BERTHELOT, (Hon.) Paul, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana

Submitted for the LA GenWeb Archives by Mike Miller, Oct 1999


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Berthelot, Hon. Paul, planter, merchant, manufacturer and legislator, was
born in St. John parish, La., Jan. 31, 1859, and is a son of Vailsin and
Elmire (Folse) Berthelot, both natives of the same parish, as was also the
paternal grandfather, Firmin Berthelot.  The paternal great-grandfather,
though he passed the greater part of his life in Louisiana, came originally
from France.  The paternal grandmother also was born in France and was
descended from a noble family.  The maternal grandmother, whose maiden name
was Troxclair. was born in the vicinity of Bayou Lafourche.  The Troxclair
family has long been intimately identified with affairs in that locality.
The maternal great-great-grandparents were natives of France.  Paul
Berthelot was the first of 11 children born to his parents:  Evela, the
second child, became the wife of Joseph Hoidel of St. Charles parish, who
died after 12 children had been born to their union.  Laure, the third
child, became the wife of George Hymel, a successful planter of St. Charles
parish, and is the mother of 8 children, all of whom are well educated.
Edward, the fourth child, died with typhoid fever in 1890, and is survived
by 2 children, a son and a daughter.  Josephine, the fifth, became the wife
of Zepherin Hymel, New Orleans, and is the mother of 10 children.
Eleonore, the sixth, married Amelus Haydel, of Lutcher, and 11 children
have been born to their union.  Virginia, the seventh, is the wife of D. C.
Lousdeau, a prosperous planter of St. Charles parish.  Vailsin, Jr., the
eighth, died while conducting a store for his brother, near Hymelia, and is
survived by 9 children.  Elodie, ninth, became the wife of Morris St.
Pierre, successful merchant and real estate dealer of St. John the Baptist
parish, and 9 children have been born to their union.  Joseph and Odele,
tenth and eleventh, died in childhood.  The mother of these 11 children was
previously married to Benjamin Berthelot, and 2 daughters were born to this
first union, namely:  Velleda, who married Numa Haydel and died after
having become the mother of 12 children, all of whom are now married.
Marcelite married Octave Bethancourt, of St. John the Baptist parish, and
died, leaving no children.  Mr. Bethancourt was afterwards remarried.
During the Civil war he had some strange experiences and seems to have
escaped death miraculously.  Paul Berthelot received his education at
private schools, working throughout the day to enable him to pay for
instruction at night.  At the age of 16 years, having saved a little money
for that purpose, he went to New Orleans and became a student of St. Mary's
academy, where he learned to speak English.  After 2 years at this
institution he returned home and assisted his father in the cooper business
until he had accumulated $1,000, when he began on his own account at
Plaquemine with William Slaughter as a partner in a cooper shop.  In 1886
he returned to St. John the Baptist parish and engaged in mercantile
pursuits and farming.  In 1904, associated with Joseph Haydel, he purchased
Trinity plantation, and in 1907 bought his partner's interest in this
property, but disposed of it in 1911.  He has owned Lucy Farm, since 1886,
and now lives upon this place, which is maintained in a high state of
cultivation.  Mr. Berthelot also conducts a large general merchandise
business and operates a canning plant, putting up fruits, vegetables and
pure cane syrup under formulae furnished by the agricultural department of
the United States.  Mr. Berthelot is affiliated with the democratic party,
and has acted in various official capacities.  In 1888 he was elected to
the police jury and served 8 years as a member of that body.  In 1896 he
was elected to the legislature, being, it is said, the first white man to
hold the office since the Civil war, and succeeding a negro who had held
office 20 years as representative from St. John the Baptist parish.  This
was one of the backward parishes in the state in getting rid of the
"carpet-bag" regime.  During the session of the legislature that followed,
Mr. Berthelot served on the land and levees, railroad and other committees,
and in the same year of his election he was appointed by Gov. Foster as a
member of the levee board.  In 1900 he was elected sheriff and tax
collector of St. John the Baptist parish and has so continued to this time.
 He has been a member of the democratic central committee of the state
during the past 20 years, judicial and senatorial district committee 16
years, congressional district committee a like time.  Four successive times
he was alternate delegate to the national democratic conventions, and was a
delegate to the Baltimore convention, at which Pres. Wilson was nominated.
Feb. 22, 1880, Mr. Berthelot was married to Olivia Necomede, daughter of
Fortune Louis Cestia of New Orleans.  Mr. Cestia came from Guadaloupe,
Lesser Antilles, at the age of 17 years, and was for a time connected with
the Daily Bee, of New Orleans.  He occupied various positions under the
city administration and as a commissioner supervised the planting of the
trees that now adorn Washington square and Ursulines avenue.  Three
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Berthelot, of whom 2 sons died in
early childhood.  Their daughter,  Louise Alice, married George U. Generou,
who is a graduate of the Christian Brothers' college, Bay St. Louis, Miss.
He occupies the position of bookkeeper and confidential clerk for Mr.
Berthelot, and is a member of the school board of St. John the Baptist
parish.  Seven children have been born to Mrs. Generou, namely:  Louise,
who is talented in elocution;  Clifford Paul,  Edward Joseph,  Margaret
Marie, and  Ann Olivia.  The sixth and seventh children were twins and died
in infancy.  Mr. Berthelot belongs to the Catholic church, the Woodmen of
the World and the Knights of Pythias.  He has succeeded financially, and
though he has encountered many discouraging obstacles, has risen to a
position of importance entirely through his own efforts.  He enjoys in a
large measure the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, and his
home at Lucy, in St. John the Baptist parish, is noted for its hospitality.

Source:  Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp.
707-709.  Edited by Alc e Fortier, Lit. D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.

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