Van | Family History

Leveque and Landry United

December 16, 2015 Van One comment

Last week I posted a photo of my paternal grandmother. This week I am posting a photo of my dad’s paternal grandmother. Her name was Marie Celeste Leveque and she was born in 1847 in Brusly, Louisiana. That is just across the river from where I live now. In fact this evening I’ll be passing right through there on my way to Plaquemine.

Marie Celeste Leveque circa 1868

She married Simon Alcide Joseph Landry in 1868. My assumption is that this photo was from her wedding engagement around the time prior to the wedding. If anyone knows better, let me know. I’m not sure who has an original printing of this photograph. I have a scan that was faded and in sepia that I edited to bring to this condition. Enjoy it.

July 2020 Update – New colorized version of the photo

The Keys Sisters – Part 1

December 3, 2015 Van Leave a comment

1890s -Ruth Mabel and Daisy Keys Clarity Portrait Drama

Ruth, Daisy, and Mabel Keys circa 1894

This is a photo of the Keys sisters. Ruth and Mabel standing in the back, and my great grandmother Daisy Keys Phenice sitting in the front. My aunt Loris sent me a scan of this photo after reading a comment on a photo I posted on Facebook. I like that. We can all share some of the great treasures we have and still be able to keep the ones we have. I’m thinking this photo is from around 1894. Their respective ages would be 15, 12, and 18. They had seventeen children among them and one of them, Martha Bryan Boose is still alive. There are many descendants of these three and their two brothers.

I am one of those descendants. The oldest daughter Daisy married Harry Clifton Phenice in 1900 and they had seven children together. Their second daughter was named Myrtle Sylvia and she married Fred D Bucklin in 1930. They had five children together, including my mom Betty Lou Bucklin Landry.

Keys Sisters – Part 2

Grandma Daisy and Her Sisters

Update: In this original post I stated that Martha Boose was still alive. She was the last living grandchild of Martha Cook Keys, but now Martha’s Grandkids Are Gone.

Keys

Grace Through the Ages

November 29, 2015 Van One comment

When we were young, we used to enjoy visiting Grandma Bucklin when her sisters Grace and Marguerite were there. We called them “Aunt Grace” and “Aunt Marguerite” even though they were great aunts or grand aunts. But when I came across this picture, it really made me think. Even though she was Aunt Grace, she was still an old woman. Boy that sounds harsh, but compared to a little boy, she was old.

Grace and Ray Sowder in 1930

This gives me a different view of her, which I like. The photo is of Grace and her husband Ray Sowder in 1930 when they were newlyweds.

Another reason I posted this is because of my genealogy pursuits, which includes a website called FindaGrave.com. I thought it sounded kind of weird at first, but it is free and it is extremely helpful. I’ve connected memorials of many family members with this site, including Grandma and all of her siblings – except Grace. So does anyone know where she’s buried? Or does anyone have a photo of her headstone? I’d like to make a memorial for her and connect her with her siblings.

Phenice

169 years ago

November 27, 2015 Van Leave a comment

George Henry Hine circa 1900

169 years ago today, my great great grandfather George Henry Hine was born in Hamilton County, Indiana (Nov. 27, 1846). He married Susan Stanbrough in 1873, and their first child, a daughter, Addie May Hine (my great grandmother) was born 3 years later. She was followed by five brothers (all of those Hines in Jennings). The family moved to southern Louisiana in 1894 and lived in the Hathaway area. He died on May 3, 1919 and was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in China, Louisiana.

PHLEGMATIC PHENICE PHOTOGRAPHS

November 25, 2015 Van Leave a comment

I can’t wait til Thursday to post this. I’m too excited about these old photos that I rediscovered, and everyone will be busy on Thanksgiving.

1910 - Samuel Charles and Catherine Jane Foster Phenice

Samuel Charles Phenice and his wife Catherine Jane Foster

This is as far back as we can go with photos of the Phenice line, unless someone has a photo of Daniel Phenice (1809-1880). These are the parents of Harry Clifton Phenice. Samuel Charles Phenice was born in Mercer County, Pennyslvania, on April 19, 1844, and died in Precept, Nebraska on Sept. 15, 1939. Catherine Jane Foster was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 16, 1848, and died in Beaver City, Nebraska, on Jan. 7, 1921. Don’t their faces have a lot of character!

One of the earliest stories I remember hearing about the family was that my ancestor had been present at the assassination of President Lincoln.The family has this newspaper article that talks about the events, but I would still like to find out a bit more. Surely they interviewed everyone at that time and kept transcriptions of what was said. I’d like to see that if it is out there somewhere. I’ve looked and I will keep looking.

That was always a really interesting thing to be witness to. Another interesting thing to note is that both newspaper articles are about tragedies. Which is what led to the title of this post. I was looking for something that started with ph- and was appropriate. Phlegmatic is an interesting word. I had to look it up, but it fit this couple just right.

Jan. 1921 obituary for Catherine Jane Foster Phenice has many details about her life.

Another story that I remember from my childhood. It was always a lesson about not running if your clothes catch fire. It is a very sad and touching story. It also is invaluable in all of the details about her life that are provided.

Phenice and Keys United

November 19, 2015 Van 2 comments

1900-Daisy Keys, Emma, May, HC and Ed Phenice

March 1906 – Daisy Keys, Lola Myrtle Phenice and Emma Orra Phenice in the back. In the front is Harry Clifton Phenice and James Edmund “Edd” Phenice. The four Phenice individuals are siblings.

These people would never have dreamed that their photo would be posted on an electronic device that would be available for all to see.

The photo includes the parents of my grandmother Myrtle Sylvia Phenice Bucklin. Daisy Keys Phenice is the one standing on the left. She was married to Harry Clifton Phenice who is sitting in front of her. The ages of the people suggest that the photo was taken sometime around 1905-1910. It was probably taken in March 1906 when Daisy and H. C. went up to Precept, Nebraska, for the wedding of his younger sister Myrtle. (See Visits in the Past)

The others in the photo are H. C.’s sisters Myrtle and Emma (a witness at the 1906 wedding) and their brother Edd. Some of this information was on the back of the photo. Myrtle Phenice was older than Emma Phenice, but in this picture the one in the middle looks younger. After comparing this photo to other photos that were personally labeled by Emma Phenice Quillen, I think the names are correct.

July 20, 2018 Update

When I originally posted this photo, I thought it was probably from around 1900. That would have been closer to Daisy and H. C.’s wedding date. That would have been too early, though. There’s no way that Emma was only 11 years old in this photo. When I found Myrtle’s wedding record from 1906 and it showed Daisy as a witness, I changed the date for the photo. It was likely taken just before the wedding.

I also had the names incorrect for the sisters. I had no name for the brother. My mom wrote the names on the back of the photo as Daisy, Emma, and May. (Though it looks more like my handwriting from years back. I probably asked her about it and that was her best guess.) Then I got in contact with Emma’s granddaughter Mona Quillen and she recognized her grandmother as the sister on the right.

If the name May was correct, then that meant that the girl in the middle was 20 years older than Emma. Anna May Phenice was born in 1869 and Emma was born in 1889. That couldn’t be right. Then Mona sent me copies of several photos of her grandmother and her siblings. And best of all, she had written names on the photos. What a treasure that is! After looking through them and editing them, I was able to recognize which sister was which. So now I think I’ve got them straightened out.

Myrtle Sylvia Phenice Bucklin ca. 1945

November 15, 2015 Van Leave a comment

Found this old photo of Grandma (Myrtle Sylvia Phenice Bucklin) and I really like it. So I scanned it and edited out the scratches and age spots. (On the photo, not on her!) I think it came out really nice.

It’s amazing how traits are passed down to children and grandchildren. I never really noticed a resemblance in my cousins and my grandmother. But when I started working on this photo, I really zoom in close to different features. And when I spent time looking at those features, they would remind me of many of my cousins. We are a product of our ancestors.

Patricia Ann “Pie” Marionneaux (Stassi) Nelson

August 19, 2015 Van Leave a comment

Had a nice visit with some extended family yesterday, even though it was for the funeral of my cousin/FB friend Pat Nelson. She was my dad’s first cousin and I hadn’t met many of that part of the family before. But we’re in southern Louisiana and we’re Cajun, so I decided to got to the funeral and I hoped I’d feel welcome and I did.

Enjoyed seeing a photo of my grandmother and her sisters that I hadn’t seen before. Here are the Patureau sisters from June of 1953. Sister Emma was being recognized for writing a book on the history of Duson. Starting with oldest on the left – Emma, Lydwin, Erie (my Mee Maw), Lorena, Zita, and Sylvie.

Patureau

Clement and Bucklins

May 23, 2015 Van 13 comments

My parents and I went to visit cousins in Hathaway. They had some old photos I had never seen before. This one is from 1941 with mom and her sisters in it. My mom was not too happy to see this photo. It was at the beach and she said that she almost drowned when she went swimming and has been afraid of the water ever since. This did not stop her from teaching us to swim and to not be afraid of the water. What a good mama.

Joseph posted a better scan here.

Bucklin

Easter Fun Through the Ages

April 5, 2015 Van Leave a comment

That crummy, dummy Easter Bunny left no eggs for me,
That crummy, dummy Easter Bunny hopped right by with glee!
I tracked him to my neighbor’s house and stood outside his door,
And when I saw that Bunny head, I knocked it to the floor.
I tied up all his whiskers and macramed his ears.
I sat down in my rocking chair and drank three beers.

———–by Betty Lou Bucklin Landry and Van Landry

This is my standard Easter post of a poem my mom wrote many years ago. For those who are paying attention, I have added two lines this year. I always thought it was missing something between hopping right by my house and me tying up his ears. How did I get to his ears to tie them up? Here is the answer! Conflict resolved.

Here are a few photos of my early Easters, before all the conflict with the Easter Bunny!

1963-04-14(02)AlRobJodieVanJamieBettyandKarenLandryEaster

In Lake Charles in 1963 with my brothers and sisters and mom. Al, Rob, Jodie, Van, Jamie in mom’s (Betty Lou Bucklin Landry) arms, and Karen.

The Landrys in Jennings in 1964 with some Pilcher (Bucklin) cousins. Lynn P, Karen L, Toni P, Al L, Van L, Jodie L, Mark Carte, Rob L, Kevin P, Paul P, Larry P, and Jamie L.

Here I am (Van Landry) in Hathaway at Grandma and Grandpa Bucklin’s house Mar. 29, 1964. We always went there on Easter and had a big Easter egg hunt with the cousins.

1964-03-29RhondaJamieGrandmaJodieVan&AlEasterR1

In Hathaway with Grandma Bucklin, cousin Rhonda, sisters Jamie and Jodie, and brother Al. That’s me (Van) behind Al who is eating his chocolate bunny. Easter 1964

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