John O. Bonin, Iberia Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** John O. Bonin. Of the old French families in Southern Louisiana, perhaps none have preserved more completely the fine characteristics of the original stock and has made more consecutive contributions to the good citizenship of each generation, than the Bonins, represented by John O. Bonin, a banker and business man of Loreauville. The Bonins as a family immigrated from France to Nova Scotia, and then in that period of history that marked the emigration from Canada to Louisiana, they settled in St. Martin Parish in what is now Iberia Parish. The grandfather of the Loreauville banker was John Baptiste Bonin, who was born in Iberia Parish in 1774. He was founder of the famous "Live Oaks" Plantation, acquiring and beginning its development in 1819. It has been continuously in the family now for one hundred and five years. He died at Live Oak in 1841. His wife was Josephine Gonsoulin, who was born in Iberia Parish in 1794 and died at Live Oak in 1880. Ovignac A. Bonin, father of John O., was born near Loreauville, July 30, 1838, and was three years of age when his father died. He grew up on the plantation, which is two miles southeast of Loreauville, and eventually bought the property from his mother, and still owns it, though since 1904 he has lived retired in New Iberia. The Live Oak Plantation comprises 106 acres of valuable land, and takes its name from the fourteen oak trees which were planted there many years ago by the mother of O. A. Bonin. These trees are perhaps the largest oaks in Louisiana. O. A. Bonin is a democrat, is a member of the Catholic Church, and was all through the war between the states as a Confederate soldier, being with Company I of the Eighteenth Louisiana infantry. He participated in many engagements Including the Battle of Mansfield. O. A. Bonin married Eugenie Green, who was born in St. Martin Parish in December, 1849. They had three children: Marie Philomen, wife of Jules Francois, a barber at New Orleans; Miss Louise, at home; and John O. John O. Bonin was born at Loreauville, Iberia Parish, on May 20, 1874, and he profited by the advantages of the school afforded him during his youth. He attended private and public schools in his native parish, and in 1894 took a course in the business college at Bowling Green, Kentucky. Mr. Bonin from 1896 to 1913 was engaged in merchandising near Loreauville. In the meantime in 1910 he organized the Bank of Loreauville, which was opened for business November 3, 1910. He has been its first and only cashier, and the splendid service maintained by the bank has been directly due to his capable administration. It is a bank serving a prosperous rural community, and has a capital of $2O,O00 surplus and profits of over $32,000, deposits of $200,000, and resources of about $233,000. Its officers are,: Dr. Guy A. Shaw, president; Alfred Granger, vice president; Mr. Bonin, cashier; and E. A. Gesser, assistant cashier. In addition to his place as a banker in the community, Mr. Bonin is director, secretary and treasurer of the Loreauville Sugar Company, is secretary and treasurer of the Maria Planting Company at Loreauville, and president of the Loreauville Irrigational Company. He owns much real estate in his home town, including his attractive residence on Main Street, and he has several tracts of sugar land. Mr. Bonin served two terms, from 1912 to 1916, as mayor of Loreauville, and since 1921 he has been a member of the Atchafalaya Levee Board, and is a member of the Iberia Parish Democratic Executive Committee, serving in that capacity since 1904. He belongs to the St. Joseph Catholic Church at Loreauville, New Iberia Council No. 1203, Knights of Columbus, and is fourth degree knight, and since its organization in 1918 has been consul commander of Live Oak Camp No. 516, Woodmen of the World. Mr. Bonin was the official in the local organization for nearly all the patriotic drives in the World war, being chairman of committees for the Liberty Loan, Red Cross, War Savings Stamps and other drives. He married January 20, 1898, at Loreauville, Miss Clothilde Broussard, daughter of Louis D. and Cedalize (Blanchard) Broussard, both now deceased. Her father was an extensive sugar planter, owning the Marie Louise Plantation, a mile and a quarter southeast of Loreauville, now the property of Mrs. Boom. Mrs. Bonin is a niece of the distinguished Louisiana statesman, United States Senator Broussard. Mr. and Mrs. Bonin have three children. Their daughter Anastasia, a graduate of the Louisiana State Normal School at Natchitoches, is the wife of Eugene F. Mestayer, first deputy clerk of the Court of Iberia Parish, with home at New Iberia. The daughter, Beatrice, a graduate of the Loreauville High School, is the wife of Emilie C. Broussard, a wireless operator by Profession with home at Loreauville. The son, Willie J. Bonin, is assistant principal in the Grande Prairie High School. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 298-299, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.