Louis PARENTON (±1821-1873)
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We know little about Louis PARENTON who is the origin of the branch of the family settled in Louisiana. But luckily, some documents recount a little of his life along Bayou Lafourche.
Louis and Celeste MOISE married December 26, 1846 in Assumption Parish. They had, to my knowledge, ten children. Many died in infancy, but the couple's children who survived, and their descendants are associated with large families of Louisiana, mainly from France: AUCOIN, BERNIARD, BLANCHARD, CAMPEAUX, GUILLOT, LANDRY, LEBLANC, MELANCON ...
Victorine ((c) 1848-1851) child died childless
Marie Cecilia Marguerite (1850-) Elfège MELANCON marry, they will have at least 5 children
Louise Celeste Eugénie (1852-) Octave BERNIARD, marry, they will have at least 2 children
Louis Octave (1853-1853) child died childless
Marie Olla (1854-1854) child died childless
Elfège Louis (1855-1941) Hermine GUILLOT marry, they will have at least 8 children
Numa Jean (1859-1917) Odalie AUCOIN marry, they will have at least 7 children
Joseph Alphonse (1861-1937) Eugénie BOURG marry, they will have at least 4 children
Anatole Octave (1863-1863) child died childless
Marie Marguerite (-1849) no known descendants
There are now many PARENTON from Elfège, Numa and Joseph.
But back to Louis PARENTON:
On the 1860 census, he appears as "Flat Boatman", 39 years residing 8th Ward, Napoleonville - Assumption Parish. He was born about 1821 in France.
The book « Steamboats on Louisiana Bayous », cites Captain PARENTON commander repeatedly "Lafourche" to trade on the Bayou Lafourche in 1845 but also in 1864 and 1865.
The same book says he was also captain of the stern-wheel "Alone" and the "Pioneer" in 1866 between Thibodaux and New Orleans.
The Lafourche,a steamer, moved 334 tonnes. I found an engraving of the ship.
Their house also had a bit of notoriety as the painter Pauline Wright Nichols (1889-1983) made it a oil painting.
In 1977 several members of the family were visiting Lollie PARENTON (1893-1981) granddaughter of Louis and daughter of Elfège, the last resident in family cottage since that no longer exists. I thank Sara TROTTER (great-granddaughter of Louis) who gave me the reproduction of the painting and the photos taken at the cottage in 1977.
Louis died on 13 July 1873 in Assumption Parish without probably imagine, we talk to him after 140 years.
One last anecdote concerning his wife Celeste. In the 1880s, a committee entitled "French and American Claims Commission" lists the damage caused by the army during the Civil War and the name of Celeste PARENTON appears. She states that the General Weitzel, who commanded the Union forces burned in Louisiana barges belonging to her on 26 October 1862.
