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HANCOCK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S KALOWEEN PROGRAM IN CEDAR REST.
lost my name and dates. My parents are here beside me:	Louis	Joseph
and Adella. My father was born in Maiteinzos, Cuba as^you~carr~see.
They were 1 of 4 families of "free persons of color" to come to Bay St. Louis. We were not blacks from Africa but people from France and Spain who emigrated to the Wes.t. Indies. . and in the uprising in 1830 .o.f the islands,came to the Gulf Coast perhaps through New Orleans. My mother bought one of the first pieces of land in Eay St. Louis.
There are decendants of mine who still pronounce the family name as "Piernasse" - french.
I was born in Bay St. Louis, March 19,' I856 and died here when I was 98 years old. I was Chairman of the Republican party for Hancock County for 65 years and this is the reason why I was appointed Postmaster for t he 3rd class postoffice here 5 different times during the terms of 3 different presidents of the U.S..
I served on 1. the Board of School Trustees (1884,1886) under Mayor Kellar 2. The Board of Supervisors for Hancock County, Beat 5 3. a delegate to the National Republican convention in Chicago 4 and in 1882	as Secretary and Auditor	for the City of	Bay St. Louis.
I was married to Marie	Louise Barabino	- one of the 4	families
of free	persons of color. I had	no children but	I was survived	by	5
nieces,	3 nephews, and 59 grand	and great nieces	and nephews.
I was a member of the St. Rose de Lima church. I organized the Promote Benevolent Association in 1887 to promote the cultural and educational life of colored people in this city and county.
* Piernas, Labat, Prudeaux and Barbino
Sources:	Sea	Coast	Echo,	July	29, 195^5 Hancock County Eagle,
July 25, 195^; picture given by Ms. Henry Piernas.