GONZALES, Allen T., Ascension then St. James 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. 682-683.  Edited by 
Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

Gonzales, Allen T., of Gramercy, was born at Gonzales, Ascension parish, June 
16, 1885, and is a son of J. A. and Louise (Landry) Gonzales, both of whom 
also were born in that vicinity.  The paternal grandfather, Miguel Gonzales, 
and his wife, Miss Geautreaux were natives of Louisiana.  The maternal 
grandfather, John Baptiste Landry, was born at Cornerview, La.  The ancestors 
of the Gonzales family in Louisiana came originally from Spain, and those of 
the Landry family from France.  The town of Gonzales derives its names from 
this family.  J. A. Gonzales, with his brother Capt. Joseph, was among the 
earliest settlers in that vicinity.  J. A. was the 2nd of 3 children born to his 
parents, the others being Joseph and Mary, the former of whom served as 
captain of a company in the Confederate army throughout the war.  After 
the surrender he filled the office of sheriff of Ascension parish a number of 
years.  He died at the age of 65 years.  Mary was married to John Savario, 
who died leaving 2 children.  Later she married F. A. Batts, and 2 children 
have been born to this union.  J. A. Gonzales has followed the vocation of 
a cotton planter from early life, and is still so engaged, at the age of 77 years.  
He served in Confederate army a member of Capt. Joseph Gonzales company, 
which was attached to the 22nd Louisiana volunteer infantry.  After the 
surrender he was mustered out in Virginia, and returned to his Louisiana 
home, where he resumed cultivation of his plantation.  He affiliates with the 
democratic party, and has served about 16 years as a member of the police 
jury and about an equal time as a member of the school board. Allen T. was 
the 2nd of 8 children born to his parents, the others being in order of their 
birth, as follow:  Adel, married to Walter Dyer, planter, living at St. Amant, 
and has 1 child;  Hester, married to F. A. Arceneaux, planter, is living at St. 
Amant and has 2 children ;  Lillian, at the parental home;  Sidney, married to 
Miss Dawson, and engaged in cotton planting at Gonzales, has 1 child;  Silas 
S.,  Lester S. and John Dewey are at the parental home.  Allen T. Gonzales 
received his early education at the public schools in the vicinity of his birthplace.  
About the age of 15 years he left school to assist his father on the farm, 
remaining so employed until he had attained his 19th year, when he became 
clerk in a general store at Hope Villa, and so continued about 3 years.  
During these latter years he saved sufficient money to insure his professional 
education, and in 1908 he entered the New Orleans College of Pharmacy 
(now affiliated with Loyola university), from which he graduated with the 
degree of master of pharmacy and as valedictorian of the class of 1910.  
Shortly thereafter he entered the service of the Thompkins pharmacy, at 
Lutcher, as conductor of a branch drug business--the ''Colonial Pharmacy''--at 
Gramercy, which has been a successful enterprise from its beginning and which 
he still manages.  Mr. Gonzales affiliates with the democratic party.  He is a 
member of the Catholic church and of the Woodmen of the World, and is clerk 
of the local camp of the latter and also a deputy organizer.  Nov. 8, 1911, Mr. 
Gonzales was married to Beatrix Mathieu, daughter of Dr. John H. and Cecile 
(Genezina) Mathieu, of Lake Charles, La. where Dr. Mathieu owns a large drug 
business.  One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales,  Cecile Lois.