home, for burial. Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Richard, Robert, Harry and T.J. Granghan, Joseph, Jack and Charles McCullough and Edwin Doyle, Jr." [from Lexington Herald, page 3; December 26, 1916]

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Phillip Huber (1847-1901)

Death of Mr. Phil Huber

"Mr. Phil Huber died Thursday after a brief illness. Mr. Huber moved here about three months ago from Bowling Green, Ky.

He leaves three daughters and one son, Misses Minnie, Mayme, and Lena, and Charles.

The remains were taken to Bowling Green, Ky., for internment." [from Birmingham News]

"Philip Huber died this morning after a long illness with typhoid fever. Mr. Huber came here several months ago from Kentucky. He leaves a wife and several grown children." [from Birmingham Age-Herald; April 5, 1901]

Phillip Huber was my great-great-grandfather. Born in Flörsheim, Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hessen, Germany, on December 17, 1847, to Georg Huber (1809-1900) and Eva Katharina Fauth (1807-1875), Phil immigrated to America in June of 1867. Arriving in New York, he soon settled in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky. He married Barbara Brunett (1852-1896), my great-great-grandmother, on April 25, 1871, and together they had seven children.

Phil worked for many years as a miller in Bowling Green, learning to read, write and speak English - something he could not do as was reported in the 1870 Census. By 1900 he was a Saloon Keeper. His wife Bridget had died in 1896. He had also buried three of his children: oldest child John William, known as"Willie," (1872-1898); Ida Catherine (1875-1879); and Clarence Joseph (1879-1900). Soon after the 1900 Census was taken, Phil moved to Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama, with his four grown children: Mary Bertha, called "Mayme", 27, a school teacher (and my great-grandmother); Philomena Barbara, called "Minnie", 24; Magdelena Hilbert, known as "Lena", 18; and Charles Thomas, 17.

Within just a few months of moving to Alabama, Phil contracted Typhoid Fever. He apparently had set up a Saloon in Bessemer, as the inventory of his possessions at the time of his death included: 5 bottles cherry and pineapple; 12 quarts whiskey; 24 pints champagne; 8 bottles Rhine wine; 20 quarts wine; 6 dozen bar glasses; 1/4 barrel corn whiskey; 1/5 barrel Apple brandy; 5 dozen empty bottles; 30 stone jugs.

According to the notices of his death (above) he had lived in Bessemer only 3 months. He became ill fairly quickly and suffered quite a while with this illness.  The disease was painful [click this link for a complete description: ILLNESSES-TYPHOID ] and which could be (but was not always) deadly. Unfortunately, in this case it  was. Phillip Huber died in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 4, 1901. He was just 53 years old. His body was transported back to Bowling Green on a train, where he was buried next to his wife and three children at St. Joseph's Catholic Church Cemetery. No headstone exists.

After their father's death daughter Mayme (my great-grandmother), still unmarried at this time, became legal guardian to her younger siblings - Lena, 18 and Charles, 17.

Typhoid Fever in Jefferson County, Alabama
A report by Dr. J.M. Mason, County Health Officer, to the Jefferson County Board of Health, stated that for the year 1901 there were 38 deaths from Typhoid Fever. The report also stated, "In order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the city has purchased the best obtainable Formaldehyde Generator, and each house in which an infectious disease occurs, is thoroughly disinfected by the city sanitary inspectors before the placard is removed. Each case of infectious disease is also reported to the school authorities as soon as reported to this office, and in this way school children from infected homes are excluded from school." [The Alabama Medical Journal, Vol. 14, No.5; Medical Association of the State of Alabama; April 1902.]

In 1906, the Sanitary Commission in Jefferson County recognized the need for a way for the county to enforce laws regarding its sewer system, in order to regulate the sanitation and health of the citizens of the county. Working with the Commercial Club of Birmingham, a "Greater Birmingham Commission" was nominated to push for legislation to annex surrounding municipalities and un-incorporated areas to create Greater Birmingham.

When the proposal was under consideration by the State Senate in 1907, eighty-one physicians sent the following letter to each State Senator:

"To the Alabama State Senate:

We the undersigned physicians of Birmingham, Alabama, most urgently request you, on behalf of the people of the entire citizenship of this city and the adjoining towns, to pass the King Greater Birmingham bill now pending before your body.

We are now afflicted with local epidemic of typhoid fever, and unless all this territory is put under our city government and the sanitation is urgently enforced we may suffer terrible consequences in the future from the ravages of said epidemic. We regard the passage of this bill as absolutely necessary for the public safety."

In August 1907 the Greater Birmingham Bill was enacted into law, incorporating eleven municipalities and a large amount of unincorporated areas into the city of Birmingham, effective 1909.



from Birmingham News, September 28, 1948 (p.2)

Continual need for improvements within the city's sanitation system grew as the population grew. In September 1947, under a proposal by the Jefferson County Commission, the State passed an Act which proposed an amendment to the State Constitution authorizing Jefferson County to issue bonds, with voter approval, to financially support the improvements of the sewer system, as well as to give full control to the county, without the need for approval from the State. There was broad support for the amendment. County Health Officer Dr. George A. Dennison was an outspoken proponent, reminding the public that in the early 20th century, Birmingham had been known as "the Typhoid Capital of the World" and that overhauling the sanitation system was key to keeping the city from being closely associated with "filth-borne diseases." [Click on article above right to read more] The Jefferson County Sewer Amendment passed by a substantial majority in the November 1948 general election, giving the county important financial powers that had been unavailable to the administration of the Sanitary Sewer System of the past. [The History of the Jefferson County Sanitary Sewer System; Public Affairs Research Council, November 2001]

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Father John J. Malloy (1922-2013)

Father John J. Malloy
(1922-2013)

Father John J. Malloy
"Fr. John J. Malloy, SDB, 91, died Wednesday morning, March 27, 2013, at St. Mary's Hospital, San Francisco. He had been a Salesian religious for 72 years and a Catholic priest for almost 63 years.

John Malloy was born in Berkeley, California, March 17, 1922, the son of Charles and Agnes Malloy who had moved to California after their marriage in Lima, Ohio, in 1917. John was baptized on the 19th of March, 2013, at St. Ambrose Church, Berkeley. Fr. Malloy has four living sisters: Louise, Mary, Catherine and Margaret, his twin, and his brother Joseph. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Richard and his sister Rita. A host of family members mourn his death and celebrate his life.

The growing family moved to San Pablo, California, in 1929, where John Malloy met the Salesians at their House of Studies in Richmond, CA. In 1935 he joined the high school seminary of the Salesians in Richmond and graduated from high school in 1939.

In September, 1939, John Malloy was accepted into the Salesian Novitiate at Don Bosco College, Newton, NJ. On Sept. 8, 1940 he pronounced his first religious vows. In 1943, after studies in philosophy, he received his B.A. degree. From 1943 to 1946 he taught at St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, and the Salesian House of Studies, Richmond. In the Fall of 1946 he was admitted to the Pontificio Ateneo Salesiano, in Turin, Italy, for theological studies. In 1950 he was awarded a S.T. L. in theology and was ordained a priest July 2, 1950 in Turin.

His first assignments as a young priest were in the Salesian schools of California. In 1952 he became principal of St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, and later principal of Bishop Mora Salesian High School, Los Angeles.

Father John J. Malloy

In the 1960's he was assigned, also, to help with leadership in the Salesian province of San Francisco. In 1965 he was appointed Provincial of the western province and in 1967 transferred to Provincial of the larger Salesian province in eastern United States.

In 1973 he returned to California as President of Don Bosco Technical Institute, Rosemead, and in 1979 returned to Salesian High School, Richmond, converting the all-boys school to a co-educational Catholic high school.

In 1990, John Malloy became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Surrey, near Vancouver, Canada. His administrative skills and his pastoral zeal added new life to the parish including his building of a youth center which influenced the lives of young people in the area.

In 2001, he returned to San Francisco as Pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, San Francisco. In this multi-cultural parish, he called the parishioners to a greater sense of unity and cooperation. He supported the Archdiocese in all its activities including the Right to Life annual appeal.

The last years of his life, from 2007, were spent at Salesian High School, Richmond, very close to the area of his childhood.

On Monday, April 1, 2013 at SS. Peter and Paul Church, there will be viewing at 9:30 a.m., a Rosary at 10:00 and his Funeral Mass at 10:30 am. His interment follows at the Salesian Cemetery, Richmond, Calif. Donations in memory of Fr. John Malloy may be made to the Salesian Province, 1100 Franklin St., San Francisco, CA 94109" [from San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Mar 2013]

Father John Malloy, R.I.P.
 The following was posted on Father John Malloy’s blog on Thurs., March 28 by Gibbons Cooney,  Father Malloy’s secretary at Saints Peter and Paul Church.

 "Our dear Father Malloy has fought his last fight. He went home to the Lord early on Wednesday morning (Ed note: March 27) . Readers of this blog know that he had been suffering from congestive heart failure as well as a number of other ailments natural to a man of 91. Father’s bearing of his condition was a marvelous thing to see. He was perfectly lucid right to the last, and more than once he said he was ready to go. He never complained and was amazingly cheerful. After a conversation with his doctor he agreed to go on a respirator for a few days to see if that would help his condition, after which they would take him off, and let his body take its course. He was taken off the respirator Tuesday morning, and almost immediately began to grow weaker.

Father John Malloy with Pope John Paul II

I saw him on Tuesday night, and he was quite weak physically, but not spiritually. The nurse had something nice to say to him about how easy he was to work with, and I said “Boy, Father, see what a great patient you are!” He smiled and replied with good natured sarcasm, which was his standard response to when anyone gave him a compliment: “Yeah, sure!” He passed away about 12 hours later.

Father Malloy came to us as pastor of Saints Peter and Paul in 2001. At that time he was 79 years old. It struck some of us as a little odd that a 79-year-old would be appointed to lead one of the busiest parishes in San Francisco. Well. Little did we know!

One of his first acts as pastor was to reinstitute a weekly Holy Hour. During his pastorate the entire interior of the church was refurbished top to bottom. It was cleaned and repainted. Beautiful new carpet was installed. The wood floors were refinished, and because all that beauty needed to be seen, new lights were installed. That revealed details that had not been seen for years, and even old timers were amazed. All this while celebrating weddings, baptisms, and masses beyond count.

I think it is fair to say that what Father Malloy became best known for to the wider world was his uncompromising stand against the horrific epidemic of legalized abortion and against the redefinition of marriage. Under his pastorate, Saints Peter and Paul became the pro-life and pro-family center of the Catholic Church in San Francisco, the birthplace of the Defense of Marriage movement, and the home parish of the Walk for Life West Coast. Father Malloy did not hesitate to call out Catholic politicians by name when their actions violated the most basic teachings of the Catholic faith.

Dolores Meehan tells the story of creating the March in Defense of Marriage. Back in 2004, when Gavin Newsom’s illegally started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Dolores and others wanted to create a rally to show that there were San Franciscans opposed to this. She sought the advice of Bill May, president of Catholics for the Common Good, asking “but where can I find a church that will support it?” Bill said “Well, there’s this one priest at Saints Peter and Paul…” The rest is history. When Dolores visited Father Malloy to ask him about holding a Mass and rally in defense of marriage, she didn’t get a “well, maybe…” or an “I don’t know…” or a “well, let me think about it…” As Dolo tells it, Father Malloy, with Mimi the cat on his desk, just started flipping through his desk calendar looking for a date, and said “I don’t care if I go to jail!” Father Malloy did not follow his flock. He led it.

The response to that April, 2004 rally gave Eva and Dolores and Kelly and Lisa and all the others the courage to create the Walk for Life West Coast in 2005. In that year, Father Malloy became the chaplain of the Walk for Life West Coast, a position he retained until his death. In that year he received the first annual St. Gianna Molla Award for pro-life heroism. Because no matter what, we knew Father Malloy had our back. And from those beginnings, the Walk for Life is now the second largest pro-life event in the country. Someone once told me that Deacon Jeff Burns, the historian of the archdiocese of San Francisco, was asked what was the most significant expression of Catholicism in San Francisco in recent times. He answered “It’s the Walk for Life West Coast.”

Father Malloy eventually became known all over the country for his sermons and writings in defense of the right to life and marriage, with praise and threats to prove it. But despite his powerful stands, almost everyone who met him, even those who disagreed, found in Father John a friend. With my own eyes I have seen people come into the rectory absolutely furious, and walk out a few minutes later with the words “Huh. He’s a nice guy.” When I think of Father Malloy I think of the Blessed John Paul II who was once addressing a group of young people about the evil of abortion. They told him “Why do say this to us? You know we don’t agree.” The Holy Father simply said “I love you too much to lie to you.” That was Father  John’s attitude as well.

Most of us will have heard of Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Many of us will be familiar with his humble tombstone in that Cathedral, on which is written “If you seek his monument, look about you.” The whole cathedral was his monument. But while it is right and proper to see the buildings of a great architect as his monument, the monument of a Priest of God is different. The monument of a priest of God is the people he has inspired to follow Jesus Christ, to imitate Jesus Christ, and to bring others to Jesus Christ.

For as St. Peter himself tells us, the Church is made of living stones. The students he has taught and inspired, that is Father John’s monument. The people he brought into the faith, that is Fr. John’s monument. The young men and women whom he has inspired to the religious life, that is Father John’s monument. And the 50,000 people who in January peacefully, joyfully, yet firmly marched through downtown San Francisco for the littlest among us, that is Father John’s monument.

Father, may we be worthy of the sacrifices you made for us. May we continue to fight firmly and with charity, as you taught us, for life and the family. And above all, may we fulfill your dearest wish for us, to follow Jesus Christ and to live lives that will allow us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, we pray that you watch over us from heaven just as you always did on earth."

Funeral services for Father Malloy were held on April 1 at Saints Peter and Paul Church, San Francisco.

Saints Peter and Paul Church
San Francisco, California

Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, San Francisco, California
[The following information is taken from Wikipedia]
     "Saints Peter and Paul Church is a Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Located (somewhat ironically) at 666 Filbert Street, it is directly across from Washington Square, San Francisco and is administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco. It is known as "La cattedrale d'Italia ovest," or "The Italian Cathedral of the West," and has served as the home church and cultural center for San Francisco's Italian-American community since its consecration.
     During 1926-1927, the church was the target of radical anti-catholic anarchists, who instituted five separate bomb attacks against the building in the space of one year.On March 6, 1927, police shot and killed one man and seriously wounded another, Celsten Eklund, a radical anarchist and local soapbox orator, as the two men attempted to light the fuse of a large dynamite bomb in front of the church. The dead man, known only as 'Ricca', was never fully identified; Eklund died of his wounds some time later without giving any information about his co-conspirators.
     In recent years, Saints Peter and Paul has also become the home church for the city's Chinese-American Roman Catholic population, offering weekly masses in Italian, Mandarin, and English. Mass in Latin is offered monthly as well.
     Saints Peter and Paul serves the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

In Popular Culture - The church is prominently featured in the Clint Eastwood movies Dirty Harry (the Church, and nearby Dante Building, are the scene of sniper attacks by the "Scorpio Killer") and The Dead Pool. Scenes from Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments were filmed at the church while it was under construction. Parts of Sister Act 2 were also filmed here.

Interior of Saints Peter and Paul Church
CLICK TO ENLARGE

     After their civil ceremony in 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio returned for photographs on the steps of this church. DiMaggio was married to Dorothy Arnold in the church on November 19, 1939, but later civilly divorced. Still married as far as the Church was concerned (having not obtained an annulment), he could not be married in the Catholic Church. In a side entrance, Sts. Peter and Paul Church still showcases a photo in a book displaying proudly DiMaggio's marriage day photo-but with Arnold, not Monroe. DiMaggio's funeral was held here on March 11, 1999."
 

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

Father John Malloy is my 2nd cousin, twice removed. That sounds so distant, made up, a stretch as far as relationships go. But it's not. We are related, sharing the same set of grandparents, immigrated from France in the mid-1800's. I didn't know he existed until last night, while doing family history research. He never knew I existed. I wish I had known - he seems like quite an amazing person. So we are cousins and I wanted to share him with you. Here's how we're related:
     Father John is the grandson of Peter Brunett (1857-1908) and Clara Schmitt (1859-1903). Peter is a younger brother of Barbara Brunett (1952-1896), my great-great-grandmother.
     Father John's great-grandparents are John Michel Baptiste Brunett (1818-1863) and Barbara Frisse (1822-1893), who are my great-great-great-grandparents. John and Barbara were both born in Seingbouse, Lorraine, France. Barbara, traveling with her parents and siblings, arrived in America in July 1846. John traveled on the same ship. The Frisse family (later spelling their name Frisz) and John Brunett settled in St. Anne's Village, Jennings County, Indiana. John and Barbara married here, just 22 days after arriving in America.
     Barbara Brunett [Father John's great-aunt and my great-great-grandmother] married Phillip Huber (1847-1901) in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1871, and had 7 children including my great-grandmother Mayme Huber (1873-1913). Mayme married my great-grandfather John Martin O'Donnell (1865-1937) in 1904 in Birmingham, Alabama. John and Mayme had 4 children, including my grandfather John Huber O'Donnell (1905-1964).

IMAGINE. . . Your child and your sibling's child are first cousins; they share the same grandparents. [Father John's mother Agnes Brunett Malloy (1898-1980) and Mayme Huber O'Donnell were first cousins.]
     These 2 first cousins each have children, who are 2nd cousins to each other; they also share the same great-grandparents. [Father John and my grandfather Huber O'Donnell are 2nd cousins.]
     Children of 2nd cousins would be 3rd cousins to each other OR a child of one 2nd cousin would be "once removed" from the other 2nd cousin relationship. [Since I am a grandchild of one of the 2nd cousins, I am Father John's 2nd cousins, twice removed.]

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Edward Martin Horst (1882-1916)

 

Death Notice - Edward Martin Horst
from Birmingham Age-Herald, Nov. 5, 1916

       "The remains of Edward M. Horst, who died at Asheville, N.C., Thursday afternoon, were received Saturday morning by Lige Loy. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at St. Paul's Catholic Church at 3 p.m. and internment will be in Elmwood Cemetery. The deceased is survived by his mother, Mrs. C. F. Horst, Sr., two brothers, C. F. Horst, Jr., and O. L. Horst, and two sisters, Mrs. H. C. Flemming, and Miss Odalie Horst.
     The following will act as pallbearers: W. W. Thomas, M. R. Mullane, P. H. Anderson, D. F. Achor, C. C. Flemming, Jr., and Stanley Atkins." [from Birmingham Age-Herald, November 5, 1916]

Pearl and Ed Horst
Birmingham, AL (ca. 1896)

Edward Martin Horst was born May 5, 1882, in Mobile, Alabama. His parents, my great-great-grandparents, were Charles Frederick Horst (1856-1912) and Odalie Felice Fortier (1857-1920). He was their second child of five - older brother Charles Frederick (1880-1964); Pearl Alphonsine (1884-1961), my great-grandmother; Omer Leo (1887-1945); and Odalie "Dolly" Marie (1896-1990). The family - he, his parents, and brother Charles - moved to Cincinnati soon after he was born, for his father's health. Here his sister Pearl and brother Omer were born. Soon the family moved back to Alabama, this time to the city of Birmingham, not yet 25 years old. Father Charles' younger brother Edward (1858-1901) had already relocated here and bought a local bar - the Palace Royale.  Charles came to Birmingham to help him run it.

When Ed was 18, the 1900 U.S. Census listed his occupation as "General Plumbing". The city directory listed him in 1905 as a "Steamfitter" at the Alabama Supply Company; in 1909 the directory listed him as a "Helper" at Monarch Plumbing, Steam Heating and Supply Company. As a steamfitter he would be responsible for installing, maintaining and/or repairing pipes and piping systems for ventilation or heating systems. He remained in this profession throughout his life. He never married.

Around 1914, when Ed was about thirty-two, he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a contagious pulmonary disease that was often fatal. It was one of the leading causes of death in the early twentieth century. An estimated 110,000 Americans died each year in the early 1900's from TB.



North Carolina Death Certificate
[click to enlarge]

Because tuberculosis was thought of as a death sentence, those infected were isolated from society and sent off to sanatoriums - hospitals designed to care specifically for tuberculosis sufferers. Before antibiotic treatments existed, a regiment of rest and good nutrition offered the best chances that a sufferer's immune system would "wall off" pockets of the TB infection and be cured.



Tuberculosis, known as consumption in the 19th century because it seemed to consume the patient's body, is evidenced by chronic cough, blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats and weight loss. In January 1915 Edward was sent to Asheville, North Carolina, to the St. Joseph Sanatorium run by the Sisters of Mercy. Asheville, the county seat of Buncombe County, is situated in western North Carolina.

Ed stayed at St. Joseph's for 1 year and 10 months, according to his North Carolina Death Certificate. He died on November 2nd of 1916 at 1:15 in the afternoon. The official cause of death was "Hemorrhage from lung"; the secondary cause was listed as "Tuberculosis of lungs".  The death certificate stated he had suffered from TB for "about 3 years".  He was just 34 and a half when he died.

The following day, Friday, Ed's body was put on the train and taken to Birmingham. It arrived the next morning, Saturday, and he was buried Sunday, November 5th after services were held at St. Paul's Catholic Church. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery next to his mother and father.


Headstone - Elmwood Cemetery
Birmingham, Alabama

Asheville as a Health Retreat
[taken in part from the National Park Service 'National Register of Historic Places' website]
"As far back as 1795 records show that the Asheville area was regarded as a place to come heal oneself of ills. The climate was regarded to be optimal--the components (temperature, barometric pressure, etc.) were actually measured by physicians who wanted to determine the best place for patients to recuperate. A long line of physicians came to Asheville, some to convalesce themselves, and ended up staying, building practices and promoting Asheville as a health retreat. From the late 1880s to the 1930s Asheville rose in prominence as a curative place for tuberculosis. 

Biltmore House postcard
[click to enlarge]

One of Asheville's greatest promoters was Dr. S. Westray Battle who came to Asheville in 1885 and turned out to be, perhaps, the most influential doctor to come to the area. Through his connections and reputation, many wealthy individuals and families came and ended up staying in Asheville. Among them was George Vanderbilt, who accompanied his ailing mother. While in Asheville, Vanderbilt fell in love with the area and returned to build his now famed Biltmore Estates. Edwin W. Grove also came to Asheville as one of Battle's patients and stayed on to build Grove Park Inn.

Grove Park Inn postcard
[click to enlarge]

In 1900, there was only one sanitarium available, the Winyah, with 60 beds. The rest of the patients that came to Asheville stayed in boarding houses that had open air sleeping porches, thought to be necessary for recovery. Between 1900 and 1910, the number of sanitaria and boarding houses greatly increased. These sanitaria and boarding houses were usually on the outskirts of town, but as Asheville grew, they came to be within the city limits.

By 1930, Asheville bragged 20 tuberculosis specialists and 25 sanitaria with a total of 900 beds. But with the rise of state care and the depressed economy, the market for the private sanitaria had dwindled. During the 1930s and 1940s the sanitaria and boarding houses for tuberculosis patients closed with just a few remaining into the 1950s. As antibiotic treatment was introduced in the late 1950s, sanitariums were rarely needed.

Asheville is still a health center where people come for specialized treatment. Mission-St. Joseph's Hospital and the many specialists located nearby have made Asheville the prime medical center for Western North Carolina."

Sisters of Mercy and St. Joseph Sanatorium

St. Joseph Sanatorium
Asheville, North Carolina (ca. 1920s)

The Sisters of Mercy was founded in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley in 1831. Unlike other orders of religious women, McAuley didn't want her community to be cloistered; she wanted her order to work among the poor. Members of her order came to America in 1841 to continue the mission. The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Asheville in the mid-1800s, at the request of the local Bishop, to establish a boarding school. With poor enrollment the school building became the site of a hospital to serve tuberculosis patients, at the urging of the Sisters. In November 1900 the Sisters of Mercy opened St. Joseph Sanatorium.
 Over the years the Sisters had to relocate the hospital to meet the needs of the growing number of patients coming into Asheville. From 1900-1905 the hospital was located at 40 French Broad Avenue. The facility had 18 beds. From 1906-1909 the hospital was moved to a larger home on Starnes Avenue, a building with many open porches - a characteristic common among facilities serving tuberculosis patients. In 1909 the hospital moved to a twenty-two acre parcel located on Biltmore Avenue. There were objections from neighbors who thought the sanatorium would lower property values and they obtained a court injunction to keep them from operating. The judge ruled in favor of the Sisters, stating that the benefit to the community far outweighed the fear of contagion.


St. Joseph Sanatorium postcard
[click to enlarge]

 The Biltmore Avenue location underwent changes. The building was able to house 20 patients in the main house and more in the two out-buildings which were used as patients prepared for discharge. The facility expanded twice more before 1938. These additions increased the size of the building to now accommodate 95 patients, and added an administrative wing.

In 2000 the Sisters of Mercy sold the hospital to Memorial Mission Hospital, forming Mission Hospital Systems. Both hospitals had been run by women during a time when that was very rare. Doctors had been hired to work at the hospital but the mission was always to service the sick, the poor, those in need. That mission continues today.



 

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Jacob H. Fermier (1881-1932)

The Birmingham News; Feb. 5, 1932

Fall Proves Fatal

Jacob Fermier, Prominent in Mobile Carnival, Succumbs to Injuries

"Jacob H. Fermier, 45, engaged in the real estate business and prominent in the Infant Mystic, a Mardi gras carnival society, died at a hospital Thursday from injuries received in a fall down an elevator shaft Thursday night. Fermier was engaged in the work of sending out tickets to the annual ball of the society and went to the rear of the building and in the darkness stumbled into the elevator shaft which had been left open." [The Birmingham News; February 5, 1932]



Mobile Register, Feb. 5, 1932

Jacob Fermier Dies from Fall in Building Here

Mobile Real Estate Firm Employee Fatally Injured in Plunge Down Shaft

"Jacob H. Fermier, about 45 years of age, an employe (sic) of Hermann & Hynde real estate firm, died at City hospital early this morning from head injuries received when he fell one floor down an elevator shaft of a building on Exchange alley, located off Water, between St. Michael and St. Francis streets, used as headquarters for the Infant Mystics. The accident occurred about 7 o'clock Thursday night.
     Mr. Fermier, with three other members of the ticket committee of the society, was preparing tickets for their Mardi Gras dance Monday night. He left his duties to retire to the rear part of the headquarters.
     Other members of the committee, alerted when Mr. Fermier did not return within a reasonable time, began an investigation. Their attention was attracted by groans, and further investigation revealed Mr. Fermier lying on the concrete floor below at the foot of the shaft.
     He was taken to the hospital, where he died within a few hours." [Mobile Register; February 5, 1932]

Mobile Register, Feb. 6, 1932

Rites for Mr. Fermier

Mobilian Killed in Fall Thursday Night to be Buried Today

     "Funeral services for Jacob H. Fermier, lifelong resident of Mobile who died early yesterday morning from injuries in a fall down an elevator shaft in the Infant Mystic headquarters on Exchange alley, will be held at 9 o'clock this morning at Roche mortuary and at 9:30 o'clock at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with mass. Internment will be in Magnolia cemetery.
     Mr. Fermier is survived by a sister, Mrs. B.J. Echenrode, (sic) of Emmitsburg, Md, an aunt, Mrs. R.A. Sands, of Mobile, an uncle, Victor Fermier, of Texas, and other relatives." [Mobile Register, February 6, 1932]


Jacob Henry Fermier was born August 11, 1881, in Mobile, Alabama. His parents were Jacob Fermier (1852-1889), a plumber and gas-fitter, originally from Bavaria, and Anna Berg (1851-1907). Anna, my great-great-great aunt, was the daughter of Tobias Berg (1819-1853) and Apollonia Weinschenk (1829-1908), both immigrants from Germany. Apollonia is my 3x-great-grandmother. [Tobias was her first husband with whom she had four children, including Anna; her second husband was Martin Horst (1830-1878), my 3x-great-grandfather, with whom she had 8 children including my great-great-grandfather Charles F. Horst.]

J. Fermier (ca. 1905)
from Erik Overby collection
University of South Alabama Collection

Young Jacob, known as 'Jack', was the oldest of the two children of Jacob and Anna. His younger sister, Annie, was born October 13, 1887. Jack and Annie lost their father when they were very young - Jack was just 8 years old, Annie was not yet two. To help support the family their mother opened her home to boarders, housing men, as many as 7-8 at their home at 209 Conti Street. Anna died in 1907 after suffering a stroke. [Annie J. Fermier, Jack's younger sister, married Bernard Eckenrode, a professor at Spring Hill College, in 1914 and moved with him to Emmitsburg, Maryland. Here they had one daughter, Anna Eckenrode (1918-2002). In 1937 Annie died at her home in Maryland; she was just 49 at the time of her death.]

Jack never married. He was employed with Hermann & Hynde Real Estate in Mobile. He also was involved in the Infant Mystics. The Infant Mystics is the second oldest of the numerous mystic societies that celebrate Mardi Gras each year in Mobile (much like krewes in New Orleans). The Infant Mystics dates back to 1868, at which time they held their parade on Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) night. They have since changed the date of their parade to Mundi Gras (fat Monday).


Original emblem of Infant Mystics

Membership in the mystic societies is secret. Each year during Carnival Season, the mystic societies parade in costumes on their individual floats through downtown Mobile, tossing small gifts to spectators along the parade route. Each society also holds its own masquerade ball each year. These balls are almost always by invitation only, and attendees must abide by the strict dress code - usually elegant evening gowns for ladies and white-tie and tails for men. The ball usually continues the theme of the year, which is also depicted on their floats.


Jack was buried with his mother and father at Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile. It's interesting to note that the newspaper gives his age as 45. He was actually 50 years old at the time of his death.

Grave of Fermier Family
Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, Alabama

SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Francois Gabriel Valcour Aime (1797-1867)

 This is the story of the death of Francois Gabriel Valcour Aime (1797-1867), my 2nd cousin, 5x removed. [See previous articles on Valcour Aime] The first part of the story was published in Dixie magazine on December 24, 1967, the 100th anniversary of the story.

"On any Christmas night in the middle of the 19th Century, two figures could be seen leaving the warmth of Valcour Aime's plantation and mounting horses. They were not setting out to visit friends and spread Christmas cheer, however.

Their destination was eight miles away - the red brick St. James Church, situated on the West bank of the Mississippi River across from the little town of Convent, about 75 miles upstream from New Orleans.

The men were Valcour Aime and his faithful Negro body servant. Valcour made the annual pilgrimage for a mournful cause. Each year on Christmas night Aime ordered a special commemorative Mass for his only son, who had died in New Orleans of yellow fever a few years earlier.

Every Christmas, Aime sat through the sad service alone and in silence, while his servant waited outside with their mounts. When the service concluded, Aime left without a word and returned, grief-stricken, to his plantation.

Since his son's death Aime had become a religious recluse. Few persons outside the family saw the wealthy planter of St. James Parish. The special Christmas Mass was his only regular appearance outside the plantation grounds. Although Aime was the man historian Alcee Fortier credited with being the first to refine sugar directly from sugar cane juice, and although he was brother-in-law of Andre Bienvenu Roman, a colorful Louisiana governor of the 1830's and 40's, he cared little for his fortune, his scientific achievements or the outside world after his son's death.

But he did pay tribute to the tiny St. James Church. Aime donated its 14 Stations of the Cross paintings, done in Italy, and also its massive silver candlesticks. Perhaps these items were also to honor his son's memory, for the young man's body had been laid to rest in the family tomb in the churchyard."

[The following article was first published in 1987, and was reprinted in December 2011 on www.ArcadiaParishToday.com]

 "Valcour and his faithful servant started their journey to the Saint James Catholic Church, located 10 miles up-river, to attend midnight mass just as they had done for decades. It was a cold, rainy Christmas Eve night, and the six foot three inch Valcour found it difficult to stay warm beneath his black hat and heavy top coat. As the buggy bounced along the River Road, his mind drifted back to the former days when the children were still young. He envisioned his four daughters sitting opposite him, his wife and only son in their large coach on this same occasion. The remaining glow of a bonfire on the levee caught his eye, and prompted deeper memories to the time when he was courting his beloved Josephine Roman.

Francois Gabriel (Valcour) Aime, pronounced “M”, was born in 1797 in St. Charles Parish into one of Louisiana’s oldest families. He was the fifth generation born here. His father died when he was two years old, and he, his brother Michel and mother moved to New Orleans to live with his wealthy grandfather, Michel Fortier II.

In 1818, Valcour and Michel received their inheritance consisting of a large plantation in St. Charles Parish, 250 slaves, and $100,000 in gold. Valcour sold his share of the plantation and bought several plantations in St. James parish including the one next to Jacques Roman. Jacques was the father of Josephine Roman, soon to be wife of Valcour Aime. One of her brothers, Andre Bienvenu Roman, was twice governor of Louisiana 1831-1835 and 1839-1843. Another brother, Jacques Telesphore Roman, built Oak Alley. On January 4, 1819, the handsome and astute Valcour married Josephine Roman, and then bought the Roman plantation from his widowed mother-in-law. However, he later sold to his brother-in-law, Jaques Telesphore Roman, a portion of the plantation that had this row of 28 live oaks.

Valcour kept a daily journal from 1820 to 1854 documenting temperature, farming techniques, as well as experiments with new varieties of cane and equipment. In 1795, Etienne de Bore’ introduced sugar cane to Louisiana, but it was the genius of Valcour Aime that perfected the refining process. He learned to harness steam power and designed and made this equipment by 1829. He traveled to Cuba and other countries to study the latest developments. Some of his experiments cost over $40,000 per year and their success earned him the title of “The father of white sugar.” VaIcour’s sugar was judged best in the world at the New York Exposition in 1853.

La Petit Versailles, St. James Parish, LA

By the 1830’s Valcour’s plantation had grown to 10,000 acres and he was reputed to be the world’s leading sugar producer and the richest man in Louisiana. He named his plantation, the St. James Refinery Plantation, and in 1833 he added a railroad to his estate. This railroad stretched from his steamboat dock through the fields and to the remote cypress swamp. He disliked waiting for steamboats since they never were on time, so he bought his own, and named it for his son Gabriel.

Valcour built two huge green-houses which contained rare plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world. Valcour’s plantation was so self-sufficient that he wagered $10,000 ($1 million by today’s standards) that he could produce from his plantation alone, a meal complete with wine, coffee and cigars that would surpass any. He won the bet.

He read all the industry related literature available and he employed only the most competent personnel to oversee each segment of his operation. However, the keys to Valcour’s success were his abilities to delegate responsibility, to document all orders and experiments and to follow-up on each.

Valcour and Josephine had five children; four girls and one boy. Edwige Aime born in 1819, married her cousin Florent Fortier. Josephine Aime born in 1821, married Alexis Ferry. Fellicite Emma Aime born in 1823 married her cousin Alexander Septime Fortier, brother of Florent. Felicie Aime, born in 1825, married her cousin Alfred Roman, son of Governor Roman. Francois Gabriel (Gabi) Aime was born in 1826 and never married.

The Aime’s spacious mansion had 22 columns on three sides and in the rear-center was a courtyard. This Creole family’s reputation was known extensively throughout the Mississippi Valley, not just for their wealth, but for their genuine hospitality. It was customary before each meal for the servants to check the wharf and River Road for travelers and invite them to eat.

Tragically, nothing remains of the mansion. It burned in 1920.  

In March 1842, Josephine’s desire to cover the marshy land in front of the house, spurred Valcour to begin construction of an English park. He used 120 slaves to dig the lake and rivulets that circled within the 20 acre park. In 1844, he hauled in 1,200 wagon loads of river sand and 1,400 wagon loads of manure to complete the construction phase. He then planted trees, flowers and plants never before seen on this continent.

Gravemarker

When completed, the English Park-Garden consisted of: a mountain that contained a brick lined “grotto” and a brick lined cave entrance used to store ice from up north, a Chinese pagoda on top of the mountain, a fort for the children to play in, several bridges and several small buildings. There were also exotic birds and animals such as kangaroos, deer, peacocks, ostriches, parrots and wild ducks that were on the lake and rivulets. A steam pump supplied the water and pressure for the cascading waterfalls and fountains throughout the garden. Valcour later hired a Japanese gardener to work with the Oriental plants and a French gardener. Joseph Muller to oversee the entire garden with thirty slaves.

This magnificent park and horticultural conglomeration was considered the finest in North America and dubbed La Petite Versailles

Recently, a concerned preservationist purchased the garden ruins, and secured it in an effort to stop the vandalism. Perhaps, one day this treasure will be restored.

Valcour was a very devout and kind person. He gave to the St. James Catholic Church and helped to build Jefferson College. When Jefferson College experienced financial difficulties and was on the verge of total collapse, Valcour rescued the complex by purchasing it. Later, he gave the entire college to the Jesuits. Today this facility, called Manresa, is a spiritual retreat home.

Valcour donated to the St. James Catholic Church priceless treasures such as two solid silver candle holders four feet tall, an organ, statues of the apostles and a communion rail. His most valuable gifts were the twelve paintings of the stations of the cross and the two large paintings which hang over the side altars. He commissioned a famous Italian artist to paint these. Today, tourists make a point of visiting this historic church just to see these fabulous paintings.

The educational requirements of the aristocratic Creoles of this era consisted of a college degree and concluded with a grand tour of Europe. Gabi graduated from Jefferson College in 1847, and started his “grand tour” with instruction from Valcour to visit sugar beet refineries and report their procedures. Gabi meant everything to Valcour; he adored his honest, articulate and brilliant young son. Like his father he kept a very descriptive daily journal of his trip that reads like a novel.

Gabi became Valcour’s ambassador to the world and he sent him to all parts of the globe. On returning home from a European trip, he stopped briefly in New Orleans on September 17, 1854, the height of the yellow fever season. He arrived at the plantation that evening not feeling well and asked to be excused from dinner. The next morning a servant found Gabi dead. He was only 28 years of age.

Valcour was devastated. He wrote the final entry in his journal, “Continue who would wish. My time is finished. He died on September 18. I kissed him at five o’clock and again the next day.” Then he sealed his journal with wax. Valcour gave his son-in-law, Florent Fortier, complete authority and he stepped away from the day to day operations of the business.

Valcour and Josephine could not fill the void of their beloved Gabi. Josephine died of a broken heart in 1856. In 1858, daughter Felicie died in Paris while on a trip with her husband.

Valcour Aime Family Tomb at St. James Catholic Church
[reinterred at St. Louis Cemetery #2]

Valcour, so affected by these events, spent most of his days and nights in the “grotto” on his knees praying and reading his Bible and Gabi’s journals. His self-imposed penance didn’t make him bitter but further humbled him. Valcour would date and write the comment, “A tear to you” on certain pages of Gabi’s journal as he read it day after day and year after year.

When Valcour and his servant arrived at the church for midnight mass, all his remaining children and grandchildren were there. His granddaughter sang a solo that night and this so pleased Valcour that he gave her a gold piece.

On the trip home, the rains came down in sheets and soaked Valcour. A “hawk” blew in that week (a strong arctic cold front), and the temperature plummeted to record lows. Valcour’s condition advanced to pneumonia, and on January 1, 1867, he died."

His obituary was published in the New Orleans Times and  Daily Picayune newspapers on January 3, 1867. It contained just one line. For a man who had reached the pinnacle of success - once the wealthiest man in the state, considered by some as the father of white sugar, host to innumerable people of power and wealth at his plantation known as "the small Versailles", a scientist, and renowned businessman - when he died his obituary contained only one line.

Notice of Death New Orleans Times, page 8; 3 Jan 1867

"On the 1st inst., on his estate, in the parish of St. James, VALCOUR AIME, aged 80 years, a native of Louisiana."