REBECKA "Becky" FRUGE' MILLER Allen Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Nancy Fruge ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ February 26, 1841 - March 17, 1928 The Kinder Tribune - Kinder, LA 6 April 1928 Death of Mrs. Rebecka Miller This section has lost one of its oldest and most interesting citizens in the death of "Aunt Becky" Miller, who passed away at the home of her grand-nephew, J. W. Gidlow, Tuesday night, March 17 at eight o'clock, after a lingering sickness of five months. A brief chronology will show that the deceased was connected with many prominent families of Southwest Louisiana. Nicholas Fruge' came to the old St. Landry Parish nearly 150 years ago and married a Miss Marshall or Miss Morse. [Maurice actually Marie Anne Olivier, daughter of Maurice Olivier & Catherine Lejeune] To them were born two daughters, Denise, who married Jacob S. Cole and died in 1850, to whom were born, Solomon, Louisa Cole Reeves, Jacob S.,Jr., and James of Prairie Soileau and Elizabeth, who married John Frederick Miller, great-uncle to David L. Miller, husband of the deceased. One son was born to Nicholas named Louis. Half-brothers to Louis were Baptiste, Andrew, Eli, Joseph and William Langley, and a sister, Peggy who married a Mr. Cole. From these descended the large and prominent family of Langleys in this section. 2nd page [words missing (Louis was a)]vacherie and was married to Mary Louise Celeste or Sally Teal who was born February 27, 1796. Fourteen children were born to this union, among them being Mrs. Miller, John, the oldest son married Sedalise Marcantel and died about May first 1898. Their sons, Jack and Louis, prominent stockmen of Beauregard Parish live near DeRidder. Mary Ann [Fruge'] married Valentine Disbo, who was killed in the Mexican War. She was the mother of Wash Disbo deceased and a daughter [Caroline Louise Jones]who married James Alfred Gidlow [correction-John William Gidlow,Sr.] to whom were born J. W. and Eddie Gidlow, also Martha, Mrs. George McLeod and Annie, Mrs. Dave Langley. Mary Ann died March 1902 at the age of 86. Louise Fruge' married Solomon Pitre, brother to Martin Pitre [unreadable words] died 1895. Mary married Zenon Marcantel, Jennie [Eugenie] married Joe Marcantel and after her death her sister Elizabeth was married to Joe her brother-in-law. Celeste [Fruge'] married Richard Cole, father of Silas Cole and grand-father of Richard Cole, who recently lived at Emand. Charles and Martin Fruge' died in the Civil War. William [Fruge'] was born in 1824 and married Celeste, daughter of John Baptiste [correction -Alexis Janis, Sr.] and Constance Peloquin Jonnice [Janis]. To them were born George, Moise, Narcisse, Zoe, Alfred and Oraline the wife of John Vige, the last two surviving. Denise, a relative, married John LeBlanc, father of Meteor, Emariant, Emil, Mrs. Alfred Cole and Mrs. Firman Fuselier, all deceased but Emil LeBlanc of Lake Charles. Rebecka Fruge' was born February 23, 1867 [Opelousas Church records list 1841] [illegible words - (married)] David L. Miller, son of Lifrau and Rebecka Teal Miller the ceremony being performed by William Fruge', Justice of the Peace, brother of the bride. To this union was born three children, all dying in infancy. But her mother instinct did not die with her own babies for she mothered many orphan children in her large home on Bayou Nezpique near Millerville. Willie and Eddie Gidlow and their sisters, Martha and Annie and a stranger, Ola, wife of Mr. D. S. Stevens of San Benito, Texas being among the number. Mrs. Miller's husband David, was killed Sept. first 1901, by Dr. Terry of Jennings, a Deputy Sheriff. In 1902 Mrs. Miller purchased the old home where she was born and moved there, where she resided until her last sickness when Mr. Gidlow returned part of the care she had bestowed upon him as an orphan child, and took her to his own home where he and his wife and other friends tenderly cared for her til the end. Mrs. Miller was an unusual character, tender-hearted, sympathetic and generous, having spent much of her rather large wealth in helping others. But she was also independent and utterly fearless and faced many hard situations with courage, running the ferry on Bayou Nezpique for years and being a real pioneer. A short time before the close of her life she found perfect peace through simple faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. Funeral services were held at Mr. Gidlow's home and at Green Oak cemetery Wednesday afternoon conducted by Rev. Paul Leeds, pastor of the Congregational Church of Kinder and were largely attended by relatives and friends from Elton, Jennings, and other near-by sections. Thus breaks another long link that bound us to the old romantic past. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Obituary contributed by Carole Dowers. Notes in brackets [] by Nancy P. Fruge'. (nfruge@ipa.net) NOTE: Rebeka Fruge' Miller was a 5th generation Fruge' and her great- grandparents were Pierre Francois Fruge'(b.abt. 1724 in Chany, France d.1784)and Catherine Dumoulin Duplantier (b.abt 1721 in Saintonge, France d.1796)