Sunday, April 6, 2008

Louisiana Connection

The Boizelle family came into the United States via New Orleans from France. Recent research indicates that the family went on to St. Louis for a period and then came back to New Orleans. More on that story later.

The last remaining direct Boizelle relative living in Louisiana, to my knowledge is Sybil Boizelle. Sybil is the daughter of Felix Boizelle, the brother of my Grandfather, Paul Boizelle, Sr. Felix had a love for electrical engineering and medicine. He chose medicine and was trained to be a physician. I understand that he had two hobbies. One was ham radio. He was one of the first US citizens to obtain a ham radio license. His other hobby was model railroading. He and a friend built a complex layout in the attic in his home in Baton Rouge. He practiced his electrical engineering interest in developing both his hobbies.

Felix, at one point in his career, was invited to be the on-site physician for Esso Research in Baton Rouge located on the banks of the Mississippi river just north of the State Capital Building. According to Sybil, Felix was the closest physician available when Huey Long, the then ex-govenor of the state of Louisiana, was shot in the state capital building. The ex-governor's staff planned to call for Felix Boizelle to attend to the ex-governor since he was just down the hill at the Esso facility. Long insisted, however, on being treated by a doctor in his inner political circle. Apparently, Huey Long had many enemies and he could only trust those in his inner circle. The delay in getting the doctor up from New Orleans may have been the difference in saving his life.

I joined my sister Carolyn a few years ago in New Orleans - about a year before the Katrina disaster. We toured parts of New Orleans and then went to visit Sybil Boizelle in Baton Rouge. Neither of us had ever met Sybil. We met in her home in Baton Rouge; the home owned by her father Felix. I have attached a few pictures of that visit to Baton Rouge.





This is Sybil's home in Baton Rouge. Sybil was born here. This home was originally built by her father Felix. Felix was a respected physician and surgeon.





Pictured here are Sybil and my sister Carolyn.













The beautiful, tree lined parkway is Sybil's street. This visage is typical of Baton Rouge residential areas.









A view of the park in front of the state capital building and part of the Baton Rouge down as taken from the top of the state capital.










The Esso Research facility located north of the capital building. This is where Felx Boizelle worked as the on-site physician.






2 comments:

Lauren said...

That's cool Dad! I didn't realize you had pictures of Sybil and her home. Is she still alive? Does she have any descendants?

Dave Boizelle said...

Yes, she is still alive but has no direct descendants.