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The St. Joseph’s Academy Archives thanks the alumnae, their families and friends who share their treasures and memories with us throughout the year. If you have an item or items you’d like to donate, please contact Archivist Sara Brignac at brignacs@sjabr.org or (225) 388-2346.

Allen Breazeale Franklin ’64 visited campus recently to donate an SJA charm bracelet and an historic photograph.

The charm bracelet was a gift she received at a banquet held in downtown Baton Rouge, likely at the Capitol House Hotel (originally the Heidelberg Hotel). The banquet honored youngsters from across the city who were voted the most courteous students at their school. Allen was in sixth grade at the time. Her teacher was Sister Renee. “I have always loved the bracelet, but the time has come for me to part with it,” Allen said.

Allen also brought a photograph of Sister Isabel Gosserand’s kindergarten class from 1951-1952. Allen was among the students pictured and one of six students who attended SJA from kindergarten through graduation. They were Connie Fairbanks (top row, second from left), Patsy West (top row, second from right), Allen Breazeale (second row from top, far left), Natalie Thibaut (third row from top, far left), Pam Bourgeois (third row from top, third from left) and Mary May (third row from top, sixth from left).

Since her college days at Louisiana State University, Liz Martin has enjoyed researching her family’s history. Since she retired, she has been able to devote more time to her hobby.

Liz had long been told that her great-grandfather, Emile Hebert, was adopted, so she didn’t hold out hope of finding much information about that side of her family. But she learned that Emile’s parents had died young and that he had, in fact, been raised by his aunt and uncle. With further research, Liz discovered that Emile had married Aurelie Ory.

In researching the Ory family, Liz stumbled upon an article in The Advocate dated June 27, 1893. The story mentioned closing exercises at St. Joseph’s Academy and listed her great- grandmother, Aurelie, and her great-aunt, Virginia Ory.

Liz reached out to SJA Archivist Sara Brignac, who was able to discover that the Ory sisters were boarders at St. Joseph’s Academy in the 1890s. Aurelie was born in 1875, and Virginia was born in 1881. “I was surprised that they both attended the Academy,” Liz said. “The family lived on the Golden Gate Plantation in St. Gabriel at the time. It would have been too far to commute on a daily basis.”

With further research, Liz was able to learn that the Ory family had survived an arduous journey to south Louisiana from Maryland. “They were one of the first families to clear the land on Highland Road and live on that property,” she said. “They also brought the Kleinpeter family here from Maryland.”

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director