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Misadventures in Indexing
April 14, 2011 by Chris
Filed under Articles, Genealogy for Beginners, Latest News
Fine. I admit it. My indexing numbers are nowhere as big as Renee Zamora’s. That’s not to say I don’t find it as meaningful. In fact, my problem is that sometimes I find it too meaningful. Take last week. I made the mistake of taking a batch of Louisiana Death certificates. Soon I was so drawn into these people’s lives, that it took all week to get one batch done. I started on the first certificate. Cause of death? Drowning. How sad. How old was this person? A ten year old boy. Wow; that is sad. Why did someone write “refugee” at the top?
Next certificate. Also said “refugee” at the top. Cause of death? Drowning! Wait a minute. Same name? No, this one was North Hudson’s five year old name sake. Same date? Yes, 8 July 1927. Both in Port Barre, St. Landry Parish. Wow. Opelousas is crossed out and Porte Barre written in. Wonder what happened.
Third and fourth certificates. Also refugees who drowned on 8 July 1927. Both named Hudson. North Hudson was here again, as informant. Does that mean he had to identify the bodies?
Fifth, sixth, seventh. All children of Delphine Thornton, ages 13, 9 and 5. All 8 July 1927 in Port Barre. Oh, my goodness. She lost three children in whatever happened.
What did happen? It didn’t take very long before Google had uncovered the Great Flood of 1927. The Mississippi had overflowed her banks during the spring runoff. Displaced “refugees” were evacuated to neighboring communities.
I’m still unclear of all the goings on, but the flood waters seem to have lasted for months. On 8 July 1927 I think the levee protecting Port Barre failed. It fell to the medical examiner in Opelousas to perform the terrible last reuniting of lost family members. I found myself feeling awkward, standing in the back, an unbidden guest, witnessing this pervasively private moment. Then I thought that perhaps, if caring members of these families ever come looking for them, my indexing will easily bring them to this very same spot, let them see what I am seeing. I will have quietly slipped out the back, letting loving family unite again across time. And grieve. And remember.
(This posting is from The Ancestry Insider.)
