Gaspard

The time is around the corner for the GASPARD-PICARD-LAVIOLETTE FAMILY REUNION. Many volunteers for the Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Family Association have been working vigorously for almost a year to allow this presentation of the GPL FAMILY REUNION to be held on this date. The reasons for this GPL FAMILY REUNION is to allow all the members of the different Laviolette, Picard and Gaspard families to meet in one place, to be shown at anyone's request their family lineage via computers, to discuss any family detail and to just plain meet other family members whether they be . Picard, Laviolette or Gaspard family members.

Yes, all three families do have a common bond. The mother of the Gaspard and Picard progenitors was a lady born from German parents in the 1720s while on the German Coast of Louisiana. Her name was Anne Marie Strimphle. She is also the grandmother of all the Gaspards, Picards, and Laviolettes that settled in Southwest Louisiana after leaving the German Coast of Louisiana.

Do take time out to come to the Magdalen Centre in Abbeville, Louisiana on April 12th and meet your other family relatives you may have never met, or even known about before. While there, do enjoy the camaraderie of your relatives and friends. Meet them for the first time or meet them again. Come and find details on your family history, whether it be relatives you know about that lived in the nineteen or twentieth century, or whether it is the history of your family in the eighteenth century, or even possibly the beginnings of your family in the seventeenth century. Imagine the fun of talking to one of attendees at this reunion and finding out that his grandfather, grandmother or great grandparents knew each other and can tell you about their brothers, sisters, plus tribulations and stories that happened when they were growing up together! Even find out more about your family relatives that moved far away, even to the states of Texas, Oklahoma, California and New York.

Lots of our GPL members now live in Texas. It is expected that family members will come to this reunion all the way from far away Texas and other places even farther away too. Imagine meeting a family member from New York State that can still speak a little French, still loves his gumbo file, crawfish etoufee', raw oysters, cayenne peppers, tobasco sauce, dirty rice and jambalaya. Would you believe he could be a die hard LSU fan, a Louisiana-Lafayette University fan too, may even still love that good ole Cajun hospitality, and may know something about our Colonial Families., huh. Oh wee ,poppa, that would be hard to believe. So come out and visit with some of these foreigners. They may even say welcome, or nice to know you too, T -Neg.

Back to being serious, again. we do want to welcome our dear contingency of family, friends and relatives from Texas. They have not forgotten their Louisiana heritage.

So y'all come to the GASPARD -PICARD-LAVIOLETTE Reunion. We do want to meet each and everyone one of you.

See you all at the REUNION


	Vol. 2003 - Issue 3 Youngsville, La. March 31, 2003 GPL Family Association 138 A Nora Broussard Rd., Youngsville, La. 70592 e-mail: cjgaspard@bellsouth.net Editor & Publisher: Don Gaspard, Tel: 607-659-3718, e-mail: dgaspard@clarityconnect.com
GPL Family Home Page Organizers Meetings Preserving our Heritage Membership Application Index of Acadian Families	The Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Family Reunon is Less than Two Weeks Away! SATURDAY, APRIL 12th is the date. THE MAGDALEN CENTRE in ABBEVILLE, LA. is the PLACE The time is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
	The time is around the corner for the GASPARD-PICARD-LAVIOLETTE FAMILY REUNION. Many volunteers for the Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Family Association have been working vigorously for almost a year to allow this presentation of the GPL FAMILY REUNION to be held on this date. The reasons for this GPL FAMILY REUNION is to allow all the members of the different Laviolette, Picard and Gaspard families to meet in one place, to be shown at anyone's request their family lineage via computers, to discuss any family detail and to just plain meet other family members whether they be . Picard, Laviolette or Gaspard family members. Yes, all three families do have a common bond. The mother of the Gaspard and Picard progenitors was a lady born from German parents in the 1720s while on the German Coast of Louisiana. Her name was Anne Marie Strimphle. She is also the grandmother of all the Gaspards, Picards, and Laviolettes that settled in Southwest Louisiana after leaving the German Coast of Louisiana. Do take time out to come to the Magdalen Centre in Abbeville, Louisiana on April 12th and meet your other family relatives you may have never met, or even known about before. While there, do enjoy the camaraderie of your relatives and friends. Meet them for the first time or meet them again. Come and find details on your family history, whether it be relatives you know about that lived in the nineteen or twentieth century, or whether it is the history of your family in the eighteenth century, or even possibly the beginnings of your family in the seventeenth century. Imagine the fun of talking to one of attendees at this reunion and finding out that his grandfather, grandmother or great grandparents knew each other and can tell you about their brothers, sisters, plus tribulations and stories that happened when they were growing up together! Even find out more about your family relatives that moved far away, even to the states of Texas, Oklahoma, California and New York. Lots of our GPL members now live in Texas. It is expected that family members will come to this reunion all the way from far away Texas and other places even farther away too. Imagine meeting a family member from New York State that can still speak a little French, still loves his gumbo file, crawfish etoufee', raw oysters, cayenne peppers, tobasco sauce, dirty rice and jambalaya. Would you believe he could be a die hard LSU fan, a Louisiana-Lafayette University fan too, may even still love that good ole Cajun hospitality, and may know something about our Colonial Families., huh. Oh wee ,poppa, that would be hard to believe. So come out and visit with some of these foreigners. They may even say welcome, or nice to know you too, T -Neg. Back to being serious, again. we do want to welcome our dear contingency of family, friends and relatives from Texas. They have not forgotten their Louisiana heritage. So y'all come to the GASPARD -PICARD-LAVIOLETTE Reunion. We do want to meet each and everyone one of you. See you all at the REUNION
	Book being Published: EARLY COLONIAL LOUISIANA SETTLEMENT: THE GASPARD, PICARD AND LAVIOLETTE FAMILIES
	A book with the above title is being published for the GaspardPicard-Laviolette Family Association with the known details of these three families from the time they were living in Colonial Louisiana (New Orleans and the German Coast of Louisiana) in the l700s to their migration to the Attakapas district of Louisiana in the mid 1 780s and their settlement in the Attakapas district of Louisiana. One family, the Gaspard family, originally known by the surname of Michel has had its history traced back to Germany. The marriages and birth certificates in Germany, from the Obere Pfarre church (in Bamberg) are shown in this book. Many Louisiana French Superior Council documents are shown as well as the English and French translations from the original old French Script are also included. The ten chapters included in this book are as outlined below. CHAPTER I: The Chronological Histmy of Jean Gaspard Michel Part I CHAPTER 2: The Chronological Histol)' of Jean Gaspard Michel Part 2 CHAPTER 3: The History' and Documents of the friends and neighbors of Jean (Johann) Gaspard (Caspar) Michel while in New Orleans and on the German Coast of Louisiana CHAPTER 4: The Descendants of Johann Heinrich Michel and Elisabeth Spiesof Bamberg, Germany -Tourist Guide Map of Bamberg, Germany showing the interior ofthe Obere pfacre Church CHAPTER 5: The History' of Anne Marie Stnunpfle (Strimphle); Her Family from Germany that settled at Les Vilage des Allemands on the German Coast of Colonial Louisiana in 1121 CHAPTER 6: The Beginnings of the Picard and Laviolette Families that settled on the German Coast of Louisiana; Then the move to the Attakapas District of Louisiana CHAPTER 7: The First Generation of the Picard Family after the move and Settlement in the Attakapas District of Louisiana CHAPTER 8: The First Generation of the Laviolette Family after the move and Settlement in the Attakapas District of Louisian CHAPTER 9: The Other Families Resulting from the Marriage of the Strimphle girls while on the German Coast of Louisiana CHAPTER 10: The Gaspard, Picard and Laviolette Families in the Attakapas District of Louisiana This book will be on advance sale only, for the price of $35.00 which includes handling and shipping costs. The typed material for this book is presently at the Publishers to be printed. Two soft copies, typewritten and not yet published with a hard bind cover, will be available for viewing and inspection at the April 12th reunion. If you wish to buy prior to, or at the reunion, please make your check payable to the GPL Family Association for $35.00. The final number of books ordered can be changed with the publisher by the end of the day of the April 12th reunion. Anyone may order the book prior to the day of the reunion. A check must be accompanied with the request to order the book "Early Colonial Louisiana Settlement: The Gaspard, Picard and Laviolette Families" simply send in a check made payable to the GPL Family Association in the amount of $35.00. For your own protection note on the check tlIat it is payment for this book. Include your name and address you wish to have the book mailed to. The $35.00 amount includes shipping and handling fees. The check should be mailed to the GPL Family Association; 138A Nora Broussard Rd.; Youngsville, LA 70592. Priority of the shipment of the book will be on a first paid, first shipped basis.
	The Carousel of Arts Festival-- The GASPARD-PICARD-LAVIOLETIE FAMILY REUNION is being held in conjunction with the Carousel of Arts Festival. Thanks to an agreement made between Mr. Russell Gaspard and Mr. Ronney Mayard, we are being granted the big room at the Magdalen Center. Our gratitude and appreciation go out to these two gentlemen. The Carousel of Arts Festival will be held for five full days from April 9 through April 13, 2003. Arts Craft and Food Courts will be available in the Magdalen Square park from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday April 12 and Sunday April 13. A Carousel of Arts brochure is enclosed with this issue of La Gazette G, P & L. Bring the entire family when you come to the reunion on Saturday. Some of the family members can attend the art displays and the performing Arts entertainments, eat good food and listen to the great Laviolette Family Band Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 PM Bring the whole family to both the Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Family association and the Carousel of Arts Festival. Let them find out more about their family ancestry. Let them talk to new and old relatives and mends and, above all, let them have a good time. Bring the grandparents, the great grandparents, the kids, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren, the in-laws, the mends, the neighbors and everyone else to both the G-P-L Reunion and to the Carousel of Arts Festival. Then let the good times roll. The Al Laviolette Family Band-- Don't forget to tell your relatives, mends and neighbors about the Al Laviolette Family Band As previously mentioned the band will be playing in the Magdalen Square from 2:00 to 5:00 PM on Saturday April 12, 2003. The band will be playing Country, Cajun, Rock and Western music. They will have a special guest singer, Mary Boudreaux. Mary is Miss Kaplan and Miss Acadia and she sings at the Rice Theatre in Crowley and many other well known places. She sings with other well known singers such as Vallery Andrus and she is an up and coming star. Gerald and Larry Gaspard are quest singers with Al. Al Laviolette is sponsoring the band and we are recommending that donations be given to Al for such a great community service. We plan to give a donation and hope you will give too. THANK YOU GPL VOLUNTEERS I, Donald Gaspard, as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Family Association want to send my thanks and heart felt congratulations to all of our workers, who are all volunteer workers, including members of the Board of Directors, to members of the Membership Committees, to the Treasurer, the work done by some of our outstanding genealogists, to those with experience that gave us counseling and guidance, plus the entire membership, for their support. We will always be grateful to all of you. We will list the persons who have been of such a great help by the functions as set below: For the members of the GPL Family Association Board of Directors we salute and thank each one of you: Chris Gaspard, Debbie Gaspard, Fred Gaspard and John Edward Hebert, -John Edward Hebert for his work as Treasurer and for his guidance. -Russell Gaspard for his guidance, his friendship and his getting me started with this project. Thanks to all of you who have worked in compiling the genealogy for today's data base: Debbie Perry Abshire who did such a magnificent job in preparing the original GPL data base with help from Kathy Domec, Joyce Gaspard and James Mire plus Glen Rollen Picard for his superb work on the Picard lineage; Barbara (Mrs. Terrel) Laviolette for her work as chairperson for the Laviolette genealogy; Elrita Meaux for her help on genealogy; J. Sidney Dartez for his genealogy expertise and in completing the Gaspard & Picard data base; plus many others who have helped along the way. Thanks to all the Membership Committee members for all their unselfish volunteer work, these include: Harvey L. Adams, Juanita Gaspard Ardoin, Joyce and Oliver J. Gaspard, Helen Gaspard Hayes, Fred A Gaspard, Chris & Debbie Gaspard (and their entire family including Tanya Duhon, Heather Dunston, Jamie Gaspard and Kristie Gaspard), Kim Luquette, J. Sidney Dartez and Barbara Laviolette. A very special thanks to all the GPL Family Association members. A Genealogy Seminar to be held April 12th A Genealogy Seminar will be held at 1 :30 PM at the Magdalen Centre for those interested in learning how to research their families or other families. A price of $5.00 per person will be charged for this 1 to 1 1/2 hour seminar. If more than 10 to 15 people wish to attend this seminar, it is possible to hold two seminar sessions. One to be held in the morning and the second in the afternoon. The fee of $5.00 will be payable that day to the GPL Family Association. Motels & B & B in the Area: It is recommended that out of town persons attending the GASPARD-PICARD-LAVIOLETTE FAMILY REUNION in Abbeville on April 12, 2003 make motel/hotel reservations well in advance. The following is a list of Motels & Bed & Breakfast places in the area: Sun Belt Lodge 1903 Veterans Memorial Dr. Abbeville, LA 70510 Phone: 337898-1453 Best Western Inn & Suites, 2714 HWY 14 New Iberia, LA. 70526 Phone: 337 364-3030 Holiday Inn New Iberia 2915 Highway 14 New Iberia, La. 70526 Phone: 337 367-1201 or 800 465-4329 Sunnyside Motel 2915 Highway 14 Kaplan, LA 70548 Phone: 337 367-1201 or 800 465-4329 Howard Johnson: A new 48 Room Howard Johnson Lodge was being built on the Erath Hwy near Abbeville. Call the Howard Johnson 800 phone number for more details. The Local Flavor Bed & Breakfast Four rooms available Located on the Vermilion- River North Abbeville, LA Phone: 337-937-4753 The Caldwell Bed & Breakfast Downtown Abbeville, LA Phone: 337-892-7090 The Ducote-Williams House B & B Downtown Abbeville, LA Phone: 337-898-0048 Notes: 1. The New Iberia Motels on Hwy 14 are about 15 minutes from Abbeville. 2. Kaplan is nine miles West of Abbeville. T-Shirts T-Shirts T-Shirts T-Shirts There are Gaspard-Picard-Laviolette Reunion T-Shirts available for sale. They will sell at the April 12th Reunion for $11.00 per shirt for all sizes except XXL. The price for the XXL size will be $12.00 per shirt. Anyone living in the Abbeville area that wishes to purchase T-Shirts now may call Russell Gaspard at 337-893-2389. Until we see you at the Reunion on April 12th, God Bless all of You! Top of Page