COCO,(Judge) Adolphe V., Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 602-603. Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association. Coco, Judge Adolphe Valery, successful attorney and jurist, Marksville, La., was born in Avoyelles parish, La., March 21, 1857; son of Adolphe Dominicque [sic] and Heloise (Sheldon) Coco, the former of whom was a native of the locality in which the son was born, where he followed the vocation of a planter. During the Civil war he served the Confederacy as a recruiting officer, with the rank of colonel. During a portion of that time, also, he served as a member of the Louisiana state senate. The paternal grandfather, Dominicque [sic] Coco, also was a native of Avoyelles parish, where he became a large land owner and sugar planter, cultivating the only sugar plantation in the parish at that time. He was a large slave owner. His death occurred in 1864. His wife's maiden name was Caroline Bordelon, and she was a native of Avoyelles parish. The paternal great-grandfather, Joseph Coco, was a native of Spain. He came to America with Gen. Lafayette and fought in the Colonial army during the war of the Revolution. Later he became one of the early settlers of Avoyelles parish and there married Miss Juneau, whose parents had located there some time previously. The mother, Heloise Sheldon, was a native of Pointe Coup e parish, La., where her father was a planter. The latter died about the year 1870. His wife's maiden name was Melazie Ledeaux. Adolphe Valery Coco was the third of 7 children born to his parents, these being as follows: L. Sheldon, farmer, of Avoyelles parish; E. D., a merchant of Marksville, La.; Adolphe Valery, the subject of this sketch; L. J., merchant, at Marksville, La.; Eugenie, wife of S. W. Gardiner, farmer and merchant, of Marksville; Alice, wife of Robert Coco, farmer, of Marksville; Josephine, wife of Louis P. Roy, merchant, of Marksville. Adolphe Valery Coco attended the schools of the locality in which he was born until attaining his 15th year, when he became a student at Louisiana state university, remaining in that institution 1 year. He then entered St. Vincent's college, Cape Girardeau, Mo., from which he graduated with the degree of B. A. in the class of 1877. During the succeeding 2 years he taught in a school at Marksville, La., studying law at night and in spare time. Following the close of his second year as a teacher, he entered the law school of Tulane university, from which he graduated with the class of 1881. Shortly following the completion of his professional education, he opened law offices at Marksville and has since been in legal practice there. In 1888 he was elected district judge of the judicial district comprising Rapides, Grant and Avoyelles parishes, being re lected and remaining incumbent of that office until 1896. Since this latter date he has devoted his abilities to the requirements of his private practice. He served, also, as a member of the constitutional convention of 1898. The Judge is a member of the Catholic church and is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. July 10, 1877, Judge Coco was married to Miss Catherine Malone, a daughter of John P. Malone, of Memphis, Tenn., who owned large bodies of land, devoted to fanning, in Arkansas. Both of Mrs. Coco's parents were natives of Ireland, but they were married after having come to America. The mother's maiden name was Burke. She died when the daughter was very young. The father's death occurred in 1877. Three children have been born to Judge and Mrs. Coco, as follows: Numa, farmer, of Avoyelles parish, married and the father of 3 children; Walter J., attorney, of Seattle, Wash., married; Vernon A., graduate of Jefferson college, Convent, La., degree of B. A., class of 1910, now a student of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., from which institution he will graduate with the degree of LL. B. in the class of 1914. In addition to a variety of other connections and associations, Judge Coco is interested in farm lands of Avoyelles parish, and is a member of the board of directors of the Union bank, of Marksville.