Oscar Charles Sundbery, Marshfield, Wisconsin, then Terrebonne Parish,

Louisiana

Submitted by Mike Miller

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Oscar Charles Sundbery.  In the Cypress lumber industry of Louisiana one

of the most active figures is Oscar Charles Sundbery of Houma, secretary

and treasurer of the Houma Cypress Company.  Mr. Sundbery is a son of

Emil Sundbery, a veteran timber and lumberman of both the North and

South, whose home for many years has been at Napoleonville.



Oscar Charles Sundbery was born while his parents lived at Marshfield,

Wisconsin, November 5, 1888.  His father, Emil Sundbery, whose career is

sketched in more detail on other pages, was born in Sweden, January 17,

1859, came to the United States about 1879, and first came to Louisiana in

1892.  For several years he was out of the state, with headquarters at

Cairo, Illinois.  His home has been at Napoleonville since June, 1903.  He

is pr
esident of the Houma Cypress Company, president of the new Deemer

Manufacturing Company at Deemer, Mississippi, and is owner of the

Himalaya Sugar Company, incorporated, owning and operating the

extensive Himalaya plantations of 6,700 acres, also several other

plantations, and is president of the bank at Napoleonville.  He was a

member of the Louisiana State Senate four years, being elected as a

democrat, is a vestryman in the Episcopal Church and is a past grand

master of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana Masons and is present grand

commander of the Grand Commandery of the Knights Templar of the state. 

Emil Sundbery married Mary Cook, who was born March 9, 1868.



Oscar Charles Sundbery, only son of his parents, was educated in public

schools in Illinois and at Monroe and Napoleonville, Louisiana, graduating

from the high school of the latter city in 1907.  He continued his education

in Tulane University at New Orleans, becoming a member of the Kappa

Sigma fraternity, and in 1909 graduated in bookkeeping and banking from

the Soulé Commercial College at New Orleans.  For a year he was

bookkeeper for the Louisiana Cooperage Company at Plaquemine,

following which he became yard foreman of the Napoleonville Cypress

Company.  Since November, 1913, he has been located at Houma,

secretary and treasurer of the Houma Cy
press Company, which wound up

its operations on October 1, 1923, and is now shipping the product.  Mr.

Sundbery is past president of the People's Sugar Company, operating the

Honduras, Crescent, Argyle, Mulberry and Ridgeland plantations.  He is

vice-president of the Peoples Bank and Trust Company of Houma, and is

owner of real estate, including his fine home on west Main Street.



Mr. Sundbery is a democrat, a member of St. Mathews Episcopal Church

at Houma, is a past master Of Unity Lodge No. 257, Free and Accepted

Masons at Houma, member of Ascension Chapter No, 49, Royal Arch

Masons, at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, is eminent commander of

Napoleonville Commandery No. 14, Knights Templar, a member of the

Grand Consistory of the Scottish Rite, Valley of New Orleans, and

Jerusalem Temple of the Mystic Shrine at New Orleans.  He is a past

exalted ruler of Houma Lodge No. 1193, Benevolent and Protective Order

of Elks.



Mr. Sundbery married at Napoleonville, on July 17, 1912, Miss Caroline

Alwes, daughter of Carl and Caroline Alwes, her mother a resident of

Napoleonville, where her father, who was a druggist, died.  Mrs. Sundbery

is a graduate of the Napoleonville High School.  They have three children: 

Margaret Elizabeth,  Caroline Rosalie and  Frederick Oscar, twins,

attending the Lorton Preparatory Schoo
l at Houma.



NOTE:  The sketch is accompanied by a black and white

photograph/drawing of the subject.



A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 287-288, by Henry E. Chambers. 

Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New

York, 1925.