Re: Louisiana Theriots, Dularge/Houma
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In reply to:
Re: Louisiana Theriots, Dularge/Houma
Karen Theriot Reader 9/14/01
I am a decendant of A Pierre Theriot
My grandmother, who married into the Theriot family was born in the Theriot Postoffice in Theriot, LAIn those days the postoffice was in a small part of the general store which had living quarters in the back or on the second floor.
I have pictures of the Theriot Postoffice.
Levin Soule'
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Descendants of Joseph Terrio
Generation No. 1
1.JOSEPH1 TERRIOHe married MAGDELINE BOURGEOIS.
More About MAGDELINE BOURGEOIS:
Burial: j
Child of JOSEPH TERRIO and MAGDELINE BOURGEOIS is:
2. i. PIERRE2 THERIOT.
Generation No. 2
2.PIERRE2 THERIOT (JOSEPH1 TERRIO)He married ANASTASIE DUGAS MICHEL.
More About PIERRE THERIOT:
Burial: Old Catholic cemetery at Convent, La
Child of PIERRE THERIOT and ANASTASIE MICHEL is:
3. i. MICHEL ELOI3 THERIOT, b. 06 Jul 1795, Covent, LA; d. 03 May 1861, Theriot, LA.
Generation No. 3
3.MICHEL ELOI3 THERIOT (PIERRE2, JOSEPH1 TERRIO) was born 06 Jul 1795 in Covent, LA, and died 03 May 1861 in Theriot, LA.He married MARIE SERAPHINE THIBODAUX 15 Jun 1819 in Lafourche Parish, daughter of PIERRE THIBODEAUX and GENEVIEVE LEBLANCE.She was born 15 Aug 1803 in Thibodaux, LA, and died 25 Nov 1877 in Bayou du Large, LA.
Notes for MICHEL ELOI THERIOT:
(This article was researched from "Terrebonne Life Lines.")
The Bayou Catholic
January 10, 1996
Houma, LA
XPLORIN' ACADIANA
The founding family of St. Eloi in Theriot - Part One
By SHERWIN GUIDRY
(The following article is part one of a two-part series about the founding family of St. Eloi Catholic Church and the community of Theriot, on Bayou du Large. This article was compiled by Ollie Theriot, great-granddaughter of Eloi and Seraphine on the dedication of the new St Eloi Catholic Church in Theriot -- Autumn 1971.
Michel Eloi Therio and his wife, Marie Sera-phine Thibodeaux, the devoted pioneer Couple of Bayou du Large, placed their great faith in God and their charity toward all first in their lives as they struggled to settle a new land and bring the Catholic faith to their descendants. They left their mark for all time and all generations to come, through this living, spiritual gift and legacy to be shared in St. Eloi Church parish.
Michel Eloi Theriot was a native of Louisiana, born in St. James Parish July 6, 1795. He was baptized in St. James Parish.
He was the son of Pierre Theriot and Anastasia Michel. The final resting place of Pierre can be found in the old Catholic cemetery at Convent, LA.
Michel Eloi Theriot's grandfather was Joseph Terrio who came to St. James Parish in 1765 from Acadia (now Nova Scotia) to make his home in Louisiana with his wife, Magdeline Bourgeois.
Joseph Terrio was the first in the long line of French Catholic Acadians in the Theriot family to father the descendants who now live along Bayou du Large and worship at St. Eloi.
When a young man, Michel Eloi Theriot moved from St. James Parish to Lafourche Parish. There he met and married Marie Seraphine Theriot, born Aug. 15, 1803. She was the daughter of Pierre Thibodeaux and Genevieve LeBlanc.
The couple moved to Bayou du Lurge in 1839. Tradition says that Michel Eloi Theriot cleared the wilderness with cane knife and ox cart.
The countryside at that time was a canebreak and wilderness. It was from this wilderness that this pioneer father founded a community and a family and engaged in sugarcane planting until his death.
The children of Michel Eloi Theriot and Marie Seraphine Thibodeaux numbered 14. Traditionally, at that time, Theriot children were given two names at baptism. The names by which the descendants know them are by their middle names, Here follows a list of their children (five girls and nine boys): Seraphine, Anastasia, Louise, Selima, Seraline, Michel, Theogene, Justillian, Armillian, August, Elpliege, Felix, Aurelie and Taylor.
Aurelie was said to be the first white child born on Bayou du Large. In the family historical order, Aurelie was the 12th child, born Aug. 14, 1841.
The last child was Taylor, the youngest of the 14, who like all the other children, shared the routine work of farming and acquiring an education. Miss Florence America Theriot, of Houma, is the last surviving child of the Jonas Taylor Theriot family.
There is the quiet, well-tended cemetery as Seraphine had planned, their tombstone monuments are there for all to see. Thereon; in their native Ianguage, so beautifully inscribed in French one can read:
Ici Repose
Michel Eloi Theriot
decede le 3 Mai 1861
a l'age de 65 ans et 10 moi
Ici Repose
Marie Seraphine Thibodeaux
Epouse de feu
Michel Eloi Theriot
decede le 25 Novembre 1877
a l'age de 74 ans et 3 mois
Towering above all else is the cross and belfry of the historically famous little church. The bell that called all to worship during Seraphine's lifetime, still calls out a welcome to all. And for all to see is her name inscribed on the silver bell, godmother to all.
What greater gift can be offered to God?
None! They gave themselvesi
January 17, 1996
Houma, LA
(The following article is part two of a two-part series about the founding family of St. Eloi Catholic Church and the community of Theriot, on Bayou du Large. This article was compiled by Ollie Theriot, great-granddaughter of Eloi and Seraphine on the dedication of the new St. Eloi Catholic Church in Theriot -- Autumn 1971).
This pioneer, Michel Eloi Theriot, was an esteemed citizen and due to his great energy and perserverance and faith in God's promise to assist all who asked for aid, he induced many to settle along Bayou du Large.
He was a member of the Police Jury of Terrebonne Parish.
As a very young man he served as a soldier in the War of 1812 (The Battle of New Orleans) and was also a veteran of the Mexican War. It was no wonder, then, that fear was unheard of in his endeavors as a founder and planter.
Marie Seraphine Thibodaux reared her family in a spot along Bayou du Large, the site of her pioneer home being directly across Bayou du Large from where St. Eloi Catholic Church now stands. It was destroyed by fire not so many years ago. Older people in the community remember it well.
Still standing on the homesite are the remains of the old sugarmill made of homemade bricks.
As Seraphine looked out of her kitchen window, she saw God's hand in everything. She saw their children at work, the cattle, the corncribs, tool sheds, old slave quarters (where now their families enjoyed freedom), vegetables and cane fields and the crude bridges made of hand-hewn boards from giant trees that had been cut on the plantation. She noted how the bridge connected property on both sides of Bayou du Large. She saw the levees which, held back in Spring time the high water which would have flooded her homeland.
Seraphine was a pioneer lady of simple quiet dignity, intelligent and humble; a devoted Christian mother who died in 1877 at the advanced age of 74 years. Eloi had preceded her in death in 1860 at age 65. All who knew them loved them.
This founding family which enjoyed success had acquired great wealth as wealth was known at that time. A lifetime of planning, hoping and praying now became a time of giving back to God what He had given to them.
In the words of Roger Baudier, the historian of "The Catholic Church in Louisiana", we see a detailed account of the generosity of the founding family of Bayou du Large. Here follows his account of the founding of St. Eloi Catholic Church:
"After the War Between the States a priest came occasionally to Bayou du Large and said Mass in a country store owned by Mr. St. Martin, located on the West bank of the bayou opposite the present church. In the early part of 1875 Mrs. Michel Eloi Theriot donated in memory of her late husband three arpents of land to be used for a church and cemetery site.
"The more prominent families then were the Theriots, St. Martins, Thibodeauxs, Chauvins, Champagnes, Fredericks, Watkins, Briens, Henris, Waguespacks and others; later -- the Marniandes. All of these worked in the swamps and neighboring stretches gathering timber for the church, and now they wanted a pastor.
"When the edifice was completed, a delegation went to see Archbishop Perche, telling him they had built a church, and now they wanted a pastor, The delegation was told to return home, that the archbishop would come to see the place in a short time.
"Archbishop Perche made the trip to Theriot on Bayou du Large and blessed the new church. He celebrated Mass. During the ceremony there was a big downpour, and the new roof leaked so badly it was necessary to hold an umbrella over the head of the monsignor at the altar. Nevertheless, the archbishop promised to send a pastor within the next few days.
"Keeping his word, during Lent of 1875, the archbishop sent Father Jean Geoffroy, who held the pastorate of St. Eloi until July, 1882."
The first baby baptized in the new church, according to Baudier, was Joseph Prospere Chauvin, son of Sylvestre Chauvin and Rosela Blanchard. The baby was born on Feb. 8, 1875. He was baptized on April 7 of that year. The sponsors were Marie Celezie Blanchard and Francois Theriot. (This article was researched from "Terrebonne Life Lines.")
More About MICHEL ELOI THERIOT:
Burial: 04 May 1861, St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church cemery, Homa, LA
Christening: 10 Sep 1795, St. Jacques Cabaroca, LA
More About MARIE SERAPHINE THIBODAUX:
Burial: 27 Nov 1877, Theriot, LA
Child of MICHEL THERIOT and MARIE THIBODAUX is:
4. i. AUGUSTIN EMILIEN4 THERIOT, b. 11 Jun 1829, Thibodaux, Laf., LA; d. 27 Jun 1890.
Generation No. 4
4.AUGUSTIN EMILIEN4 THERIOT (MICHEL ELOI3, PIERRE2, JOSEPH1 TERRIO) was born 11 Jun 1829 in Thibodaux, Laf., LA, and died 27 Jun 1890.He married MARIE ANGELINA MICHEL 16 Jan 1852.
More About AUGUSTIN EMILIEN THERIOT:
Natives of: Bayou du Large, LA or Houma, LA
More About MARIE ANGELINA MICHEL:
Mailing Address: Theriot P.O., 15 miles from Houma, LA
Natives of: Bayou du Large, LA or Houma, LA
Child of AUGUSTIN THERIOT and MARIE MICHEL is:
i. TIBURSE OZEE5 THERIOT, b. 1871, Bayou du Large, LA or Houma, LA; d. 16 Jan 1905, Franklin, LA.
Notes for TIBURSE OZEE THERIOT:
Suicide by gun shot as told by Marie Louise Theriot Soule to her husband Levin Soule, soon after their marrage, and then told by Levin to his son Levin, Jr. in the early 1950's.
More About TIBURSE OZEE THERIOT:
Burial: Jan 1905, Franklin, LA
Cause of death (Facts Pg): 16 Jan 1905, See Notes
Mailing Address: Theriot, LA P.O., 15 miles from Houma, LA