Tombstone Tuesday – Seashells on Texas Graves

Are seashells on Texas graves merely for decoration or does this fascinating practice have a deeper meaning? In his book Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy, Terry G. Jordan concludes that the practice is too widespread to just be for decoration.

Follow Friday – ATCO, Georgia, The Village

Southern mill villages such as Atco were close-knit communities, with houses for workers, churches, schools, stores, community centers, and more. The history and stories of Atco are now being shared in a Facebook public group, which is the subject of today’s Follow Friday post. Atco Group organizer Yvonne has gathered a wealth of information that [...]

Treasure Chest Thursday – Edgerly Petroleum Company, 1926

Five men, covered in oil, stand on a drilling platform.  A moment frozen in time in Ged, Louisiana. Their names, as well as “3-11-Crew Vincent #10,” are written on the back of this photo taken on 5 July 1926. This photo is my entry for today’s Treasure Chest Thursday. Edgerly Petroleum Company With the discovery [...]

Follow Friday – Louisiana Genealogy Blog

In honor of my Louisiana Cajun roots, I’d like to highlight the Louisiana Genealogy Blog for my first Follow Friday post. The Louisiana Genealogy Blog is a great resource for those of us researching our Louisiana ancestors. What you’ll find: Louisiana surnames, with email addresses of people researching each surname Links to other Louisiana genealogy [...]

Treasure Chest Thursday – Cyprien Duhon Land Patents

Land patents signed by Presidents Lincoln and Grant for land sold to my ancestor Cyprien Duhon! These are the family treasures for my very first Treasure Chest Thursday post. I spend a lot of research time following online links that lead nowhere, so I felt like I had won the lottery when I discovered copies [...]

Help for Haiti

I’ve been watching the situation in Haiti for the past several days, wondering if there was anything I could do to help. So I did some research and donated money. There are many wonderful organizations working to get help to the Haitian people, and I encourage others to do the same. If you have your [...]

Bill and Lucy Courrege Benoit, New Car, 1926

This photo is of my grandparents in front of their new car. My grandfather is holding my mother, who was born in 1926, so this photo was probably taken in 1926 or 1927. They must have been going someplace special because they are all dressed up. Willie “Bill” Benoit (1894-1985) was born in Vinton, Louisiana, [...]