Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Genealogy Report: Descendants of William Washington Weldon

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]

Descendants of William Washington Weldon

Generation No. 2

2. JOSEPH EUGENE² WELDON (WILLIAM WASHINGTON¹)²⁰ was born August 24, 1866 in Jackson, La.^21,²², and died May 05, 1961 in Gross Tete, La.²³. He married (1) ESTELLE KATHERINE BARGAS^24,²⁵ Abt. 1894 in Iberville Parish, La.²⁶, daughter of JOHN BARGAS and MARIE BLANCHARD. She was born December 1874 in Iberville Parish, La.^27,²⁸, and died Abt. February 05, 1909 in Bowie, La.²⁹. He married (2) MAY BARGAS³⁰ January 10, 1910 in Iberville Parish, La.³⁰, daughter of JOHN BARGAS and MARIE BLANCHARD. She was born April 1890 in Iberville Parish, La.³¹, and died Abt. December 1927 in Iberville Parish, La.³².

Notes for JOSEPH EUGENE WELDON:
Joe Weldon was quite a character according to his children, Katherine Lucille (Kitty Lou) and Charles Louis (Jigs). Very stern man and well connected in Louisiana. He knew the governer of his time and was appointed to the Lafourche Parish Levee Board.

Joe, however was known for stretching his age a bit. When he was getting up in age he claimed he was younger and when he reached his 90,s he said he was a little older than that. It was generally excepted in the family that Joe Weldon lived to be 99 years old. In fact he was only about 95 when he died. Census records have shown that he was born in 1866 and not in 1861. His dad wasn't even married to his mother in 1861. But alas he may have lost track of his age himself.

Joe Weldon was a graduate of Centenary College in Louisiana and regardless of his age he was still the oldest surviving graduate of the school up until his death.

Joe had two wives who were sisters. They were Estelle Bargas and May Bargas. There were many years between Estelle and May, in fact there ages were 15 years apart. Estelle died in child birth and Joe married her sister May some time afterward.

Census Records with Joe Weldon as head of household:

1900 Census
Iberville Parish Louisiana, Ward 7
Dwelling 47
Joseph Weldon Head W M Aug 1868 31 Married 6 yrs Machinist
Estell      Wife W F Dec 1874 25 Married 6 yrs
Estell      Dau W F Nov 1896 3 Single
Cora Lee      Dau W F Dec 1897 2 Single

It is interesting to note on the census sheet that Joe and his wife lived next to her parents, John and Cora Lee Bargas, and two houses down from Frank Hotard who married Joe's sister Kate. (Cora Lee Hotard Bargas' brother. The Cora Lee above is named after Joe's mother in-law). See the notes for John Bargas Jr for a copy of the census record information for dwelling 46 just next door.

By 1920 the house was quite full and Joe Weldon was running the Bowie Lumber Co. sawmill. His brother William Washington Weldon Jr. also worked for Bowie.

1920 Census
St. James Parish, Louisiana
Dwelling 223/247
J.E. Weldon Head W M 51 Married Superintendent Saw Mill
May      Wife W F 29 Married House
J.D.      Son W M 18 Single Laborer
Reuphilia      Dau W F 16
Penn Son W M 14
Dixie May Dau W F 12
Josie      Dau W F 9
Ray Son W M 7
Casie      Son W M 6
Bert Son W M 4
J. S. Smith Neph W M 7
Cora Lee Bargas Moth W F 65 Widow
Effie Sis W F 24 Single

Here we can see that by 1920 Estelle is dead and Joe is now married to her sister May. Also in the house is May and Estelle's mother ,Cora Lee (Hotard) Bargas, along with May's younger sister Effie. J.S. Smith's relationship, even though he is listed as the nephew, is unclear. I (Jedrick Weldon) knew him as John S. Smith, (Everyone called him John S) but do not know how he is related to the family. I knew him as a kid in Nacitoches La, as we used to go to his house at X-mas time and watch the fireworks display on the Cane River from his "party" barge. He may have been adopted, but kept the Smith name.

More About JOSEPH EUGENE WELDON:
Cause of Death: Complications due to a broken hip
Medical Information: Slipped on spilled bacon grease in his kitchen. Broke his hip and wrist and died due to complications with same.
Occupation: December 30, 1916, Appointed to Lafourche Levee Board ³³
Occupation1: 1920, Superintendant Bowie Lumber Co.³⁴

Notes for MAY BARGAS:
May Bargas married Joe Weldon about 5 years after Joe's first wife died (Estelle, May's sister). May was known to everyone as "little momma". She was adorable (see her picture in scrap book). We don't know that much about May as the surviving children as of this writing didn't know her as they were only infants when she died. Women didn't conduct much in the way of business back then so there is not much of a paper trail for May.

May had 7 children by Joe Weldon and unfortunately died giving birth to the 8th child. This broke Joe Weldon's heart we are told and it was quite some time before he recovered from the tragedy. Due to Joe Weldon's age the surviving children who were still in the household were split up among the older brothers and sisters as Joe simply could not take care of them.

More About MAY BARGAS:
Cause of Death: Died in child birth
Medical Information: Mother and child both died

Children of JOSEPH WELDON and ESTELLE BARGAS are:

ESTELLE KATHERINE³ WELDON^35,³⁶, b. November 15, 1896^36,³⁷; d. January 1984, Lakeland, Fl.³⁸; m. CHARLES MCCORMICK³⁹; d. Unknown.

More About ESTELLE KATHERINE WELDON:
Social Security Number: 263-41-1788

ii.

CORA LEE WELDON^40,⁴¹, b. March 02, 1899, St. James, La.⁴²; d. July 11, 1996, Jackson, La.⁴³; m. LOUIS ANDERMAN⁴⁴; d. Unknown.

Notes for CORA LEE WELDON:

Headline: DEATHS
Publication Date: July 24, 1996
Source: The Baton Rouge Advocate
Page: 10-A
Subjects:
Region: Louisiana
Obituary: ANDERMAN, CORA LEE
WELDON

A resident of St. James, she died at 8 p.m. Monday, July 22, 1996, at Villa Feliciana Chronic Disease Hospital
and Rehabilitation Center, Jackson. She was 97 and a native of Iberville Parish. Graveside services at St. Joseph
Cemetery, Grosse Tete, at 10 a.m. Wednesday, conducted by the Rev. Shelton Fabre. Survived by three sisters,
Mrs. Vernon Dean (Josie) Boyd, Shreveport, Mrs. D.L. (Kitty) Haralson, Lago Vista, Texas, and Mary Weldon
Parker, Ventress; and two brothers, J. B. "Bill" Weldon, San Angelo, Texas, and Dr. Charles L. "Jiggs" Weldon,
Chiang Rai, Thailand. Preceded in death by three sisters, Mrs. Charles (Estelle) McCormick, Mrs. B.A.
(Ruphelia) Major and Mrs. A.J. (Dixie) Major; four brothers, J.D. Weldon, Penn Weldon, Ray Weldon and
Casey Weldon; parents, Joseph E. and Estelle Bargas Weldon; and stepmother, May Bargas Weldon. Wilbert
Funeral Home, Port Allen, in charge of arrangements.

More About CORA LEE WELDON:
Social Security Number: 433-84-2100
SSN Issued In: Louisiana

5.	iii.	JOSEPH DUCATEL WELDON, b. 1902; d. Abt. 1930.
6.	iv.	REUPHELIA MARIE WELDON, b. June 24, 1904, Iberville Parish, La.; d. July 1983, San Angelo, Tx..
	v.	PENN JOSEPH WELDON^45,⁴⁶, b. February 01, 1905, St. James, La.⁴⁷; d. July 1978, Plaquemine, La.⁴⁷.

More About PENN JOSEPH WELDON:
Social Security Number: 562-03-0459

vi.

DIXIE MAE WELDON, b. February 25, 1908, St. James, La.; d. February 11, 1987, New Roads, La..

Children of JOSEPH WELDON and MAY BARGAS are:

	vii.	JOSEPHINE EVELYN³ WELDON⁴⁸, b. Private; m. VERNON DEAN BOYD⁴⁹, Private; b. August 17, 1911, Sparta, Illinois⁴⁹; d. March 16, 1986, Shreveport, La.⁴⁹.
	viii.	RAY JAMES WELDON, b. Private.
8.	ix.	CASEY JOSEPH WELDON, b. September 28, 1913, St. James, La.; d. February 15, 1963, Jennings, La..
	x.	BERT JOSEPH WELDON⁵⁰, b. Private.
	xi.	CHARLES LOUIS WELDON, b. Private; m. PATRICIA MCCREEDY, Private; b. Private.
	xii.	MARY JANE WELDON, b. Private.
	xiii.	KATHERINE LUCILLE WELDON, b. Private.

[ Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page ]