GONZALES, Ambrose C., St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller



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Gonzales, Ambrose C., tax assessor and member of the police jury of St.
Bernard parish, was born Dec. 7, 1857; a son of Matthew and Josephine
(Messe) Gonzales, both natives of St. Bernard parish, as also were the
paternal grandparents, Anthony and Isabella (Ojeda) Gonzales.  The 
paternal great-grandfather came from the Canary Islands and located in the
parish at a very early date.  He and the father, each in his turn, devoted
his energies to the occupation of truck farming.  The mother died in the 
year 1903 and the father in 1906.  Ambrose C. Gonzales was the first of 9
children born to his parents.  His scholastic training was acquired in the
public schools, and on the completion of his education, the young man
became assistant to his father in the supervision of the plantation.  In
1879 he took up the grocery business at Toca and followed it until 1899. In
1897 he was elected tax assessor of St. Bernard parish, and has discharged
the duties of that office to the present time.  In 1895 he was appointed a
member of the school board and during 2 succeeding years served in this
capacity in connection with the office of assessor.  He is also a member 
of the parish police jury, in which incumbency he still remains.  He and 
the members of his family are affiliated with the Roman Catholic church.  Dec.
3, 1881, Mr. Gonzales was united in wedlock to Isabelle, a daughter of
Louis and Marie (Ojeda) Guerra, of St. Bernard parish.  Mr. Guerra also
followed the occupation of a farmer.  He and his wife are now deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales have 3 living children, these being  Lionel J.,  Leah
and  Howard J.  The first and last named are now residing at the parental
home.  Mr. Gonzales has been uniformly successful in truck farming.  He is
constantly seeking to improve the quality of the products of his farm, and
the quantity per acre, and by application of modern scientific methods, in
close co-operation with professional scientific experts, is meeting with
gratifying success in both directions.  The superior results produced
through the utilization of modern ideas and scientific knowledge in truck
farming is often surprising, and the increased profit highly satisfactory.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, 
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), 
p. 619.  Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.