Emma Theriot; Newspaper Article, Cameron Parish Louisiana Submitted by Kathy Tell Source: Cameron Pilot, Feb. 10, 1972 Submitted Jan 2006 ~~~~~~~~~ ** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ** ~~~~~~~~~ HAPPY 95 BIRTHDAY MRS. EMMA THERIOT Mrs. Emma Theriot was born on Feb. 10, 1877 in the Grand Chenier area. When Emma was a young lady she married William F. Harper, also know as “Nip”. They moved into a newly built house which still stands today. The original house was built of heavy cypress lumber brought down by boat from Lake Charles. It was built by Adolph Brouchet, a German carpenter, who also served as Justice of Peace for many years. He is remembered as “Old Judge Brouchet” and a fine old gentleman. To Emma and William were born two little girls, Bessie and Gertie. William died when the children were two and four years old. In a few years, Emma and Hubert Theriot were married. Mr. Theriot was the Cameron Parish jailer and a Deputy Sheriff for many years. In his spare time he was the only barber in Leesburg, charging ten cents for a shave and twenty-five cents for a haircut. To this marriage a daughter was born. The Theriot home was the office of the first Cameron newspaper, then also called the “Cameron Parish Pilot.” It also housed the switchboard for the first telephone service in Cameron. This was in 1932 and for six years Emma was the sole operator. Judge Brouchet started the registering of births, and after he died, during the years when Dr. S. O. Carter was the only doctor in the area, Emma became the keeper of the record book for all births and deaths. She continued the service until the Health Office was established in 1950. During the years Hubert was jailer, Emma cooked and prepared meals for the prisoners. Also, during court sessions when crowds came from Grand Chenier, Creole, Johnson Bayou and Lake Charles, Emma cooked.