My Ancestry & Research Interests

Klotzville, Louisiana (1895)

Maternal Side:

My late mother’s family is predominantly rooted in south Louisiana. My maternal grandfather had ancestral links to Assumption and Ascension parishes along the Bayou Lafourche; and St. James, St. John the Baptist, and Iberville parishes along the Mississippi River. Some of the surnames are Honora/Honoré/Nora; Braud/Breaux; Dominique/Dominick; Alexander; Rhodes; Amirati; Moulard; Marchand; Vicknair; Babin; Oliver. My maternal grandmother had ancestral links to Lafourche and St. James parishes. Some of the surnames are Penelton; Winston; Ambrose; Armant; Cantrelle; Bazile; Cleveland. There are also links to Kentucky (Eliza Oliver), Tennessee (Minerva Cleveland), and Mississippi (George Penelton).

Harriet Turner, Mount Sterling, Alabama.

Paternal Side:

My late father’s family is rooted in southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. While still working at identifying my paternal grandfather, he definitely had ties to the Morgan and Blakeney/Blakely families from DeSoto, Clarke County, Mississippi. My paternal grandmother has ancestral links to Choctaw and Marengo counties in Alabama. Some of the surnames are DuBose; Williams; Turner; Compton; Ezell; Ridgeway; Hopkins; Barney.

New Light Lodge No. 8282, Gibsonville, North Carolina, Grand United Order of Odd Fellows.

In addition to the genealogy of my family lines and those of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, I also have several areas of historical interest, including:

Fraternal History – Especially historically African American fraternal orders and benevolent societies

Black Catholic History