Hebert’s Careful Louisiana Work to be Preserved

Writing in the 2theadvocate.com web site, Damon Veach has penned a glowing tribute to the late Rev. Donald J. Hebert. Hebert was an outstanding genealogical preservationist. He is responsible for the publication of many records about the southwest Louisiana area, especially Catholic Church records.

Most of the documents that form a basis for Hebert's abstracts are in French and Spanish. Many are difficult to decipher, and a few have deteriorated. The Rev. Hebert included all civil and ecclesiastical records relating to births, marriages, and deaths for the period between 1756 and 1810 that could be found for the region. He also included documents located in the State Archives in Baton Rouge and at the LSU Library. He produced more than 40 volumes, bringing documents into print to 1910.  However, the church records weren’t the only manuscripts he published. Working with other genealogists, he was instrumental in publishing A Guide to Church Records, 1720-1795, Researching Acadian Families, and many more important books.

Veach's article is more than a tribute. It also announces the efforts to continue publication of Rev. Hebert's works. You can read the full article at http://www.2theadvocate.com/entertainment/magazine/18178334.html.

Comments

[Liz]

Any readers who've delved into Cajun genealogy probably already know this, but for anyone yet to research their Cajun & South La. roots, Hebert's volumes are an invaluable resource and highly recommended! An amazing amount of Catholic church records, but also many early civil (marriages, wills--"Successions" in La.) courthouse records and also a few Protestant churches, I believe. Even a few SE TX Catholic church records as the Cajuns moved W.
Supplement these with the volumes from the Archdioceses of Baton Rouge & of New Orleans, and you're set! :)