Family History

Ferdinand Pierre Patureau 1827-1877

This post is about the first Patureaus in our family that lived in Louisiana – and in the United States for that matter. Since I don’t have photos of his parents Pierre Patureau (Hold on!  I believe this photo is a photo of Pierre.) and his wife Anne Rose Machet Patureau, the focus will be on their son Ferdinand. Ferdinand is my generation’s great great grandfather. He was born in France in October of 1826, one of four children. The family decided to move to the United States in 1840 (passport is dated Sept. 10, 1840, so it would be after that date) when Ferdinand was close to fourteen years old. After six months he returned to France by himself without letting anyone know where he was for at least half of a year. He worked his passage across the ocean.

1840 passport for Pierre Patureau, his wife and their four children. Pierre is identified as a boulanger, or baker.

If that’s not a Go Go Patureau, I don’t know what is! I’ve seen and heard different versions of this story, but they usually agree with what I wrote down. After he had been in France for a year and a half, he returned to his family in Louisiana. But when exactly did he return?  Did he make it back before his mother died in 1842 from yellow fever?  Or before the death of his sister during the same year?  And where did the family live?  I’ve read that they settled in New Orleans, yet Anne died in Opelousas.  Then I read that they moved to the Plaquemine area and settled in Turnerville, which in the northeast area of Plaquemine.

The next big important event in Ferdinand’s life was his marriage to Marie Emma Landry in 1847.  She was from West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.  They settled in Brusly Landing and started having children soon after.  Before the arrival of their eleventh child (my great grandfather Vincent Maximilian) who would be born in 1865, the family moved to Bagdad, Mexico, to get away from the Civil War raging in southern Louisiana.  Ferdinand Patureau’s sister Victorine was living there with a large, growing family of her own.  I’ve actually been exploring that big TexMex family that descend from the Patureau line.  It’s a large family that is more likely to identify themselves as Mexican in much the same way that we are more likely to identify ourselves as Cajun.  (I know I do!)  I’ve found some interesting stories and photos, but that is for another time.

After the war the family returned to Louisiana and settled in Plaquemine.  A few more children were born and then tragedy struck.  On Feb. 24 1877, Ferdinand had an accident in the sawmill that he owned which resulted in his death the following day at the age of 50.  His wife and two of his children witnessed the accident.  He is buried at the large Patureau tomb at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Cemetery in Plaquemine, which is where his father Pierre and many other family members are buried.

The Iberville South Newspaper, Plaquemine, LA., Saturday Morning , March 3, 1877, Vol. 1, No. 17 reads:  Mr. F. P. Patureau, while working in his saw mill in this town, was caught by the band and thrown with such force against another portion of the machinery that he died from the injuries received on Saturday morning last. One of his legs was badly crushed, and was amputated by Dr. Postell, all efforts however were unavailing and a hard working, good citizen has been taken from our midst. A large concourse of friends and relatives followed his remains to their resting place on Sunday evening last.  (end of transcription)

It doesn’t mention his wife and children being witnesses, but I’ve seen an account of the incident that does mention that fact.  It doesn’t say which children were the witnesses.  I’d be curious to know who it was.

Aug. 10, 2017 – UPDATE – Replaced the photo with the new and improved version that I got from my dad’s cousin Marie Therese “Sis” Schafer Vicknair.  Thanks Sis.  Much better than the photo that I started out with.

Poor version of photo that I had for a few years.

July 21, 2022 – Another update! – Now I have found an actual photo of Ferdinand.  It could be the basis used for what I now think was a drawing of him.  I call it “The Real Photo of Ferdinand Patureau.”