Nursey (LeBlanc) Richard

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Nursey (LeBlanc) Richard is a descendant of an Acadian

Nursey (LeBlanc) Richard lived in Louisiana.

Nursey (LeBlanc) Richard was a Mississippian.

Nursey (LeBlanc) Richard was a Texan.

Genealogy Summary

The LeBlanc family can be traced with certainty from Nursey LeBlanc back nine generations to her 7th-great-grandfather Daniel LeBlanc. Daniel was born in France c. 1626. He was one of the first French settlers to arrive in Acadia (Nova Scotia) in the mid-1640s. Over the next 100 years, four generations of LeBlancs would be born in Acadia: Daniel's son Antoine, born in 1662, Antoine's son Rene, born in 1701, Rene's son Simon, born in 1737, and Simon's son Cosme, born in 1760. During the mid-1760s, the Acadians were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British during the rush to control the New World. Simon and his family, including his son Cosme, were held as prisoners of war at Halifax. Upon their release, they followed Joseph dit Beausoleil Broussard, a famous Acadian resistance fighter, first to Santo Domingo and then on to Louisiana in 1765. They were the first sizable group of Acadians to arrive in Louisiana. Over the next 185 years, five generations of LeBlancs were born in Louisiana, including Cosme's son Alexis, born in 1797, Alexis's son Joseph, born in 1837, Joseph's son Leopold, born in 1869, Leopold's son Arthur, born in 1895, and Arthur's daughter Nursey, born in 1918, a 7th generation Louisianan.

Family Summary

Parents

Father: Arthur LeBlanc ^[1][2]

Mother: Cora Meaux ^[1]

Spouse

Vernice Richard (1912-1985), m. 1933 ^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Nursey's direct ancestor Simon LeBlanc and her husband Vernice Richard's direct ancestor Pierre Richard were prisoners of war at the same time at Halifax in 1763. The 2 families have been connected for over 257 years!

Children

1. Private ^{[5][8][9][6][4][10][7]}

2. Mary Irene "Toot" Richard (1936-2021) ^{[5][8][9][6][4][10][7]}

3. Mary Marjorie Richard (1938-2019) ^{[5][8][9][6][4][10][7]}

4. Infant Richard

5. Infant Richard

6. Diane Marie Richard (1948-2003) ^{[6][4][10][7]}

7. Private ^[6][4][10]

8. Private ^[6][4][10]

9. Private ^[6][4][10]

Timeline

1918: Birth

Nursey was the first child born to Arthur LeBlanc and Cora Meaux. She was born April 8, 1918 in Lafayette, LA. ^{[1] [2] [6] [10]}

1920 Census

On February 11, 1920, "Nersy" (age 2) lived with her father, Arthur (age 25), and her mother, Cora (age 23), in ward 8, Lafayette, LA. Arthur worked as a farmer. ^[11]

• Nursey's paternal grandparents Leopold LeBlanc and Angelle Blanchard lived nearby in the same ward.
• Nursey's maternal grandfather lived in ward 5, Vermilion Parish.

1920: Death of Brother

Shortly after the 1920 census was taken, Nursey's baby brother, Opta, was born. He lived for only two months and died on May 4, 1920. Nursey spent the rest of her life believing that she had caused his death. She said that she was rocking the baby in a cradle or rocking chair, and the baby fell. However, Opta's death certificate indicated that he died of orchitis (mumps).

1928: Alcide Judice School

Nursey attended first and second grade at the Alcide Judice School in Lafayette, LA. On June 8, 1928, Nursey (age 10) was listed in the Daily Advertiser among the second grade students at Judice High School that made 100 percent on the recent state spelling contest. ^[12] A photo of the school from c. 1927 can be found at the Louisiana Digital Library. [1] Is Nursey in the picture?

Nursey's sister Bernice and her 1928 primer class at Alcide Judice School are also in the collection. [2]

On riding the "bus" to school: "The house that they lived in was at the intersection of Kaliste Saloom and E Broussard. It was only torn down about five years ago. They would walk from that intersection to the Abbeville highway to catch a bus, which was a horse drawn carriage." ^[13]

On the old homestead: "I went with aunt Nursey, Bernice, and mom (Eunice), we walked through the house and there was still the pipe they used to cook their potatoes in the fire place." ^[1]

1928: Death of Mother

Nursey was only 10 years old when her mother died of cancer of the small intestines on May 26, 1928. A few months later, Nursey's youngest sister, Georgie, died of chronic indigestion on August 8, 1928. She was only seven months old.

Nursey's father quickly remarried and moved to Abbeville for a fresh start.

1930 Census

On April 24, 1930, Nursey (age 12) lived in Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, LA with her father, Arthur (age 35), stepmother, Eva Meaux (age 38--no known relation to Cora Meaux), stepbrother, Deuasard Hebert (age 15), and sisters, Bernice (age 9), Eunice (age 6), and Ruby (age 4). Arthur worked doing odd jobs. ^[2]

• Nursey's paternal grandfather Leopold LeBlanc was a patient at Central Louisiana State hospital in Pineville, Rapides Parish 110 miles north of Abbeville. Her grandmother Angelle Blanchard's whereabouts are unknown.
• Nursey's maternal grandfather Sevenne Meaux lived in Broussard Cove, Vermilion Parish.

1933: Marriage

On February 4, 1933, Nursey (age 14) and Vernice Richard (age 20) received their marriage license at the Abbeville courthouse. It is not known whether they had a church wedding. ^{[3] [4]}

1940 Census

On April 6, 1940, Vernice (age 27) and "Nurcey" (age 22) lived in Kaplan, Vermilion Parish (9th Ward) with their first 3 children. ^[5]

• None of Nursey's sisters has been found on the 1940 census They were not with their father even though they were unmarried teenagers at that time. One wonders why Nursey married and left home at only 14 years old.
• Nursey's father Arthur LeBlanc lived in Ward 1, Vermilion Parish near Erath, about 15 miles east of Kaplan.
• Nursey's only remaining living grandparent, Angelle Blanchard, has not been found on the 1940 Census.

Tropical Storm

According to EJ Richard, in 1940 the Richard family lived in a sharecropper shack at the base of a hill near the Vermilion River. They had to flee to the big house on the top of the hill during a tropical storm in August that caused widespread flooding. ^[14]

WW2

Nursey's husband Vernice narrowly avoided the draft. He was diverted to a welding program in St. Mary Parish, so the family moved there with him. ^[14]

Before 1943, Vernice was injured on the job and was awarded a settlement. They used the money to build a house in Patterson and purchase an ice delivery truck. The family lived well until the settlement money dwindled away. ^[14]

In 1948, after two still-births, Nursey gave birth to a daughter, Diane Marie, in Patterson. She was the last Richard baby to be born in Louisiana.

1949: Biloxi, MS

In the late 1940s, the Richard family moved to Biloxi, MS where Vernice worked on shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico. Nursey's sister Bernice LeBlanc-Sonnier and her family also lived there.

In 1949, Nursey's oldest three children, ages 13, 12, and 10, were listed on the Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children as students in the Biloxi Municipal Separate School District at R1 School . Their address was 8 Myrtle, Biloxi, MS. ^[8] Nursey's sister Bernice Sonnier lived nearby at the Sea Coast Camps. Her daughter Laura, age 7, attended the same school.

1950 Census

On April 1, 1950, Nursey (age 30) lived in Morgan City, St. Mary Parish, LA with her husband Vernice (age 36) and their children Edres J. (age 15), Irene M. (age 13), Marjorie M. (age 11), and Dianna M. (age 1). Vernice worked selling ice in the retail industry and his son Edres J. worked as an electrician helper.^[7]

• Nursey's father, Arthur LeBlanc, lived in Lafayette with his third wife, Adonia Gaspard.
• Nursey's sister Bernice Sonnier lived in Biloxi, MS with her husband and children.
• Nursey's sister Eunice Hebert, a widow, lived in Abbeville with her son.
• Nursey's sister Ruby De Luca lived in Connecticut with her husband and children.
• Nursey's last-living grandparent, Angelle Blanchard-LeBlanc, lived in Lafayette.

1950: Gone to Texas

In 1950, the Richard family moved to east Texas. ^[4] Vernice had sold the ice delivery truck and had purchased a dump truck for hauling dirt in the booming Texas construction industry. He was very successful until a rainy season set in and halted construction. ^[14]

1951: Back to Biloxi

The family went back to Biloxi for another shrimping season before settling permanently in Tyler, Smith County, TX. The oldest three children were again listed on the Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children in 1951, with the same address--8 Myrtle, Biloxi and at the same school ^[9] Again, Nursey's sister Bernice Sonnier lived nearby at 115 S. Cadet. Her children, Laura, age 8, and Allen, age 6, attended the same school.

The Richards had three more children in Texas, for a total of seven surviving children. There was a 25-year age gap between the youngest and oldest child.

To help make ends meet, Nursey worked at a gas station, at a root beer stand, and at a hospital cafeteria. ^[15]

She eventually lost her sight due to diabetes. ^[15]

1983: 50th Anniversary

On February 4, 1983, Nursey and Vernice celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. ^[4]

1985: Death of Husband

Just two years later, Nursey's husband died on April 4, 1985.

1996: Death

Nursey lived for 11 years following the death of her husband. She died, age 77, on March 15, 1996 following a stroke. She was buried with her husband at Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery in Tyler, Smith Co., TX. ^{[16] [6] [10] [17]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Lee Pullin, Nursey's nephew, as told to Lori Richard via Facebook, January 20, 2020
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMTZ-QZH : accessed 2 March 2020), Nursey Leblanc in household of Arthur Leblanc, Abbeville, Vermilion, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 19B, line 83, family 469, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 823; FHL microfilm 2,340,558.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Marriage Licence of Vernice Richard and Nursey LeBlanc, Vermilion Parish, LA 1933, Original in the possession of Raymond Richard

   • See attached image

4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} "Couple Wed 50 Years", Newspapers.com - The Tyler Courier-Times - 6 Feb 1983 - Page 64

   • See attached image

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VY5T-TSF : 25 January 2020), Nurcey Richard in household of Vernis Richard, Police Jury Ward 9, Vermilion, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 57-25, sheet 3B, line 60, family 49, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1461.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9} "Nursey L. Richard", Newspapers.com - Tyler Morning Telegraph - 16 Mar 1996 - Page 6

   • See attached image

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5} "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X2J-LBNL : Sun Jul 23 12:16:59 UTC 2023), Entry for Vernice Richard and Nursey L Richard, 1 April 1950.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} "Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK69-78NR : 23 July 2017), Vernice Richard in entry for Richard E J Richard, 1949; citing School enrollment, , Harrison, Mississippi, United States, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} "Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK6M-N7GL : 23 July 2017), Vernice Richard in entry for E J Richard, 1951; citing School enrollment, , Harrison, Mississippi, United States, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8} "Graveside Rites Monday for Nursey L. Richard", Newspapers.com - The Tyler Courier-Times - 17 Mar 1996 - Page 14

    • See attached image

11. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV7M-6VF : accessed 2 March 2020), Nersy Leblanc in household of Arthur Leblanc, Police Jury Ward 8, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States; citing ED 41, sheet 3B, line 91, family 55, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 615; FHL microfilm 1,820,615.
12. ↑ "State Spelling Contest", Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, June 28, 1928
    • See attached image
13. ↑ Randall Hebert, Nursey's nephew, via Facebook, January 16, 2020
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3} EJ Richard, Nursey's son. Personal recollection, 2019, as told to Ray Richard in person.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} personal knowledge of Richard-5629, Ray Richard
16. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 March 2020), memorial page for Nursey LeBlanc Richard (8 Apr 1918–15 Mar 1996), Find A Grave Memorial no. 185641748, citing Tyler Memorial Park and Cemetery, Tyler, Italic textSmith County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Cherokee Chick (contributor 49426207).
17. ↑ "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZ85-2ZB : 24 May 2014), Nursey Richard, 15 Mar 1996; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number , Smith, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.