1878 Epidemic Deaths in Assumption Parish

The Nov. 30, 1878, edition of the “Pioneer of Assumption” listed a number of deaths from an epidemic.

The scribe, Prosper Davaine, apologized for the delay in reporting them. In making the list, it seems he caught ill himself.

“I send you the general list of the sick and the victims of the epidemic that we have in the 5th district only. I would have liked to send it to you a little earlier, but as I was kept in bed for a few days, I was obliged to wait until this day. You will oblige me a lot by publishing it in your journal. At the same time, please send me a copy of the diary when it prints.”

Dead at Labadieville

Widow Joseph Graziani
Alfred Crechou
John Stephens
Arthur Francioni
Dr. Paul Verriere
Mme Fabien Ducos
Jean Saintenac
Sidney McNeil, child
Stephens McNeil, child
Joan Ducos
Jean Lemo
Emile Delaune, child
Vve Leafroi Chedotal
—- Boudreaux, deaf-mute
L. Lovinsky Aucoin
Aline Lavilvaresse
Jean Marie Gantz
C. Francois Rendo
Moise Muller
Mme Auguste Delaune
Celestin Reynal
Arthur Gauthier, child
Isidore Muller
Arthur Naquin, child
Jn-Bte Bertin

Deceased at Brule Labadie

Mme Adrien Barilleaux
Vve Francois Boudreaux
Angela Barilleaux
Emile Talbot
Francois Jor. Boudreaux
Laurent Boudreaux
Clairville Peltier
Mme Clairville Peltier
Andre Hebert
Leo Hebert
Trsimond S. Boudreaux
Amedee Richard
Rosemond Lagrange
Augustine Boudreaux
Edouard Olivier
Alexandre Delaune
Emilie Gauthreaux, child
Mme Theodule Gros
Augustin Boudreaux
Mme Augustin Boudreaux
Ernest Peltier
Francois Angelloz
Pierre Thibodeaux
Victorine Arsement, child
Mme Francois Jor. Boudreaux
Ozemee Boudreaux
Sylvere Gauthreaux
Edouard Peltier
Oscar Olivier
Merile Olivier
Emile Boudreaux, child
Evela Richard
Marcelite Olivier
Augustine Olivier, child
Emilie Blanchard, child
Philomene Hebert, child
Zulma Joseph
Alcida Barbier
Louis Richard
Mme Emile Talbot
Jn Bte Gros
Ozemee Richard
Adrienne Richard
Philomene Boudreaux
Mme Louis Talbot
Mme Alexandre Blanchard
Anatole Talbot

Deceased in the district

Edouard Prejean
Mme Edouard Prejean
Edouard Quatrevingt
Louisiane Delaune
Emilie Prejean, child
Telesphore Prejean, child
Ernest Use, child
Alcee Bergeron, child
Marie Melancon, child
Victoria Bergeron, child
Alcee Melancon, child
Eva Melancon, child
Levy Melancon, child
4 children of —- Miller, of Garner
Azelia Use
Leonore Dugas
Narcisse Martinez
Mme Edouard Martin
Eugenie Larose
Leonard Martin
One child of Jos. Robertson
Gustave Maillet, child
Evelie Boudreaux

 

Yellow fever in Louisiana

My grandmother was very fond of her own grandmother Merante Aucoin Montet Gauthreaux. Apparently Merante was very kind to her, and there weren’t many people who were kind to my grandmother during her Dickensian childhood.

What amazes me about Merante is that she was able to be a bright spot in a young girl’s life despite her own tragedies. Merante was the 13th child of Ludfrois Aucoin and Amarante Felicite Gautreaux. She was born when her mother was 45. Shortly after her first birthday, her father died.

The Aucoins were a large household. In addition to rearing their own children, Ludfrois and Felicite reared Ludfrois’ son by his first marriage and Felicite’s orphaned niece.

Catholic records weren’t the best in St. Mary Parish during the 1800s. Of the 13 children, I’ve only been able to find a marriage record for Merante, sister Celestine and brother Adrian.

Merante married Pierre Paul Montet in 1868. They had at least four children (possibly more): Rosa, Felonie, Gabriel and Oleus (my grandmother’s parrain). Pierre Paul had been married previously (to an Elizabeth Snell who just faded into history), and had two boys: Oscar and Desire.

Celestine – older than Merante by six years – married Apollinaire Frioux. They had at least four children: Villeo, Ernestine, Florestine and Felonise.

Of these 10 children from the blended families of the two sisters, only three would live to adulthood.

These nurses came to St. Mary Parish just before 1900 to treat yellow fever victims.

Yellow fever arrived in St. Mary Parish in the late 1870s, and it was merciless.

Nowadays, you don’t hear much about yellow fever. According to the CDC, it’s transmitted through mosquito bites (who hasn’t been bitten by mosquitos?) and it leads to fever, chills, severe headaches, vomiting, fatigue and weakness.

Yellow fever killed more than 41,000 people in New Orleans between 1817 and 1905 (http://nutrias.org/facts/feverdeaths.htm).

 

From the Lafayette Advertiser in early October 1879.

In 1879, at least 95 people died of yellow fever in St. Mary Parish. The dead included Merante’s sister, nephew, nieces, husband, half brother and her own children. Not surprisingly, burial records are scant. The priest likely was overwhelmed.

Here’s a list of St. Mary’s dead from the U.S. Mortality Index (I’ve bolded everyone who’s in my family tree):

• Volsen Aucoin (Jean Baptiste Valery Aucoin, son of Francois Malo Aucoin and Marie Boudreaux)
• L.E. Aucoin (Ludfrois Heli Aucoin, son of Ludfrois Aucoin and Henrrique Isabel Blanchard)
• John Boudreaux
• Henry Berd
• Carl Berry
• L Boudreaux
• A Bourgeois
• Mary Blanche Breed
• Ellen Brent
• Symmthia Buniff (Symphenie Johnston who married Benjamin Buniff in 1874)
• Peter Burke
• Judson Campbell
• T Campbell
• Judith Alice Cary
• F C Chase
• George Clearer
• Louisa Cook
• Aleda Corodus
• Pauline Dellucky (the wife of Etienne Delucky; the Deluckys married into the Bourg family)
• Chas Ditch
• Severen Dupuis (Severin married to Victorine Augustine Aucoin)
• Amylie Dupuis (Amelie, daughter of Severin and Victorine Aucoin Dupuis)
• Henry Dupuis (son of Severin and Victorine Aucoin Dupuis?)
• Rosalie Dupuis
• Celestine Faerie (Celestine Marie Aucoin Frioux, daughter of Ludfrois Aucoin and Felicite Gautreaux; wife of Apollinaire Frioux).
• Gustave Faerie (possibly a brother of Apollinaire Frioux)
• Villion Faerie (son of Apollinaire Frioux and Celestine Aucoin)
• Ernestine Faerie (daughter of Apollinaire Frioux and Celestine Aucoin)
• Pauline Faerie (probably Felonise, daughter of Apollinaire Frioux and Celestine Aucoin)
• Clennie Faerie (most likely a daughter of Apollinaire Frioux and Celestine Aucoin)
• Carl Fellrath
• Ferdinand Fellrath (son of Antoine and Caroline Fellrath)
• Frank Fernandez
• Adele Francioni
• Emma Francois
• Augustus Gaines
• Nancy Ganeway
• Albert Geisler (Albert Geissler who immigrated from Germany in 1867)
• Ann Grant
• Cornelius Grant
• Joseph Grant
• William Green
• James Green
• Faun Green
• Thomas Green
• Jimmy Green
• Sophie Hattendorf (Sophia Forstl Hottendorf, wife of John Hottendorf).
• Wm Hayes
• M L Hayes
• G A Hilbreth
• L O Hilbreth
• Albert Hildreth
• Oline Hildreth
• Francisco Johnson
• Solomon Kahn
• Thomas Laher
• Marie LeBlanc
• Louis Levi
• Manuel Loeb
• Lucien McLane
• Horrace McLane
• Frank Melville
• P P Monte (Pierre Paul Montet, son of Pierre Paul Montet and Emerante Emeline Braud; husband of Elizabeth Snell (first) and Merante Carmelite Aucoin (second))
• Desire Monte (son of Pierre Paul Montet and Elizabeth Snell)
• Rosa Monte (daughter of Pierre Paul Montet and Merante Carmelite Aucoin)
• D Monte (probable daughter of Pierre Paul Montet and Merante Carmelite Aucoin)
• Louise Monte (Felonie Louise Montet, daughter of Pierre Paul Montet and Merante Carmelite Aucoin)
• Linas Moore
• Jas H Morehead
• Wm B Mullens
• Andrew O’Brien
• E Passley
• Louis Peterson
• Olevia Peterson
• Frank Queen
• George Reason
• Isom Richardson
• Frank Royers
• F Royers
• Mitchell Royers
• Felix Sennett (Felix Senette, husband of Leodicia Erwin Robertson)
• James Stansberry
• Joseph Stout
• Adelle Thibodeaux
• Louis Thibodeaux
• Aletha Unsworth
• Rosana Walls
• T M L Whitner
• H F Whitner
• Benjamin Willis
• Wellington Wills
• Wooster
• Carry A Wooster (Carrie Agusta Wooster: daughter of Nathan and Mary Wooster)
• Adam Yancy

The death of seven children in 12 months

The 1800s were a tough time to have children in Louisiana. Many children died during childhood. For the Green family, death came especially frequently.

The New Orleans daily Democrat, October 21, 1878

The following are the names of the persons who have died of yellow fever on the Armant plantation in St. James Parish: John Humble, Germany; Emma L. Green, Geo. G. Green and Johnnie Green, children of J. C. Green, manager of the Armant plantation; Luke W. Conerly Jr. and Emma Eloise Conerly, children of Luke W. Conerly from Pike County, Miss.; and young Mr. Compton, assistant overseer from Rapides parish.

All of Mr. Green’s family have had the fever and all of Mr. Conerly’s family except his wife and child – four months old – in all, 18 cases and seven deaths. Those who died had black vomit.

In addition to the above there have been a large number of cases among the negroes, with some 12 or 15 deaths, principally among the children. There are a few cases yet prevailing on the plantation. The fever is gradually spreading in the parish, particularly on the east side of the river. It has also broken out on the Carroll plantation in St. John parish.
Pioneer of Assumption – Nov. 8, 1879

Our former parishioner and friend J.C. Green, Esq., visited his plantation here on a sad errand.

The object of his visit was to see his promising son committed to the grave in Christ Episcopal Church cemetery. Mavor C. Green died suddenly of heart disease at the early age of 19 years and 7 months, regretted by all who ever knew him.

He is the seventh child lost by Mr. Green within the past twelve months. Only one child is left to the deeply afflicted father. If ever a parent deserved the sympathy of his friends, Mr. Green does and he has it from them all.