GARDEMAL, Gabriel, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************
 
 


GABRIEL GARDEMAL, ST. MARTINVILLE.--The subject of this sketch is a native of
Louisiana, and was born February 18, 1858.  His father, Titus Gardemal was a
native of French Island, Guadeloupe.  He was partly reared and educated in
Guadeloupe.  He attended college in Paris, France, where he completed his
education.  After leaving college he emigrated to America in 1848 and was for
a time engaged in steamboating on the Teche and the Mississippi.  During this
time he was a resident of New Orleans.  For many years before his death in
1864, he was a resident of St. Martinville.  Our subject's mother was Miss
Eudolie Josephine Fontenette, died December, 1883, having become the mother of
six children, four of whom are living.  Both father and mother were devoted
Catholics.  Mrs. Gardemal gave much of her attention and means to the
furtherance of the interest of the church.

Our subject was reared and educated in St. Martinville, subsequently pursuing
a business course in New Orleans.  His father dying when he was quite a boy,
he was thrown entirely upon his own resources and compelled to map out his own
course in life.  Beginning at the age of fifteen as a common laborer, he
devoted all his leisure time to the study of telegraphy, which he soon
mastered, and at the age of twenty became operator at Vermilionville (now
Lafayette).  For many years he was engaged as agent at different points on the
Southern Pacific Railroad.  Desiring a change, he removed to Texas, where he
was engaged in the same business. In 1884 he returned to his home to attend
his mother in her dying hours.  After her death he embarked in the mercantile
business in St. Martinville.  The success which has attended his business
undertaking is entirely due to his tact and energy, of which he possesses a
large amount.  During four years in which he was engaged in this business, he
served as deputy sheriff, and in 1887 he was elected mayor of St. Martinville. 
In 1888 he was elected sheriff of St. Martin parish, of which position he is
the present incumbent.  Politically, he is a Republican.  While taking an
active interest in his respective party, he is by no means a partisan. 
Indeed, so conservative is he in the discharge of his official duties that he
enjoys the utmost respect even of his strong political opponents.  He was
married, in 1884, to Miss Malvina Faurries, a native of New Orleans, but a
resident of St. Martinsville at that time.  She is the daughter of Pierre and
Mary (Wolf) Faurries.  Her father is of French descent, and her mother German. 
To this union have been born three children, viz.:  Louise Etidolie,  Volina
Marie,  Mozella Jeanne.

Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp.
329-330.  Edited by William Henry Perrin.  Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.