Seeking the Roots of Art Guidry - A Louisiana Creole Genealogical Study

by Art Guidry & Martin Guidry

The Beginning

Three years ago Art Guidry, currently living in New York City and originally from St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, wrote me about his ancestral history and asked if I could assist him in his quest for his Louisiana roots. During the past three years we have worked together in bringing his past alive - a quest that has led us down many interesting paths including plantation life, the Code Noir of Louisiana in the 1800s, Rosenwald schools and education in the 1950s and 1960s. Before contacting me, Art had researched his genealogy extensively. He had detailed information on his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents on his Guidry line. Getting beyond this point was proving to be difficult. In addition, Art had several family stories and other bits of information on his Guidry family that later proved quite helpful. Born in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, LA, Art (called in the south by his middle name “Lee” and affectionately called “Uncle Lee” by nieces and nephews) is the son of Mathew Millard Guidry and Grace Geraldine Hebert. He attended elementary school in the Opelousas area including the Plaisance Elementary School, a Rosenwald school that is now on the National Historic Register, high school in Michigan, college in Pittsburg, PA and received a Master of Arts graduate degree from LSU New Orleans with a major in Communications. In the 1960s Art joined the Peace Corps and served in West Africa (Dahomey, later renamed Benin) until September 1970. He then returned to the United Stated and joined the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW), the producer of Sesame Street and other children’s shows, as the New Orleans area coordinator. Charged to grow the viewing audience, Art was so successful in the New Orleans region that CTW promoted him to coordinate CTW programs in Louisiana, George and Florida. In 1976 CTW transferred Art to their national office in New York City as Manager of Media Projects. Later he became the National Program Director for Sesame Street, which required travelling throughout the nation including Alaska and Puerto Rico where he conducted workshops, worked with public TV stations to setup community-based programs throughout their viewing areas, produced TV shows including live call-ins, wrote news releases and was interviewed extensively. After 22 years with CTW including two years as a consultant, Art joined the U. S. Department of Commerce as the Census Information Officer for the 1990 Decennial Census overseeing press conferences in the New York City region and Puerto Rico. He was the Director’s right-hand person - setting up news conferences and writing speeches for the Director. Eventually, Art began conducting the news conferences himself - providing information to the reporters and answering their many questions.

After the census was completed, Art began working for the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a corporation of over 70,000 employees responsible for train and bus transportation throughout New York City and nearby states. The MTA provides transportation for eight million customers. His varied jobs included introducing the MetroCard as the new fare payment system and managing the MTA print shop that handles 36 million print pieces per year. In 2004 Art and a coworker noted that the MTA was discarding older MacIntosh computers. He convinced the MTA management that they could reuse these computers as training devices throughout the MTA system at no cost to the MTA. Management thought this was an impossible task, but gave them the “green light”. Today those old computers are located in stations throughout the five boroughs of New York City training employees in safety, security, health and the environment. Art now is planning to help other corporations in implementing this low-cost, high-return program. Additionally, Art has spoken at colleges and universities regularly and has served as an adjunct professor. He also spends volunteer time with youth motivating them to remain in school, study hard and work to improve their lives as they grow into adulthood.

The Next Three Generations

Matthew Millard Guidry
Matthew Millard Guidry

Art’s father Matthew (Mathias) Millard Guidry, born in St. Landry Parish, LA on 3 October 1910 1 , married Grace Geraldine Hebert of Port Barre in St. Landry Parish, LA on 2 December 1939 2 . The young couple had three children - Charles Alsae, Arthur Lee and Robert Ray. Born on the 29th of December 1916 3 in Port Barre, Grace raised her three children while working to improve the education of the citizens of St. Landry Parish. She owned and operated for over thirty years a preschool center in St. Landry Parish for African-American and underprivileged children and was the first in St. Landry Parish to open her center to all children of every ethnic group. She was one of the original organizers of the Head Start program in St. Landry Parish and was a supervisor with Head Start for eighteen years. A tireless educator, Grace organized the first adult literacy program in St. Landry Parish and coordinated the tutoring program. In her unending quest to help others, she assisted adults in the parish working to obtain their GED certification and aided inmates in the parish jail with reading and mathematics. Grace Hebert died in Opelousas on 1 December 2001 4 - sorely missed by all whom she touched in St. Landry Parish. 2 Millard Guidry also devoted his life to educating the people of St. Landry Parish and serving as a civic leader in the parish. He was the principal of Plaisance Elementary and High School from the early 1940s until his death in Opelousas on 6 March 1962 2 , 5 at the age of 51 years. This school was one of the Rosenwald schools built during the early 20th century to educate African-American children in the South.

Grace Geraldine Hebert
Grace Geraldine Hebert
Matthew Millard Guidry headstone
Matthew Millard Guidry headstone
Plaisance Elementary School - 1980
Plaisance Elementary School - 1980

A partnership between Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company and Booker T. Washington, an African-American leader who founded Tuskegee University, envisioned and developed a program to construct quality schools for African-American children. In the early and mid-twentieth century, laws required African-American children to attend racially-segregated schools that traditionally were heavily underfunded. Julius Rosenwald contributed seed money to the Rosenwald schools and required local communities to make matching contributing to ensure their commitment to the projects. To promote collaboration between white and black citizens, Rosenwald required local communities to commit public funds and labor to the schools and required white school boards to agree to operate and maintain the schools 6 .

Before becoming principal at Plaisance Elementary School, Millard Guidry founded North Elementary School in Opelousas - working tirelessly to get the needed startup funds to construct the school in this poverty-stricken area of town He also organized and was president for many years of the African-American Yambilee Festival - an annual event celebrating the harvesting of the yam (sweet potato) so vital to economy of the farmers of Opelousas and Plaisance.

Charles Alcee Guidry Millard Guidry’s parents were Charles Alcee Guidry and Marie Martel as stated on his baptismal certificate 1 . Born in Louisiana between 1867 and 1870 7 , 8 , 9 , Charles Alcee Guidry married Marie Martel, daughter of Theophile Martel and Alexandrine Estorage, on 17 December 1891 at St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, LA 10 . In 1880 Charles Alcee was a 10-year old boy attending school while living with his recently-divorced mother Valentine Acher, his three brothers and his two sisters (Acher, Octave, Louis, Julia and Octavie).

By the 1900 U. S. Census Charles had married Marie Martel and they were living in Opelousas with two sons and three daughters - Blanche, Ethel, Earl, Lawrence and Louise. Charles is listed as being 32 years of age and born in September 1867 while Marie was 30 years of age and born in January 1870. Charles was working as a carpenter, could read and write and owned his home free from mortgage. By 1910 the family of Charles and Marie grew considerably with four sons and six daughters (Marie, Ethel, Earl, Lawrence, Louise, Olga, Ross, Inez, Alexandrine, Bertrand) living at their home in Opelousas. Their last child Matthew (Mathias) Millard Guidry was born in October 1910 - six months after the census was taken. Charles, 41 years old, still was a carpenter and owned his home. His wife Marie was 40 years old and was a seamstress along with their daughter Ethel. Charles, Marie and all of the children nine years old or older could read and write. The family was living on Church Street in Opelousas.

The marriage record of Charles Alcee Guidry and Marie Martel confirms that Charles was the son of Louis Onesime Guidry and Valentine Acher (Achee) 10 . Louis Onesime Guidry was born about 1850. On 21 November 1867 at St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louis Onesime Guidry, son of Onesime Guidry and Adele Derbigny, married Valentine Acher, daughter of Dr. Frederic Acher and Olymphe Donate 11 . This marriage record confirms the parentage of Louis Onesime Guidry. Valentine Acher was born between 1845 - 1851 7 , 9 . Louis Onesime and Valentine divorced prior to April 1879. In the 1880 U. S. Census Valentine Acher was 35 years old, divorced and a washerwoman who could read and write 7 . Louis Onesime Guidry and Valentine Acher had six children - four boys and two girls (Charles Alcee, Julia, Octavie, Acher, Octave, Louis). On the 12th of April 1879 Louis O. Guidry married Froizine Boatman in St. Landry Parish 12 . Born about 1850, Froizine died on 8 September 1933 in St. Landry Parish 13 . No known children were born of this marriage.

The Brick Wall Cracked

Seldom can one research a family genealogy without encountering pitfalls and roadblocks. And Art Guidry’s genealogy is no exception. The stumbling block in his genealogy was determining and proving the ancestry beyond Louis Onesime Guidry. His marriage record to Valentine Acher provided a tantalizing clue that appeared to solve the problem, but, in reality, only led to further research. The marriage record listed the parents of Louis Onesime Guidry as Onesime Guidry and Adele Derbigny 11 . But who were Onesime Guidry and Adele Derbigny? Besides this tantalizing reference, the ecclesiastical and civil vital records remained silent regarding them. After eighteen months of diligent research and several visits to the St. Landry Parish Courthouse, we were able to use the civil records to establish a genealogical proof of the parents of Onesime Guidry, partner of Adele Derbigny. This required discovering several critical church and civil records and using the signature of Onesime Guidry on three of the documents to prove the genealogical connections.

Our search began with the 1870 United States Census. In the 1st Ward of Opelousas was O. A. Guidry - a white male, 53 years of age, a justice of the peace born in Louisiana. Living with him was Adele Derbigny, a mulatto female, 50 years of age, who owned $500 of real estate and had a personal estate of $100. She also was born in Louisiana and could read and write. Her father was foreign-born. The five children in the household included Modeste Guidry (a 17-year old mulatto female seamstress), Oswell Guidry (a 16-year old mulatto male saddler), Mary Guidry (a 13-year old mulatto female attending school), Albert Guidry (a 10-year old mulatto male attending school) and Alexis Guidry (a 5-year old mulatto male) 14 . Their eldest child, Louis Onesime Guidry, was not with the family in this census since he had married Valentine Acher on 21 November 1867 and they had a home of their own in 1870 11 . The 1870 U. S. Census does not indicate if couples were married; however, it is unlikely that O. A. Guidry and Adele Derbigny were married because the Code Noir of Louisiana prohibited marriage between mixed race couples. This census indicated that they must have had a very close relationship as they had been together and had children over a twenty-year period. No evidence of a marriage for them could be located in either the church or civil records.

In the 1850 United States Census Onesime A. Guidry was 33 years of age, a notary born in Louisiana having $1500 of real estate. He was alone and living in St. Landry Parish 15 . The 1860 United States Census indicated that Onesime A. Guidry was still single, 44 years of age, a farmer with $7000 of real estate and $35,000 of personal estate and born in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana 16 .

Being a justice of the peace and notary indicated that Onesime A. Guidry was a well-educated man and thus likely from a prominent family that could afford to send him to a school of higher education. As a justice of the peace and notary, he would need to understand and interpret basic law and be able to notarize documents. Furthermore, the 1850 and 1860 U. S. Censuses demonstrate that he had a growing wealth in both real estate and personal estate. In neither the 1850 nor the 1860 U. S. Census were any children listed with him. He did have several children with Adele Derbigny by 1860. Could he not disclose this publically because of the Code Noir or perhaps because of the status of his family or himself at the time?

A detailed search of the church and civil records in St. Landry, St. Martin and Lafayette Parishes between the years 1814 and 1821 determined that there were eight males with the first name Onesime or a first name beginning with “A” born in these three parishes between 1814 and 1821. Three of these died before 1870 and thus could not be the Onesime A. Guidry who was with Adele Derbigny. They were Alexandre Guidry (born 8 November 1817 and died in 1838), Antoine Guidry (born 21 January 1816 and died in 1816) and Alexis Guidry (born 8 February 1820 and died in 1842). Another male - Alexis Onesime Guidry (son of Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier and born either 15 August 1816 or 5 September 1820) was a St. Landry Parish physician married first to Laperle Dupre and then on her death to her sister Palmyre Dupre with whom he appeared as a physician in the 1850 and 1870 censuses and as a planter with the same wife in the 1860 census. Also, Onesime Guidry (son of Pierre Treville Guidry and Adelaide Bernard and born 18 November 1821) married Zelienne Lyons on 8 January 1855 and they were still married in 1873 when she died. A sixth male - Adolphe Guidry (born 17 Feb 1819) - was born in St. Martin Parish into a well-established family of that parish and no evidence could be found that he moved to St. Landry Parish.

The two remaining persons were from St. Landry Parish and could not be eliminated immediately. They were: Alexis Guidry (son of Louis Guidry and Celeste Savoie and born 2 August 1818) and Onesime Alexis Guidry (son of Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier and born either 15 August 1816 or 5 September 1820). Both were researched to determine who was with Adele Derbigny in 1870.

On 23 January 1840 Onesime A. Guidry married Amelia Marie Vanhille at Grand Coteau in St. Landry Parish 17 . The parents of the couple were not noted in the marriage record. A daughter, Julie Amelie Guidry, was born to the young St. Landry Parish couple in March 1841 18 . With the birth of their beautiful daughter, tragedy stuck the young family as Amelia Marie Vanhille died from complications of childbirth on 22 March 1841 19 . She was only 21 years old.

Succession of Benoit Vanhille
Succession of Benoit Vanhille

Onzime Guidry's signature on the succession of Benoit Vanhille
Onzime Guidry's signature on the succession of Benoit Vanhille

In the Settlement of Succession of Benoit Vanhille, husband of Caroline Fontenot, one of Benoit’s heirs was his daughter “Amelia Vanhille, espouse de Mr. Onesime A. Guidry”. Onesime A. Guidry and his wife Amelia Vanhille both signed the document. The Settlement of Succession was filed in Opelousas on 17 July 1840. 20

One of the documents in the Succession of Onesime A. Guidry filed on 16 March 1876 was a Petition of Emilie Guidry of St. Landry Parish signed on 12 January 1880 21 . In this document Emilie Guidry states that she is the sole surviving heir of Onesime A. Guidry who died about 1876. Emilie Guidry was Julie Amelie Guidry, the daughter of Onesime A. Guidry and Amelia Marie Vanhille. Emilie (Julie Amelie) would have been the only white heir of Onesime A. Guidry. The Code Noir at this time forbid any mixed race children of a white person from inheriting any of the estate of the white parent; therefore, if Onesime A. Guidry were white and had any mixed race children (as those of Adele Derbigny), they could not inherit any of his estate. Was this why Emilie Guidry filed the petition as sole surviving heir of Onesime A. Guidry or was she simply trying to close the succession so she could receive her inheritance?

The Opelousas Courier newspaper of 19 February 1876 stated “Died - In this town, on the 16th inst., Mr. Onesime A. Guidry, Clerk of the District Court, aged 60 years” 22 . This Onesime A. Guidry was the father of Emilie Guidry (Julie Amelie Guidry) and the widower of Amelia Marie Vanhille. He was also the Clerk of the District Court and thus involved in the legal profession.

Earlier The Opelousas Courier of 29 November 1873 had recorded the death of Dame Adele Guidry, age of 53 years, on 22 November 1873 23 . The funeral register of St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisana stated that Adele Derbigny was buried on 23 November 1873 24 ; therefore, Adele Guidry and Adele Derbigny in these two documents are the same person.

The Succession of Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier, widow of Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry, filed on 21 April 1858, contained the Oligraphic Will and Testament of Julie Euphrasie Potier, widow of Onesime Guidry (i.e., Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry). In Condition No. 7 of the Will she named A.O. Guidry and O. A. Guidry as two of the four testamentary executors of her Will. Both Alexis O. Guidry and Onesime A. Guidry signed the oath accepting the position of testamentary executor of the estate of Julie Potier, widow of Onesime Guidry 25 .


Signature Onesime A. Guidry

In a Donation of Property by Julie Potier, widow of Onesime Guidry, on 2 September 1856, Widow Potier donated to her children her share of the Succession of her daughter Modeste Guidry. The six children to whom she donated were Eliza Guidry, Alexis O. Guidry, Zoé Guidry, Constance Guidry, Benjamin Guidry and Alida Guidry. Furthermore, she stated that she was not including her son Onesime A. Guidry in the donation since the above six children were to pay him a sum to place him on equal footing with them 26 . Thus Alexis O. Guidry and Onesime A. Guidry named in the Oligraphic Will and Testament of Julie Pothier were sons of Marie Julie Euphrasie Pothier and Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry.

The signatures of Onesime A. Guidry in the Settlement of Succession of Benoit Vanhille and on the oath accepting the position of testamentary executor in the Succession of Julie Potier are identical. This confirms that the Onesime A. Guidry who married Marie Amelia Vanhille was the son of Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier.

Another interesting document in the record was the Exchange of Slaves between Onesime A. Guidry and Celina Vanhille Toledano on 15 June 1843 27 . Celina Vanhille Toledano was the sister of Amelia Marie Vanhille and thus the sister-in-law of Onezime A. Guidry. This exchange of slaves occurred just over two years after the death of Amelia Marie Vanhille, wife of Onesime A. Guidry. Onesime gave to Celina a negress named Nancy, age of about 15 years and guaranteed to be free of illness and disease. Celina gave to Onesime a mulatress named Adele, age of about 20 years, who had an illness or was sickly. In addition, Onezime paid Celina one hundred piastres. Onesime A. Guidry, owner of Adele, signed the document.

Certainly the exchange of slaves does not appear to be a fair trade. Nancy was younger and healthy while Adele was older and sickly. Furthermore, Onesime paid a premium for Adele by giving Celina an additional one hundred piastres. Why would Onesime agree to this exchange? Why was Adele special? Could this Adele be the same person as Adele Derbigny in the 1870 U. S. Census? Were Onesime and Adele attracted to each other and thus Onesime wanted to “purchase” Adele to have her with him? Onesime A. Guidry and Adele Derbigny had their first child Louis Onesime Guidry not long after this exchange - sometime around 1845 - 1850. Very likely the Adele exchanged in this agreement was the Adele Derbigny in the 1870 U. S. Census.

Of the thirteen children that Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier had, two were Alexis Onesime Guidry and Onesime Alexis Guidry. Both were born in St. Landry Parish, Louisana. Alexis Guidry was born 15 August 1816 28 and Onesime Guidry was born 5 September 1820 29 . Interestingly, in the baptismal records only a first name and surname is given for each son; however, in all later documents they are known by a first name, middle name or initial and surname. A thorough study of the records demonstrates that Onesime Alexis Guidry who was with Adele Derbigny in 1870 and who died in 1876 when Clerk of the District Court in St. Landry Parish was born about 1817 while Dr. Alexis Onesime Guidry who married Laperle Dupre and then Palmyre Dupre was born about 1820. Thus, Alexis Guidry, born in 1816, was known throughout life as Onesime Alexis Guidry and Onesime Guidry, born in 1820, was known as Dr. Alexis Onesime Guidry.

Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier had considerable resources - owning a large plantation called Guidry Plantation. Here they raised cotton as a commercial crop. The original home built in the late 1790s is still owned and occupied by the Guidry family. Called “Ile Carencro” today, it sits near Bayou Carencro south of Carencro, Louisiana. With his wealth Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry was able to send at least his two eldest sons Alexis Onesime Guidry and Onesime Alexis Guidry to Georgetown College in Washington, D. C. for a higher-level education - both receiving sub-graduate degrees30. Alexis Onesime Guidry also attended the University of Maryland where he obtained a medical degree in 1842 31 . His 19-page dissertation was on yellow fever. Throughout the St. Landry Parish records he is referred to as Dr. Alexis O. Guidry.


Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry

This excellent education provided the foundation for Onesime Alexis Guidry to become a Notary, Justice of the Peace and Clerk of the District Court in St. Landry Parish. In his appointment to the position of Clerk of the District Court, it was noted that Onesime Guidry had been the Deputy Clerk for a number of years and had a long experience in the field 32 .

In summary, Onesime Alexis Guidry, born 15 August 1816 in St. Landry Parish, LA, first married Amelia Marie Vanhille by whom he had one daughter before his wife died from complications of childbirth. He then lived and had a family of four sons and two daughters with Adele Derbigny. During his life he was a Notary, Justice of the Peace and Clerk of the District Court. Onesime Alexis Guidry died at the age of 60 on 16 Feb 1876 in St. Landry Parish, LA.

During the life of Onesime A. Guidry, the Code Noir regulated the lives of African-Americans and mixed-race couples in Louisiana. The Code Noir forbade a white person from marrying a black or mulatto person. Also, the Code Noir forbade a white person from passing property through a document of succession to a black or mulatto person. For this reason Onesime and Adele could never marry nor could Onesime’s children from Adele inherit any of his property. This may be one of the reasons that Onesime’s daughter by Amelia Marie Vanhille, Emily Guidry, filed a petition notifying the court that she was the sole surviving heir of Onesime A. Guidry - that is, to clarify that his children by Adele legally did not qualify as heirs of Onesime. Despite the Code Noir, Onesime Alexis Guidry and Adele Derbigny lived a long and prosperous life together for over twenty-five years and raised a family of four boys and two girls (Louis Onesime, Modeste, Oswell, Mary, Albert, Alexis) in St. Landry Parish.

The Rest Of The Generations

Onzime Guidry ad in The Opelousas Courier, Opelousas, LA, 27 Nov 1858
Onzime Guidry ad in The Opelousas Courier, Opelousas, LA, 27 Nov 1858

The parents of Onesime Alexis Guidry were Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry and Marie Julie Euphrasie Potier as shown above. Born 4 November 1788 in St. Landry Parish 33 , LA, Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry married Julie Marie Euphrasie Potier, daughter of Charles Potier and Magdeleine Ducrest, on 19 June 1813 in St. Martinville, St. Martin Parish, LA 34 . Julie Marie Euphrasie Potier was born about 19 August 1794 in St. Martin Parish, LA 35 . Together they had four sons and nine daughters (Elizabeth, Onesime Alexis, Alouise, Alexis Onesime, Modeste, Valerie, Marcellite, Francoise, Louis David, Magdeline Mathilde, Emilie Constance, Alida Philomenne, Benjamin). Family and friends knew Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry simply as Onesime. The large family lived on the Guidry plantation near Bayou Carencro. Today the family home is called Ile Carencro. Onesime died on 17 April 1850 in St. Landry Parish 36 and his wife died a few years later on 16 April 1858 in St. Landry Parish 37 .

Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry’s parents were Louis David Guidry and Marie Modeste Borda 33 , 34 . They had eight sons and six daughters (Charles, Alexis Onesime, Louis, Pierre Treville, Baptiste, Marie, Arsene, Augustin, Emilie, Marcelline, Joseph, Marie Azelie, Claire Clarice, Antoine). The genealogy of Louis David Guidry is well-established 38 and is given below.


GUÉDRY GENEALOGICAL LINE FOR ARTHUR LEE GUIDRY

Arthur Lee Guidry
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Matthew Millard Guidry - Grace Geraldine Hebert
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Charles Alcee Guidry - Marie Martel
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Louis Onesime Guidry - Valentine Acher (also Froizine Boatman)
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Onesime Alexis Guidry - Adele Derbigny (also Marie Amelia Vanhille)
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Charles Alexis Onesime Guidry - Jule Marie Euphrasie Potier
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Louis David Guédry - Marie Modeste Borda
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Pierre Guédry - Claire Babin (also Marguerite Dupuis & Marguerite Miller)
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Augustin Guédry - Jeanne Hébert
|
Claude Guédry dit Grivois - Marguerite Petitpas

References

  1. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Baptsimal Register, v. 8 p. 135. (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records - Volume 42 (1910) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1992), p. 299.
  2. Obituary provided at the funeral of Grace Hebert on 8 December 2001.
  3. Sacred Heart Catholic Church; Port Barre, LA; Baptismal Register, 1917.
  4. Opelousas Daily World Newspaper (Opelousas, LA); 2 December 2001.
  5. Tombstone Inscription for Millard M. Guidry; St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery; Opelousas, LA.
  6. http://www.historysouth.org/schoolhistory/
    https://savingplaces.org/places/rosenwald-schools#.WAUXZztxtg8
  7. 1880 United States Federal Census; Page No. 33, Supervisor's District No. 4, Enumeration District No. 38; Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 14 June 1880; L. A. Cook.
  8. 1900 United States Federal Census; Sheet No. 2, Supervisor's District No. 3, Enumerator's District No. 52; Opelousas Town, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 2 June 1900; Scopold Simon.
  9. 1910 United States Federal Census; Sheet No. 17, Supervisor's District No. 3, Enumerator's District No. 102; Ward 2 of Opelousas City, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 28 April 1910; J. B. G. Skagg.
  10. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Marriage Register, v. 3 p. 102.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 22 (1891) (Rev. Donald J. Hebert; Cecilia, LA; 1980), pp. 183, 286.
  11. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Marriage Register, v. 2 p. 367.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 8 (1866-1868) (Rev. Donald J. Hebert; Cecilia, LA; 1977), pp. 2, 222.
  12. (a) St. Landry Parish Courthouse; Opelousas, LA; Marriages: #10886.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 14 (1879-1880) (Rev. Donald J. Hebert; Cecilia, LA; 1978), pp. 49, 236.
  13. Louisiana, Statewide Death Index, 1819-1964; on-line database from State of Louisiana, Secretary of State, Division of Archives, Records Management and History, Vital Records Indices, Baton Rouge, LA. Available on Ancestry.com.
  14. 1870 United States Federal Census; Page No. 31; Opelousas 1st Ward, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 4 June 1870; L. A. Albisar.
  15. 1850 United States Federal Census; Page No. 73; St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 20 October 1850; L. Erasme Nee.
  16. 1860 United States Federal Census; Page No. 159; St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; 14 August 1860.
  17. (a) St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church; Grand Coteau, LA; Marriage Register, v. 1 p. 130.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 3 (1831-1840) (Hebert Publications; Eunice, LA; 1976), pp. 297, 644.
  18. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Baptismal Register, v. 4 p. 161.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 4 (1841-1847) (Hebert Publications; Cecilia, LA; 1976), p. 223.
  19. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Funeral Register, v. 2 p. 29.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 4 (1841-1847) (Hebert Publications; Cecilia, LA; 1976), p. 223.
  20. Settlement of Succession of Benoit Vanhille, 17 July 1840; No 243; St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, LA; Microfilm #015600. See p. 7.
  21. Succession of Onesime A. Guidry, 16 March 1876; No. 3855; St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, LA.
  22. The Opelousas Courier newspaper; 19 February 1876, page 1, column 5 of the English edition (Printed in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana).
  23. The Opelousas Courier newspaper; 29 November 1873, page 1, column 4 of the French edition (Printed in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana).
  24. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Funeral Register, v. 2 p. 302.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 11 (1873-1874) (Hebert Publications; Cecilia, LA; 1977), p. 101.
  25. Succession of Julie Pothier (widow of Onesime Guidry), 21 April 1858; No. 2148; St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, LA.
  26. Donation of Julie Pothier (widow of Onesime Guidry) to Her Children, 2 September 1856; Donation Book 2, No. 275; St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, LA.
  27. Exchange of Slaves – Onezime A. Guidry and Celina Vanhille Toledano, 15 June 1843; Act No. 81, COB, Book K-1, Pages 143-144; St. Landry Parish Courthouse, Opelousas, LA.
  28. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Baptismal Register, v. 2 p. 100.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 2-A (1811-1818) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1997), pp. 448-449.
  29. (a) St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church; Grand Coteau, LA; Baptismal Register, v. 2 p. 100.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 2-B (1819-1825) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1997), p. 445.
  30. (a) Green, Benjamin E.; Address Before the Philodemic Society at the Annual Commencement of Georgetown College, D. C., July 25, 1848 [J. and G. S. Gideon, Printers; Washington, D. C.; 1848] pp. 14-15.
    (b) Abell, C. S. et al.; Grand Annual Celebration of the Philodemic Society of Georgetown College, Held July 2d, 1867 [The Sun Book and Job Printing Establishment; Baltimore, MD; 1868] pp. 68-69.
    (c) Maxwell, W. J.; General Register of Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. - 1916 pp. 165, 457, 532.
  31. University of Maryland Theses – Early Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Physic Dissertations with Corrected Tables of Contents - 1842 pp. 996-1035
  32. The Opelousas Courier newspaper; 15 January 1876, page 1, column 1 of the French edition (Printed in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana).
  33. (a) St. Landry Catholic Church; Opelousas, LA; Baptismal Register, v. 1-A p. 89.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 1-A (1750-1800) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1996), p. 370.
  34. (a) St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church; St. Martinville, LA; Marriage Register, v. 5 #303.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 2-A (1811-1818) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1997), pp. 458, 762.
  35. (a) St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church; St. Martinville, LA; Baptismal Register, v. 4 #649.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 1-A (1750-1800) (Hebert Publications; Rayne, LA; 1996), p. 633.
  36. (a) St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church; Grand Coteau, LA; Funeral Register, v. 1 p. 82.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 5 (1848-1854) (Hebert Publications; Cecilia, LA; 1976), p. 251.
  37. (a) St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church; Grand Coteau, LA; Funeral Register, v. 1 p. 119.
    (b) Hebert, Rev. Donald J.; Southwest Louisiana Records, Church and Civil Records – Volume 6 (1855-1860) (Hebert Publications; Cecilia, LA; 1977), p. 485.
  38. Generations (Les Guédry et Petitpas d'Asteur, Inc.; Summer 2005; Vol. 3 No. 2) pp. 1, 5-11