Welcome to the Official Homepage
of Les Familles Bodin.
A Poem For All Bodin Descendants
TRIBUTE TO MY ANCESTORS
By Sylvia David Morel
I want to know you all by name,
And when and where you lived.
It matters not if you won fame;
Because of you, I live.
Are alive and well in mine.
Years that divide cannot tear apart
That bond untouched by time.
Your spirit keeps me strong;
Your gift to me with your name,
So I know where I belong.
And In French, the Language of our Ancestors
MES ANCETRES
Où vous restiez, et quand.
Fameux ou pas, me fait rien;
C’est de vous que ma vie devient.
Ils sont toujours dans mon coeur,
Les rêves que vous aviez,
Pour nous tenir toujours ensemble,
Pas touchés par les années.
Votre sang passe dans mes veines
Pour me tenir forte;
Votre
cadeau avec votre nom,
Le nom que j’apporte.
January 29, 1997 (le 17 janvier, 1997)
Sylvia David Morel
Copyright c 2000 by Sylvia David Morel. All rights reserved by the author. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage orretrieval system, without written permission of the author.
Sylvia is the daughter of Julia Bodin David, the granddaughter of Isador Bodin, the great granddaughter of Belizaire Bodin and the Great Great Granddaughter of Simon Bodin, son of Jean Louis Bodin, of Noirmoutier, France.
Family News
A Meeting of the Directors of Les Familles Bodin was held on November 12, 2011
at the home of Gaynell Bodin Barras in Loreauville , Louisiana
Left to right Larry Bodin, Travis Callahan, C. Michael Bodin, Paul Breaux, Wayne Bodin, and Larson Bodin
Debra Bodin , Diana V. Callahan , and Gaynell Bodin Barras
The group met to plan
Our Next Family Reunion scheduled for April 21, 2012
at the new Baldwin Community Center located at
305 Highway 83 in Baldwin, LA.
From Highway 90 Eastbound exit Highway 83
and head North. Hall will be on your left.
Southern Louisiana continues to rebuild after two major hurricanes hit the area in the last few years. Many family members were affected, but they continue to forge ahead to return to a normal life. The Bodin work ethic is as strong as ever.
Our Last Family Reunion was held April 10, 2010 in Franklin, Louisiana at the American Legion Hall. See our link to the Bodin newsletter at the bottom of this page for more details. We will also be putting out a new newsletter in the near future describing the Reunion. Please send any old family stories or any info you have for the newsletter.
About Our Logo
The official logo of our association was designed By Allen Dale Belaire and features an outline of the Island of Noirmoutier France, birthplace of Jean Louis Bodin, over a flag of France, and the initial B representing our family.
Looking back on The Early Days
Forming the Corporation
The association held it's first reunion on October 30, 1999 in the town of Franklin Louisiana. There were three hundred attendees with representatives from several different states, including New Jersey , California, Montana , and Texas, and a large number from Louisiana. This initial reunion was for the purpose of meeting other Bodin descendants, developing a database of Bodin descendants and to acquire information for the family tree that will be included here. Paul J. Breaux , Lafayette Attorney, and Bodin descendant is our legal counsel and is drawing up the documents to incorporate our association as a non-profit organization, the purpose of which is to research our history and educate our children and generations to come , so that we never forget where we came from, and who we are.
Bodin Family Members on the banks of the Bayou Teche
The American Legion Hall , Franklin, LA reunion day.
John Bodin , our cousin from New Jersey on the left ,and our president Larry Bodin on the right . Two reasons why our reunion was such a success.
More Early Days News
Les Familles Bodin is now a non-profit corporation. The documents were signed at Baton Rouge , Louisiana on December 13, 1999 by Secretary of State Fox McKeithen. Many thanks to Attorney Paul J. Breaux who performed all the legal duties at no charge to the association.
Travis Callahan , left , and Larry Bodin sign the required forms to incorporate the association at Duffy's Diner in New Iberia, Louisiana. The diner was chosen because it stands on the exact spot where Callahan was born in the home of his grandfather Boniface Bodin. Photo by Paul J. Breaux.
The Officers & Board of Directors
President Larry Bodin, Franklin Louisiana
Vice President Travis J. Callahan , Abbeville, LA
Director C. Michael Bodin, Jeanerette, LA
Director/ Treasurer Gaynell Bodin Barras, Loreauville, LA
Director Debra Hardy Bodin
Director Larson "Cap" Bodin, Erath, LA
Director Wayne Bodin, Lafayette, LA
The Board of Trustees
The board includes the above officers and the following trustees
Trustee Irma G. Bodin, New Iberia, LA
Trustee Nordine P. Broussard, Lafayette, LA
Trustee Diana V. Callahan
Secretary Paul J. Breaux, Lafayette, LA
Trustee Noelie Bodin, Country of Belgium
Trustee Ivy Bodin Jr., Vista, Ca
History of Our Family
Jean Louis Bodin was born on the island of Noirmoutier, France in 1761. He was the son of Pierre Bodin and Jeanne Massonet and the grandson of Pierre Bodin and Jeanne Guibeaux. This takes our Bodin family research back to 1715, the year of the birth of the first Pierre Bodin. We will concentrate here on Jean Louis Bodin who was a crewman on the sailing vessel La Bon PaPa , the first and smallest of the seven ships that sailed from France to the Louisiana Territories bringing the first French immigrants .
Jean Louis married one of the immigrants, Francoise Jose Doirn (Doiron) on February 28, 1787 at St. Gabriel Church.
This is a recent photo of the church which still stands today near the banks of the Mississippi River in the community of Saint Gabriel, LA. I was fortunate to be able to tour the church and it is in remarkable condition. The church has been moved two times to escape the encroaching Bayou Manchac and later the Mississippi River before the present Levee system was developed . It is now about 100 yards from the Mississippi. A group is being formed to preserve this wonderful remnant of the early settlers life .
The Family Of Jean Louis Bodin
The marriage of Jean Louis Bodin and Marie Francoise Doiron produced six children. Of the six our research has only found descendants of two sons, Gregoire and Simon Bodin, and one daughter Marie Rose Bodin
Gregoire Bodin
Gregoire was born December 12, 1795 , in Saint Gabriel , LA the first child of Jean Louis Bodin and Marie Doiron. Gregoire married Pelagie LeBlanc on November 11, 1816 and from this marriage ten children were born. After the death of Pelagie in 1840, Gregoire married Natalie Bourg ( Bourque ) and five children were born of that union. Later Gregoire took over the duties of under tutor for the eight minor children of his deceased brother , Simon when he died at 48 years of age.
Gregoire was a very successful plantation owner with 2000 acres of land tilled by slaves engaged in the production of sugar cane. He was a respected business man in Saint Mary Parish even though he could not read and write. The home that he built near Charenton was a lavish structure even in those days .
Gregoire Bodin's Cypremort Prairie Plantation built in 1841 still stands today and was re-named Vacherie by later owners.
Both Gregoire and his brother were men of large stature, and stories were told that when they were together they did not need a ladder. A pair of Gregoire's pants is still owned by a family member and the waist of those pants , when held up by an average sized man, reach the neck of the holder. A story has been told for generations that when Gregoire died on the upper floor of his home , he was too large to bring down the spiral staircase and the slaves cut a hole in the ceiling and lowered the body with ropes. A recent renovation of the home covered the hole that was still visible up until that time. The pants held a special meaning for the older descendants of Gregoire , as the last tie to their ancestor . One elderly family member told Larry Bodin that when the elder members of the family were near death they would call for someone to bring the pants to their bedside so that they " could see them one more time". The person recounting this story would cry each time he told it. He passed away two years ago at the age of 96 years. Remember that family information was passed down through the generations by word of mouth beginning with those members who could not read or write.
When Gregoire died he was buried in the family tomb shown below. On August 26, 1992 Hurricane Andrew severely damaged the tomb when one of the large pieces of marble fell off and was broken. On October 25, 1993 Gregoire's great great great grandson, Larry Bodin , undertook the task of restoring the tomb . The renovation began and lasted until April 8, 1994 . The renovators stated that it would be too costly to build a tomb with marble today, and that the cost would run to more than $20,000.00. The cost of the renovation was over $4,000.00 and was paid with contributions from members of the Bodin Family Larry is probably one of the few people who has seen the remains of his great great grandfather. In Larry's own words " a giant of a man, over seven feet".
Family Tomb Charenton, LA
Order of burial in the Bodin Tomb
Aurelia Bodin, born July 23, 1829 died October 22, 1832 (3)
Joseph Bodin , born November 4, 1817 died September 22, 1839 (22)
Pelagie Leblanc Bodin , born April 15, 1797 died April 6, 1840 (43)
Gregoire Bodin Jr. , born March 30, 1845 died October 10, 1852 (7)
Felicite Bodin , born February 21, 1852 died September 15, 1861 (9)
Gregoire Bodin Sr. , Born December 12, 1794 died June 25, 1865 (71)
Simon Bodin
The value of the succession as a true record.
Simon and his twin sister Genevive were born April 12, 1800 in Opelousas, Louisiana the children of Jean Louis Bodin and Marie Doiron. At age 24, Simon married Pelagie Landry in Saint Martinville, Louisiana. In reading the succession of Simon which is dated June 28, 1848 , and on file in the Franklin, Louisiana courthouse, one gains insight to the life of this man after his death.
In this record, Simon's wife Pelagie Landry requests that an inventory of the assets of Simon be inventoried and that an " under tutor " be appointed for her children now without a father. The early settlers of this area were very concerned that children have a female and a male guidance in their lives so that they could be taught how to survive and grow to decent adults. Many times a family meeting was held which was very formal and of a legal nature and tutors were appointed. This was the case here and the document shows the attendance of Uncle Gregoire , and cousins Therence, Emile, Norbert Bodin and Henry Penn ( son-in-law of Gregoire ), all of the age of majority. As a result of the family meeting Gregoire was appointed under tutor to his nieces and nephews shown by name in the document. They were ; Belizare, Adrien, Doralize, Uranie, Numa, Alcee, the twins Joseph and Josephine, and Alcide. No reference is made to the tenth child, Marie Belzire who had died at the age of thirteen days, since the document only shows heirs to the estate. There is a reference to the fact that Belizare has reached the age of majority.
The Estate of Simon Bodin in 1848
A description of the family farm located in Saint Mary Parish includes the notation that the land deed was recorded in the town of Washington and that the property was 80 acres in size. The value of this property was listed as $4,000.00 and had previously been purchased in 1831.
The growing crop of 45 arpents of sugar cane and 19 arpents of corn is valued at $1,000.00 along with 100 barrels of corn valued at $62.50 and 64 cords of firewood valued at $96.00 .
The document lists three male slaves and one boy 16 years of age as well as three women slaves , one of which was the mother of two small children valued at a total of $4,000.00.
Editors comment
One must know that slaves of planters of this era , and this area ,were more tenant farmers than slaves and that the " slave owners" usually worked in the fields alongside the slaves. The slaves of " less wealthy " planters usually owned some land on the farm and many were self employed on their time off. Only the very wealthy slave owners had plantations with large numbers of slaves and lived the extravagant lifestyles portrayed in the movies . As I continue my research of the family and slavery in Saint Mary Parish I will update this section.
The succession of Simon continues
There were ten oxen, twenty horses, several cows and calves, and thirty-three sheep, as well as 30 hogs. There are listed saddles ,bridles, household furniture , a cistern, flatboats and a pirogue, and other items considered of value in those days. The total estate of Simon Bodin was valued at $13,387.00
Also included in the Saint Mary Courthouse records are legal documents naming Pelagie Landry as administrator of the estate and a second legal document naming Pelagie as the "natural " tutor of the minor children and Gregoire Bodin as the " under" tutor.
I continue to research the life and death of Simon Bodin and at present I am searching for his final resting place and the actual location of his former plantation. A true treasure would be to find a picture of Simon.
Marie Rose Bodin
The family of Rose Marie is being researched at this time. One of the factors that make this research interesting, is that Belisaire, son of Simon married Francoise Orezille Stevens , daughter of Rose Marie Bodin and her husband Louis Stevens. Children of brother and sister (first cousins) were married and shared the same grandparents, Jean Louis Bodin and Francoise Doiron.
If you are a descendant of Rose Marie Bodin Stevens, please contact us.
A Link to the home place of Jean Louis Bodin
(open the page and click on the flag for English version)
The Island Of Noirmoutier, France
Send e-mail to Travis Callahan
Travis J. Callahan , webmaster
This page updated November12, 2011
Links
Current Issue of the Bodin Family Newsletter
The Web Site of the Associations of Families Acadian