Maria Gremillion, Avoyelles-Rapides Parish Louisiana  
Submitted by Kristin Bordelon 
Date: June 7, 2016

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Avoyelles-Rapides Parish Louisiana Obituaries
Gremillion, Maria 
February 1882

Marksville Bulletin, (Marksville, LA) 1879 to 1887 Obituaries 
Feb. 25, 1882 p. 3
A School Girl Finds a Watery Grave in Bayou de Glaises

The little town of Moreauville, this parish, was the scene last 
Monday of a tragedy, heart rending in the extreme, and which has 
cast a gloom of sorrow throughout the whole community. It
illustrates too plainly the truth that in the midst of life we 
are in death. Neither age, sex nor condition is an exception to 
the rule, for rule it is, and those who least expect it, meet,
in a manner totally unlike what our actions of everyday life 
and condition would indicate, that fate which strikes us 
unmercilessly and alas! Too often unwanted.

At half past 12 o'clock, p.m., the two daughters, Marie and 
Beatrice, of Mrs. Jules F. Gremillion, left their home to attend 
their evening school with hearts light and gay and happy as
only belong to the young. When opposite the school building of 
Mr. P. M. Gremillion, the youngest girl, Beatrice, aged 8 
years, stepped to the bank of the Bayou to wash her hands in the 
stream. The wind was blowing hard, and the earth being slippery 
and giving way, she fell or as some say was blown in the Bayou. 
Her sister, Maria, aged 14 years who in the meantime had slowly 
proceeded up the road, attracted by the screams of Beatrice ran
back to find her sister struggling in the water. With no other
thought than to save her sister this heroic girl but a few 
years the senior of the drowning one, leaped in the Bayou, where
soon both clasped each other—one to save, the other with a 
deathlike grasp to be saved. Their screams brought Mr.
Gremillion and few children to the scene. Whilst the former was 
hunting a boat of some kind to lend assistance, Mrs. Arcade 
Lacour, arrived and quick as lightning plunged in the water to 
save, if possible, the drowning girls. They had already sunk but 
seeing the hair of one he caught it and succeeded in bringing 
her to land, where in a few moments she revived. She was the 
youngest and the one who had first fallen in the water. The 
other, Maria, had sunk to rise no more. About fifteen minutes 
after sinking she was fished out of the water by the people who 
had congregated there in numbers.

This is indeed a painful occurrence to chronicle. Mr. Lacour 
deserves public commendation for his brave and heroic action on
this occasion. Had it not been for him both of the girls would 
have been drowned.

Additional Comments:
Published by:
Marksville Bulletin (Marksville, LA)
1879 to 1887 Obituaries
Feb. 25, 1882 p. 3

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/avoyelles/obits/g/gremilli6286gob.txt