Bennie Jay Zahn

Notes:

ZAHN

Bennie Jay Zahn born July 20, 1927 left us on the morning of February 11 of 2016. She was the fourth daughter of Leontine Morlas and Edward G. Zahn, named for her uncle Bernhardt (Benny) Zahn, Jr., and granddaughter of Amanda Gehrke and Bernhardt J. Zahn, Sr. and Lucine Roquevert and John Dominic Morlas. She is survived by her sister Amanda Zahn Martin (the late Emile Edgar III) and her brother-in-law James "Red" Johnson. She was predeceased by sisters Lucine Zahn Johnson and Johanette "Nettie" (Zahn) and Leon R. Kleinpeter, Jr. She is also survived by 16 nieces and nephews, Constance K. Meyers (Frank), Lillian Lucine Kleinpeter, Eugenia K. Silva (Glenn), Cynthia K. Lysinger (Mark), Leon R. Kleinpeter, III (Donna), Terry Marie K. Shaffer (Jack), Edward Z. Martin (Cynthia), Johnette Leontine Martin, Jay Emile Martin, Robert D. Martin (Mary), Gregory F. Martin, David E. Martin, Pamela J. Klagholz (John), Bruce D. Johnson, Ted W. Johnson, Elizabeth J. Huycke (Arthur), 22 great nieces and nephews, 11 great great nieces and nephews, and many loving cousins.

A lifelong resident of New Orleans, she attended Robert Mills Lusher Elementary School, Eleanor McMain High School, Louisiana State University and St. Mary's Dominican College, graduating with a BA in 1949. She was Department Manager in the Maintenance Division of Orleans Parish School Board and retired in 1984 with 34 years of service. Bennie's interests included travel, reading, craft projects and sewing, and, dearest to her, researching and writing of ancestral roots and family history. She left us instilled with precious memories of family togetherness and traditions, and with the Grace of God will share eternal life with her beloved family and friends.

A Funeral Service will be held at Lake Lawn Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., on Wed. February 17, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation from 12:00 p.m. with interment to follow in Metairie Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Michael's Special School, 1522 Chippewa St., New Orleans, La. 70130.

Notes:

The son of Bernhardt John ZAHN, Sr. and Amanda Henrietta GEHRKE.

Edward married Leontine Josephine Morlas on 19 Dec 1918 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Leontine (daughter of John Dominic Morlas and Lucine Roquevert) was born on 19 Jan 1889 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; died on 20 Feb 1972 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; was buried in Metairie Cemetery (Lake Lawn Metairie), New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Called "Daughter."

ZAHN Leontine Morlas Zahn, on Sunday evening, February 20, 1972, at 7:15 o'clock. Wife of the late Edward George Zahn; mother of Mrs. James E. Johnson and Miss Bennie Zahn, both of New Orleans, Louisiana, Mrs. Leon R. Kleinpeter Jr. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mrs. Emile Martin III of Belle Chasse, Louisiana; daughter of the late Lucine Roquevert and John Morlas, Sr.; sister of Mrs. Estelle Trapani; Sister Mary Cyril RSM, Mrs. Eugene Schoenfeld, Mrs. Alvin Rohli, all of New Orleans, Louisiana, Mrs. Eugenie Bishop of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Mrs. Kenneth Carpenter of Woodward, Oklahoma and Leon Morlas of Pass Christian, Mississippi and the late Mrs. Clothilde Bordes, Mrs. Lucille Quinn, John, Louis and Paul Morlas; also survived by 16 grandchildren. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral. Services from Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp, Inc., 4127 S. Claiborne Ave. (parking entrance adjoining), on Tuesday, February 22, 1972, at 9 o'clock a.m. followed by Requiem Mass at St. Rita's Church. Interment in Metairie Cemetery. Contributions to St. Michael's Special School, 1526 Chippew St., preferred.

(Obituary courtesy of Keith McGuire)

Notes:

Married:
Their four daughters were born at the combination home and grocery store they owned and operated, located on Calhoun Street.

Daughter's Nettie and Lucy visted their Aunt Josephine McGuire's family in Oklahoma during the summer of 1945.

Notes:

Owner of La Bella Creole Dairy. Bennie Zahn wrote, in the January 9, 2000 issue of THE TIMES-PICAYUNE (Living, Section E, page 7), that "The property was originally acquired in the late 1800s by John Morlas who made the purchase with silver dollar coins collected from wealthy customers on his milk route. The family legend is, that whenever he was given a silver dollar in payment for milk and cream, he tossed it onto the top of the armoire in his bedroom. When this property which adjoined the Tulane (University) tract was put on the market, he gathered all of the silver coins, counted them and found that he had $8,000, enough to buy the property. After his death in 1923, his wife, Lucine Roquevert Morlas, sold part of the tract, about 3,800 feet long with a depth varying from 100 to 140 feet, for $100,000 for the then proposed St. Vincent Infant Asylum. Within a year, the property was resold for $165,000 to men who had successful experience in local developement and who started immediately to beautify the ground. Today the property is called Versailles Boulevard and extends from Claiborne Avenue to Fontainebleau Drive."

John married Lucine Roquevert on 28 May 1888 in St. Stephen's Church, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Lucine (daughter of Jean Louis Roquevert and Blazine Pene) was born on 28 Jan 1869 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; died on 16 Feb 1946 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; was buried in Metairie Cemetery (Lake Lawn Metairie), New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Research):An mtDNA sample supplied a direct female descendant of Lucine (a child of Pat McGuire, the daughter of Josephine Morlas), was analyzed by FamilyTreeDNA in Houston. Their analysis showed the following Haplogroup assignment, along with the following differences from the Cambridge Reference Sequence.

HVR1 Haplogroup
K
HVR1 differences
from ?u?CRS?/u?
16224C
16519C

The mitochondrial super-haplogroup U encompasses haplogroups U1-U7 and haplogroup K. Haplogroup K is found through Europe, and contains multiple closely related lineages indicating a recent population expansion. The origin of haplogroup K dates to approximately 16,000 years ago, and it has been suggested that individuals with this haplogroup took part in the pre-Neolithic expansion following the Last Glacial Maximum. William Hurst, on his Haplogroup K Website, writes that "Katrine," the founding mother of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup K, was one of the "Seven Daughters of Eve" as listed in the 2001 book of that title by Bryan Sykes. A lot of happened since 2001, but the book is still valuable.

Katrine lived about 16,000 years ago. Perhaps the oldest known K descendant was Oetzi the Iceman whose frozen body was discovered in the Alps in 1991. Estimated at 5000 years old, the Iceman proved to have the basic mutations for a K: 16224C and 16320C. Every K is a cousin of Oetzi.

Notes:

Bennie Zahn wrote that "Jean-Marie Morlas was born at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, 14 May 1846 au Capule with Joseph GORDAY, farmer, age 36, and Pierre BIAMOURET, 48, as witnesses." She went on to note that the dates of his immigration, marriage and death are unknown. As daughter Marie Morlas was shown on the 1870 census to be born circa 1862 in New Orleans, his immigration and marriage were sometime prior to that date.

There appears to be discrepency between Jean/John's date of birth as reported by Bennie Zahn, and as shown on the 1870 Louisiana census. If his age on the above referenced census was accurate, then he would have been born circa 1838. If the birth date of May, 1846 is accurate, then he should have instead been listed on the 1870 census as age 24. Being born in the year 1846 would also mean that he was just 16 when he married Caroline and when his first daughter born, with his wife being five years his senior. Perhaps the original French records were misread or mistranscribed?

Jean-Marie abandoned his family. It is assumed he vanished sometime in 1878, as according to Bennie Zahn, his sons Bertrand and John Dominic were admitted to St. Mary's Catholic Orphan Boys's Home on 17 Jan 1879, and discharged in February 1880. The city directory of 1888 listed his wife as the widow of John Morlas. Her residence at the time was Tonti between Poydras and Julia Street.

(Research):
Census Information:

1870 census

Lousiana, Orleans Parish, New Orleans, Ward 3
1155-2378
Morlas, John 32 Butcher France
Morlas, Caroline 29 Keeps house New York
Morlas, Mary 8 At School Louisiana
Morlas, John 5 Louisiana
Morlas, Bertrand 1 Lousiana

Jean-Marie married Caroline Maria Holmes before 1862. Caroline (daughter of James Holmes and Mary McKnight) was born in Jan 1841 in New York; died on 7 Jun 1901 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; was buried in Cypress Grove Cemetery, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

When Maria was eight years old, her mother died of Cholera, and she was placed in the Poydras Orphan Asylum for Females by order of the court recorder on August 19, 1849. Her father was still living, but presumable unable to care for his children. She was Protestant. On May 19, 1856, she was placed with a Mrs. Randall.

In 1900, she was living with her youngest son and his wife. When she died in 1901, the funeral services were held at their residence on 2518 Poydras Street. She was buried in Cypress Grove 2 Cemetery, which was later excavated during the 1930's for construction of Canal Boulevard. Her remains were not relocated to another burial place.

Notes:

He was known as Louis, and he was the only one of his family to emigrate to the United States. Bennie Zahn writes that he returned to France for a visit with his parents in 1878 at which time the birth of his eighth child was imminent. On 10 June 1878 he wrote to his wife, Blazine Pene, citing the great joy he felt embracing his family; both of his parents still living. While the sights of France filled him with admiration and while he rejoiced at being in his homeland and with his family once again, his thoughts were of his wife and children, and the joy he anticipated upon his reunion with them. His handwriting was neat and precise and his throughts were beautifully and sentimentally expressed, all of which tends to indicate that he was a well-schooled person.

He died of stomach cancer when he was 45 year old; the youngest of his 13 children being just three years old. He spent the last months of his life at his summer home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where it was hoped that his condition would improve.

On his Find A Grave memorial page, he is shown as being born in Deyme, France, not in Cazeneuve-Montaut. He is also shown as buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Ocean Springs. No photo of a tombstone is posted, however. (# 77856016).

Jean married Blazine Pene about 1866 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Blazine (daughter of Pierre Pene and Marie Cecile Lacassagne) was born on 1 Feb 1843 in Oueilloux, Hautes-Pyr?n?es, France; died on 14 Jan 1916 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Blazine sailed from Bordeaux in September 1866 aboard the windjammer "Jupiter" and arrived in New Orleans 5 December 1866. The passenger list of 109 names listed her occupation as a "seamstress." She married Louis Roquevert and together they owned and operated a dairy on Peters Avenue at Long Street (now Jefferson Avenue at Freret). They had a summer home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi where Louis died in 1890. Nine of their 13 children lived to adulthood; 7 resided in or near New Orleans. (Bennie Jay Zahn).

In early 1901, George D. Bland (1853-1915), who managed the Beach Hotel at Ocean Springs...purchased the Louis Roquevert (1845-1890) place, an approximately eighteen-acre tract on Old Fort Bayou from New Orleanian, Blazine Penne Roquefort Barthe (1843-1916), the widow of Louis Roquevert. This was the former site of Bradford's Landing.(Jackson County, Ms. Land Deed Book 24, pp. 77-79) Here George D. Bland, established a truck farm and poultry business. The Roquevert place was located today in the vicinity of Bayou Cove and Ray Street east of Vermont in Section 19, T7S-R8W.

http://www.oceanspringsarchives.com/people.htm

(Research):An mtDNA sample supplied a direct female descendant of Blazine (a child of Pat McGuire, the daughter of Josephine Morlas), was analyzed by FamilyTreeDNA in Houston. Their analysis showed the following Haplogroup assignment, along with the following differences from the Cambridge Reference Sequence.

HVR1 Haplogroup
K
HVR1 differences
from ?u?CRS?/u?
16224C
16519C

The mitochondrial super-haplogroup U encompasses haplogroups U1-U7 and haplogroup K. Haplogroup K is found through Europe, and contains multiple closely related lineages indicating a recent population expansion. The origin of haplogroup K dates to approximately 16,000 years ago, and it has been suggested that individuals with this haplogroup took part in the pre-Neolithic expansion following the Last Glacial Maximum. William Hurst, on his Haplogroup K Website, writes that "Katrine," the founding mother of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup K, was one of the "Seven Daughters of Eve" as listed in the 2001 book of that title by Bryan Sykes. A lot of happened since 2001, but the book is still valuable.

Katrine lived about 16,000 years ago. Perhaps the oldest known K descendant was Oetzi the Iceman whose frozen body was discovered in the Alps in 1991. Estimated at 5000 years old, the Iceman proved to have the basic mutations for a K: 16224C and 16320C. Every K is a cousin of Oetzi.