FONTENOT, T. S., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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T. S. FONTENOT, OPELOUSAS.--Mr. Fontenot was born in St. Landry parish in
1847.  He is the son of Simeon and Pauline (DeRouen) Fontenot.  The Fontenot
family is one of the historic Creole families of the State.  They have become
very numerous in this section, so much so that their number is almost
inestimable.

Sheriff Fontenot was reared on a plantation and educated in the local schools.
He began mercantile business and planting at the age of nineteen years.
Although young, he made his dual undertaking a success from the beginning, and
has arisen to be recognized as one of the well-to-do citizens of St. Landry
parish.  He still owns his plantation, but has ceased to conduct the
mercantile business.  Although he conducted his own business with the most
minute preciseness, he has found time to devote to public interests as well.
He served as a member of the police jury from 1871 to 1874, and was elected to
the State Senate in 1878, where he served until February 1, 1886, when he
resigned.  He served during the term that called the Constitutional
Convention, for the purpose of abolishing the Louisiana State Lottery, and is
one of the most uncompromising opposers of the proposition to re-charter it.
He acted, during his long period in the Senate, in concert with such men as
Cunningham, Foster, Newton, Parlange, B. W. Marston and J. C. Vance.  The
official career of Mr. Fontenot was eminently satisfactory to his
constituents, and he was elected sheriff of St. Landry parish in the April
election of 1888; his term will expire in 1892.  Mr. Fontenot was married, in
St. Landry parish, to Miss Marie C. Hebert, a native of St. Landry.  They are
the parents of eight living children, four sons and four daughters:  Bertha,
Bathilde,  Ludovic,  Beatrice,  Darius,  Rhea,  Ariel and  Joel.  Mr. F., and
his family are stanch members of the Roman Catholic church.  In the contest
for sheriff, Mr. Fontenot announced his name only five days prior to the
primary election, and although the field had already been closely canvassed by
competing candidates, he received the nomination by acclamation.

Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp.
38-39.  Edited by William Henry Perrin.  Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.