Voorhies Family, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

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Without a sketch of the Voorhies family, a history of southwest Louisiana would be incomplete.
Members of this family have figured prominently, not only in local affairs, but in the history
of the nation.  The family is of direct Holland ancestry, the first member in America, Corte'
Alberta Van Voor Hies, having been a native of Holland.  He located in New Jersey about the
year 1600.  The latter part of the name, signifying "near the town of Hees," has only been
retained by the descendants of this ancestor.  Corte' Alberta Van Voor Hies was twice
married--first in Holland, and the second time in New Jersey.  He became the father of ten
children, most of whom were born in Holland.  They located in different states of the Union, a
son, Cornelius, becoming domiciled in Kentucky.  He was the father of three children, of whom
Cornelius, the grandfather of the subject this sketch, was one.  Cornelius Voorhies was reared
and received his education in Kentucky. removed to St. Landry parish, La., early in life, where
he married Limes Gradenigo, a descendant of the distinguished Gradenigo family of Venice.
Cornelius Voorhies afterward removed to Avoyelles parish, where he served as sheriff and parish
judge.  He reared a family of six children, viz.:  William,  Cornelius (father of our subject),
Clarissa,  Horace F.,  Gradenigo P. and  Ealalie.  Cornelius Voorhies, the father of Felix
Voorhies, was born in 1803, in Avoyelles parish.  He received limited education, and at an
early age began the study of law in St. Martinsville, being admitted to the bar in 1825.  He
first located in Lafayette parish, where he practiced for four or five years, when he located
in St. Martinville, and devoted himself to his law practice for several years.  He was elected
district attorney, in which capacity he served for some time, and was afterward elected state
senator.  Subsequent to this he served for a period as district judge, and in 1853 he was
elected associate justice of the supreme court, in which position he served until within a
short while before death, August, 1859.  Mr. Voorhies was noted for his firmness and the
closeness with which he adhered to principles.  Col. Felix Voorhies was educated at St. Charles
college, Grand Coteau; Spring Hill, Ala.; and completed his studies at the Jesuits' college,
New Orleans.  He studied law in St. Martinville, and was admitted to the bar before the supreme
court in Opelousas in 1860, since which time he has practiced in St. Martinville.  Mr. Voorhies
enlisted in the confederate service in 1861, Company C, Eighth Louisiana regiment, and was
assigned to duty in Virginia.  He was in active service until the latter part of 1862, when he
was discharged on account of disability.  After recuperating he again entered the service as
captain of the Independent Cavalry company in the latter part of 1863, and was stationed in
Louisiana for about a year.  Later he was detailed to bureau duty.  After the war Colonel
Voorhies returned borne and resumed his law practice.  In 1874 he was elected representative of
St. Martin parish in the state legislature, and served one term.  Colonel Voorhies, as have
been his ancestors, is an ardent democrat, though he does not take an exceedingly prominent
part in local affairs.  Since his service in the legislature he has never held any public
office.  The Colonel has devoted much of his leisure time to literature, and is a writer of
recognized merit.  He has written a number of comedies in French, some of which have received
high commendation.  His "Blanche Duvart," or "A Louisiana Romance," was reprinted in both
Canada and France.  Colonel Voorhies has for many years been a regular contributor to the
leading French papers in the United States, and his "Louisiana Sketches "in the "New York
Independent" have been widely read and admired.  His "Reminiscences of an Old Acadian" is his
only attempt in English.  Colonel Voorhies has largely contributed to local papers, and was for
four years editor of the "Observer," now the "Reveille," of St. Martinville.  e was married in 
October, 1859, to Miss Modeste Potier, of St. Martin parish.  To them have been born twelve
children:  Edward G., Attorney, of Lafayette;  Felix E., engineer and mechanic, of St. Martin
parish;  Dan W., attorney, at St. Martinville;  Charles L., engineer and mechanic, of St.
Martinville;  Robert E., druggist, at Thibodeauxville;  Albert P., who is at present a student
in dentistry;  Cecile,  Paule E.,  Walter,  Lucie, [illegible letter] Sasthene and  Modeste.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 501.  Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.