The J. Waddy Thompson Family, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Aug 2006
Special thanks to Jim Perrin for donating it to the archives.

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THE J. WADDY THOMPSON FAMILY

BY JIM PERRIN, Local Historian

One of several nineteenth century physicians in Ponchatoula, Dr. J. Waddy Thompson 
was born 12 March 1841 in South Carolina.  Although little is known of his early 
life by 1880 he had married, established a family and was practicing medicine in 
Newport, Kentucky.  Dr. Thompson had married some years before 1880 to Miss Mary E. 
Hinton of Virginia (b. ca. 1845), and the couple had a daughter Mary Ellen "Nellie" 
Thompson, who had been born 6 August 1871 in Kentucky.

By 1885, Dr. Thompson and his family had removed to New Orleans and he began to 
practice medicine in the Crescent City.  By the fall of 1885, Dr. Thompson and his 
wife had purchased two tracts of land totaling about 300 acres near Ponchatoula, 
and established a home. 

While living in the Ponchatoula area, Dr. Thompson's daughter Nellie fell in love 
with a Ponchatoula man named James William "Jim" Tucker.  Jim was born about 1858 
in the Ponchatoula area and was the son of Spencer J. Tucker and Clarissa DeNelle 
Wells. 

Nellie and Jim were married in St. Joseph's Church in Ponchatoula, 3 Sept. 1890.  
Their first born son Edward Tucker was born 18 Dec. 1892, but died a few weeks 
later on 23 Jan. 1893.  When the last hope of medical science to save the baby was 
gone, Dr. Thompson baptized the child at his home.  Nellie and Jim's second child, 
Herbert DeNelle Tucker was born 2 Feb. 1894 in Ponchatoula and grew to maturity.  
Herbert Tucker, who died in 1942, later married Norma Mangin and they raised their 
family in Hammond.  Nellie and Jim also had another child who died as an infant.

Jim Tucker died 3 Nov. 1896.  Knowing his end was near Jim joined Nellie as a 
member of St. Joseph's Church, being baptized 1 Nov. 1896.  Following Jim's death, 
Nellie and her son Herbert lived with Nellie's parents for many years.

By 1898, and probably soon after Jim's death, Dr. Thompson and his family left 
Ponchatoula and returned to New Orleans.  The 1900 & 1910 census schedules show 
Dr. Thompson, his wife, daughter Nellie, and grandson Herbert living on Canal 
Street in New Orleans. 

Sometime after 1910, Dr. Thompson moved his family for the final time and 
purchased a home in Hammond.  Nellie Thompson Tucker died in June 1914 and was 
buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Hammond.  Dr. Thompson died in April 1916.  
Following his death his wife Mary lived with her grandson Herbert Tucker and his 
family in Hammond.  She died in Dec. 1933.  Both Dr. and Mrs. Thompson were buried 
in the family plot in Greenlawn Cemetery.

Although he practiced medicine in the Ponchatoula area for only about ten years, 
Dr. Thompson was one of several "horse and Buggy" doctors who helped area citizens 
live a better life.

Anyone with questions, comments or suggestions for future articles, may contact 
Jim Perrin at 386-4476.