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m. Abt 1875
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m. 30 Apr 1923
Willie "Bill" Benoit was born on 27 Jul 1894, to Michel Maran Benoit and Michel's second wife, Marie Domatile Duhon. Bill married Lucy Courrege in 1923 and they raised one daughter. During his lifetime, he was a business leader, war veteran, city alderman, active member of the American Legion, and owner of Benoit's Variety Store in Vinton, Louisiana. He died in 1985, after a courageous battle with cancer. He is remembered as a kind and soft-spoken man, with a great sense of humor.
[edit] Facts and Events
[edit] Pedigree
[edit] Birth and ParentageWillie "Bill" Benoit was born on 27 Jul 1894, and was the youngest of seven known sons of Michel Maran Benoit and Michel's second wife, Marie Domatile Duhon. His father Michel passed away in 1909, when Bill was 15 years of age. Bill moved into his older brother Julian's home, as did their younger sisters from Michel's third marriage to Geneva Montie. In 1922, Willie Benoit was listed in the succession of Clairville Granger, as descendants of Elise Granger, sister of Clairville Granger and wife of Michel Benoit. Successions were often printed in the Lake Charles newspaper as the original documents would have been destroyed when the courthouse was destroyed by fire on April 23, 1910. [edit] 1900 CensusAccording to Bill's notes, his mother Domathile died on 26 Mar 1896. After her death, Michel married for a third time, to Genevieve "Jennie" Montie. Bill was listed as being three years old in the 1900 census, however, if he was born in 1894, he should have been listed as being older.
[edit] World War IBill's draft registration card was signed on 5 June 1917. He trained in New Orleans at Tulane University. Because he spoke French, he was sent to France, where he served in the 80th Division at a camp for German POWs. [edit] WWI Draft Registration Card
[edit] WWI News Clippings That Mention Willie Benoit
[edit] Vinton WWI Veterans Honored in 1975[edit] 1920s[edit] 1920 CensusThe 1920 Census lists Bill, age 25, and his younger sisters as part of brother Julian's household. Bill's occupation was listed as a salesman in a feed store.
[edit] Willie Benoit's News StandWillie Benoit opened Willie Benoit News Stand in the early 1920s. [edit] Marriage to Lucy Pauline CourregeWhen soldiers were leaving for the war, they would throw pieces of paper with their names to girls waving to the trucks of soldiers. Bill starting writing to a girl from New Iberia. After the war, he would visit her in New Iberia. He was friends with Gus Courrege, who was from New Iberia but lived in Vinton, so the two men would ride the train together, and Bill would stay at the home of Jean and Marie Courrege in New Iberia, parents of Lucy Pauline Courrege. At the time, Lucy was living with Gus's family and working in Vinton at a store on Main Street. She would ride the train with Gus and Bill to New Iberia. Lucy would later tell her daughter that, "after a while, Bill would still go to Louisiana, but he stopped visiting the other girl." Bill and Lucy were married on 30 April 1923. They had one daughter, Berta Lou Marie Benoit, on 1 April 1926. They had twin sons on 31 May 1927. One twin was stillborn and the other died on 3 June 1927. [edit] 1930s and 1940s[edit] 1930 CensusWillie is listed as the owner of a fruit and candy business in the 1930 census. His daughter would remember big stalks of bananas hanging in the store window. Teachers in the Vinton school would often board in the Benoit home. In 1930, Blanch Segura was boarding at their home. She later married a Seguera and moved away from Vinton.
In 1930, Willie's brother Julian was living next door on Eddy Street in Vinton. Julian used the blueprints from Willie's house to build his own home. [edit] 1930s Newspaper Clippings
[edit] Willie Benoit - City Councilman, Community LeaderBill served his community as a city councilman. [edit] American LegionWillie was an active member of the American Legion. In 1934, he was listed in the newspaper as being the adjutant of the Vinton post. He also served on the selective service board during World War II. [edit] 1950s[edit] RetirementBill and wife Lucy owned "Benoit's Variety" Store. They retired and closed the store in 1969, after 22 years in business. [edit] Death and BurialBill passed away on 16 Mar 1985, after a long battle with cancer. He is buried in Big Woods Cemetery in Edgerly.
[edit] Family Stories[edit] Salt in the Sugar BowlWillie Benoit had a great sense of humor and liked to play practical jokes. Once when his wife Lucy was entertaining friends with coffee, he put salt in the sugar bowl before the ladies arrived. Then he waited around the corner to listen to their reactions when they tasted their coffee. [edit] ProhibitionIt was a well known family fact that one of Lucy's brothers, who lived in New Iberia, made and sold liquor during and after the prohibition years. But it was not known to Willie's family that Willie sold the liquor to his customers in his store in Vinton. That information was told to Willie's granddaughter by one of the brother's nephews at a family gathering in 2005. Willie was a businessman, and selling moonshine was good business. References
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