I was cleaning out one of my mother’s tables and ran across this picture of the DeJean siblings.

DeJean Siblings

This picture of all but one of the DeJean brothers and sisters was taken sometime in the 70s. (I think!) Standing are my grandfather, Leo Alfred DeJean (1898 – 1981), his sister Elaine Elisabeth Dejean (Smith )(1913 – ) and brother Hubert Wallace DeJean (1908 – ). Sitting from left to right are Olympe Ellen Estella Dejean (Caffey) (1902 – ), Verlie Gladys Mary Dejean (Foreman) was the last to pass on (1905 – ), and Norma Jeanne DeJean (Ortego) (1916 – 1995). Not pictured is their sister – Louise Armide Dejean (Young) who had already passed away (1911 – ). Even though the date of death is not listed, all of that generation has passed. I thought I had the dates, and will fill in when I find them.

Maggie Mae Cox – Maternal Grandmother

She was born November 22, 1891 in Bloomington Springs, Tennessee. Her father was Landon Ogilsby Cox. Her mother was Ida Lillian Phillips, a descendant of John Morton who signed the Declaration of Independence. She had two sisters; Allie J. Cox (Sportono) and Lillian Gertrude Cox (Reux). And three brothers; Charles M. Cox, Henry Cox (died in childhood) and Herbert Cox.This family photo was taken about 1913. My grandmother is on the left in the back. Her sister Gertie in the middle and Allie on the right. In front are Charles, Landon Cox, Ida Phillips Cox, and Herbert (Hub) on the right. Henry had already died. My grandmother was a very independent woman. Graduated from Nashville High School in () she worked for several years as a secretary at the Mint and managed to save enough money to visit Panama traveling on a Banana Boat when she was a young woman. She met and married my Grandfather, Leopold Alfred DeJean, April 17, 1924, in New Orleans. After marriage they took up residence on Broadway in New Orleans, just down the way from the Audubon Zoo. In the early 1940s they moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they lived until their deaths.

I have been trying to determine the best way to do this blog. After much contemplation I decided to do this person by person. I won’t include my folks since they are still alive, so I will start with my Grandparents on my Mom’s side. This is my French/Cajun/Scottish descent, primarily. I have pics of some, but not for all.

Leopold Alfred Dejean – Maternal Grandfather.

He was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, on February 9, 1898. Father was Jean Baptiste Dubousquet Dejean.Mother was Louise Voorhies, a descendant of Stephen Coerte Van Voorhees who came to the New World in1660. He was part of a fairly large family with 6 brothers and sisters: Olympe Ellen Estella, Verlie Galdys Mary, Louise Armide, Hubert Wallace, Elaine Elizabeth, and Norma Jeanne. (Two who died at age one day: Joseph and Olympe Estelle). Leo was the first of his family to attend and graduate from college – attending what is today University of Louisiana, Lafayette. He served in World War I and fought in France. On a tape he made before he died he remembered how hard it was to climb hilly streets of cobblestone in hobnailed boots. He worked as a detective in New Orleans for several years where he met my grandmother, Maggie Mae Cox. They were married April 17, 1924. They traveled to Pensacola for their honeymoon. After marriage they lived on Broadway in New Orleans not far from the site of Audubon Zoo. They were here when my mother was born in 1925. My grandfather worked as a salesman after they were married, mostly for Fiske Oil Company. In the early 1940s they moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they lived until their deaths. My grandfather died October 8, 1981. He lived long enough to be a great-grandfather.

My grandfather was a great cook, a wonderful grandfather, a traveler, a fighter, a husband and Dad. He loved to have fun and took all life could give him.

Please bear with me. I will scan my handwritten charts until I can figure out how to put a proper chart in th blog.

Today I begin another adventure in the world of blogging. Instead of food, it is genealogy this time. I have traced my and my husband’s ancestry back quite a bit, but still a lot to do. On my Dad’s side are the English and Quakers with a little German thrown in for good measure. On my Mom’s side there is Acadian, French, Scottish, Irish, English, and a few more small additions. On my husband’s side we have Russian, French, Spanish, English, and Austrian.

There are veterans of the Civil War (both sides), World War I and II, Korean. Navy, Air Force, and Army. Teachers, Carpenters, Seamstresses, Ministers, and Politicians.

So, like everyone else we are a ’sauce piquante’ of ancestry with a little bit from everywhere.

My Mom got me started when she joined the DAR and we found an error in the genie info. So I do this for her. I also do it for my two children so they know where they started. And I do it for me because it is fun and I love to find and add new ancestors to my family.