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The Rousseau Family

  • southernsoulspodca
  • 5 hours ago
  • 2 min read

On a March afternoon in 1933, the Rousseau family left New Orleans for a family outing at a cemetery in nearby Madisonville, Louisiana. An afternoon visit turned into an eternal resting place when tragedy struck.


The Grave


The headstone for the Rousseau family, topped with a marble cross. The death date is the same for all four family members. Photo by Tarah Thomas.
The headstone for the Rousseau family, topped with a marble cross. The death date is the same for all four family members. Photo by Tarah Thomas.


The Rousseau family plot sits under an oak tree draped with Spanish moss. It contains three coffins, four family members, and one headstone. Photo by Tarah Thomas.
The Rousseau family plot sits under an oak tree draped with Spanish moss. It contains three coffins, four family members, and one headstone. Photo by Tarah Thomas.


The Car


Newspapers do not specify exactly what model Ford the Rousseaus were traveling in that day. It is simply described as a light color Ford sedan. It likely would have looked something like this 1930 Ford Model A sedan. This is not a photo of a the actual car driven by the Rousseaus, but rather a modern photo of a Ford Model A from that time period. Photo credit: ClassicAutoMall.com. https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/3002/1930-ford-model-a-tudor-sedan
Newspapers do not specify exactly what model Ford the Rousseaus were traveling in that day. It is simply described as a light color Ford sedan. It likely would have looked something like this 1930 Ford Model A sedan. This is not a photo of a the actual car driven by the Rousseaus, but rather a modern photo of a Ford Model A from that time period. Photo credit: ClassicAutoMall.com. https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/3002/1930-ford-model-a-tudor-sedan


The Ferry


Historic Photo of the Madisonville Ferry crossing at the Tchefuncte River. Cars drove onto the ferry and were taken across the river. Photo Credit: TammanyFamily.blogspot.com. More photos of the ferry are available on their post found here: https://tammanyfamily.blogspot.com/2017/05/tchefuncte-river-ferry-crossing.html
Historic Photo of the Madisonville Ferry crossing at the Tchefuncte River. Cars drove onto the ferry and were taken across the river. Photo Credit: TammanyFamily.blogspot.com. More photos of the ferry are available on their post found here: https://tammanyfamily.blogspot.com/2017/05/tchefuncte-river-ferry-crossing.html

A photo showing the Madisonville Ferry in 1935 with the captain on board. Photo Credit: TammanyFamily.blogspot.com. More photos of the ferry can be found on their post here: https://tammanyfamily.blogspot.com/2017/05/tchefuncte-river-ferry-crossing.html
A photo showing the Madisonville Ferry in 1935 with the captain on board. Photo Credit: TammanyFamily.blogspot.com. More photos of the ferry can be found on their post here: https://tammanyfamily.blogspot.com/2017/05/tchefuncte-river-ferry-crossing.html


The Victims


Photo of Stella Rousseau (right), who died in the accident, and Corinne Rousseau Koepp (left), who was able to escape before the car went into the water. Photo courtesy of the Times-Picayune and Newspapers.com.
Photo of Stella Rousseau (right), who died in the accident, and Corinne Rousseau Koepp (left), who was able to escape before the car went into the water. Photo courtesy of the Times-Picayune and Newspapers.com.

A grainy newspaper photo of Leona Rousseau. Leona was the mother of the three children who drowned and the wife of Oleus Rousseau, who was able to escape the car before it went into the water. Leona drowned with all three of her children. Photo Courtesy of the Times-Picayune and newspapers.com
A grainy newspaper photo of Leona Rousseau. Leona was the mother of the three children who drowned and the wife of Oleus Rousseau, who was able to escape the car before it went into the water. Leona drowned with all three of her children. Photo Courtesy of the Times-Picayune and newspapers.com

A photo of two of the child victims of the tragedy. On the left is Muriel Rousseau, who was 8 at the time of the accident, and to the right is Agnes June Rousseau, who was 5 at the time of the accident. There is no known photo of 4-month-old baby Rodney who also perished in the tragedy. Photo Courtesy of the Times-Picayune and Newspapers.com.
A photo of two of the child victims of the tragedy. On the left is Muriel Rousseau, who was 8 at the time of the accident, and to the right is Agnes June Rousseau, who was 5 at the time of the accident. There is no known photo of 4-month-old baby Rodney who also perished in the tragedy. Photo Courtesy of the Times-Picayune and Newspapers.com.

The Tragedy


Headlines across the state announced the tragedy in which 5 of 6 members of Oleus Rousseau's family died, in addition to one of his sisters. Photo Courtesy of The Daily Courier and Newspapers.com
Headlines across the state announced the tragedy in which 5 of 6 members of Oleus Rousseau's family died, in addition to one of his sisters. Photo Courtesy of The Daily Courier and Newspapers.com


Today, five of six members of the Rousseau family rest beneath a headstone topped in a marble cross in the cemetery that was to be the first stop on a fun family outing. It would turn out to be their final stop.



 
 
 

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