If you grew up in Louisiana, then you know about the 1927 flood. This was the big flood that devastated south Louisiana. At least one song has been written about it.
I came across the picture above in the Houma Courier. The Walthers were once the leading family in Gibson (Terrebonne Parish). Their house and church still stand.
This is what the Walthers’ store looked like in 1927 after the great flood. Until the water receded, you needed a boat in order to shop.
The caption accompanying this photo mentions a 1978 memoir on the Walther family. Give a shout if you know where a copy of that is.
louisianagenealogygirl 
I wonder if you’re talking about Randy Newman’s song “Louisiana 1927.” It brings me goosebumps. It is such a beautiful and plaintive song!
I am! I love that song as well. Aaron Neville did a terrific version.
From family stories, I was told that the flood waters affected Theriot, Bayou Dularge as well. I wish I had photos. Claire Champagne
I wish I’d asked my grandmother about the great flood before she died.
I have some pictures from my grandmother’s album showing a flood in Gibson. In my grandmother’s handwriting it says “Gibson in high water.” I don’t know who the people in the photos are. I am assuming some are Walthers, as my grandmother was a Walther. I would be glad to send them to you to post on your site. I sent them to the library in Gibson once to see if the people or structures could be identified, but nothing ever came of it.
I’m a Walther descendant and I have a copy of the book. It’s titled “Walther Family Recollection” and it was written by Emma Gene Seale Gentry
I commented before, but think it didn’t come through because I was not subscribed. Anyway, I am a Walther descendant and I have a copy of the Walther Family Recollection book. It was done by Emma Gene Seale Gentry. It is a hardback, 221 pages, including the index. Also, I have a few pictures from my grandmother’s photo album of “Gibson In High Water.” I had sent them to the library in Gibson years ago, hoping they could identify people or places in the photos, but nothing every came of it. I would be glad to email them to you for posting here on your site. I am assuming some of the people in them are Walthers, since my grandmother was a Walther and it is her handwriting on the photos. I don’t have the originals anymore. I had borrowed the photo album to scan the pictures and a week after I returned the album, Hurricane Katrina hit and the album was lost. So glad I scanned them when I did 🙂
Hi, Cynthia. I read the Walther book and greatly enjoyed it. I would love to post the photos! My email address is michellemill@bellsouth.net
Okay. I will send them to you
Cynthia, that sounds great.
Cynthia,
My name is Ronald Keith Cooke and I have been researching my father (Cooke) and mother (Keith) family histories for a couple of years. My mother’s brother, Stanley Keith, married Jean Neal Walther in Montgomery, AL in 1946. All four of their children and their families live in Mobile, Alabama. I found some information on the Walther family, but would like to collect some additional details. I found the write up on Emma Gene Gentry, following her death in 2014. Would know you if a copy of the book Mrs. Gentry wrote, “Walther Family Recollections”, is available? Thank you in advance for your response…… Regards, Ron
Hi, Ron. The Main Library in Houma has a copy. I do not. You might be able to get it through interlibrary loan.
LOUISIANAGENEALOGYGIRL, Thank you for that information.
Ron Cooke
Ron: I have a copy of the book. It’s copyright is 1978 and it is 222 pages long. I will be glad to help you with whatever information you want to glean from it. Cynthia