This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

0
Zf 7- 6>4&-
THE KERGOSIEN FAMILY SALUTE
From sawdust to mercantile to public service and to land-and more in between. It all began when a young Frenchman from Brittany arrived in America in the mid 1850?s to seek his fortune. Adolphc Kergosien was the first, and only Kcr-gosien in Amcrica, and even until today all Ker-gosiens in America arc his direct descendants. Shortly after his arrival he met his future wife, Elodie Mauffray, who was the eldest child of Casimir and Josephine Mauffray. Casimir had immigrated earlier from the town of Treguicr in Brittany. Adolphe and Elodic married in 1859 and produced 11 children - 4 boys and 7 girls - of which five lived to adulthood. Of the tw o surviving male off spring?s - George and Alphonse -George had two daughters and Alphonse was left to reinvigorate the Kergosien family name in America.
Adolphc, through raised by foster parents in Brittany, was well educated for that period and had very graceful penmanship. His initial venture in Amcrica was to establish a lumber mill at the junction of Rotten Bayou and Bayou LcTcrre in Fenton. The mill venture was successful, creating a multi-acre sawdust pile which was finally sold in the 1980?s as fuel for an electric generating plant. Soon after the mill began production, he obtained a ship?s captains license and bought a boat with which to haul his lumber to New Orleans. He also established a general mercantile store in order to have a return load for his boat and to supply needed items to the mill workers and other residents of Fenton.
Adolphe, who died in September, 1912 lived long enough to see six of his children mature and marry. Two of the girls married Curct brothers, and the other two to Baker and Martin. lie also lived long enough to see his youngest son, Alphonse, enter into the careers of his lifetime after his marriage to Lavinia Cuevas, the great-granddaughter of Juan Cuevas. In 1906 Alphonse received his license as a Doctor of Medicine from the state of Mississippi, having apprenticed under Dr. E.M. Fahnestock. Soon thereafter, Alphonse enrolled as a full time student at the University of Louisville Collage of Medicine. Graduating in 1909 with a M.D. degree. Alphonse practiced medicine in Kiln and surrounding areas. When
failing health began to make horseback and horse & buggy sick calls almost impossible, he gave up his medical practicc and entered politics. He ran for, and was elected, Clerk of Courts of Hancock County and moved to Bay St. Louis in 1912. He enlarged the house he bougm-^i Carroll Ave. in which he and Lavinia raisefl 7 children. Literally, every Kergosien in AmericVtfuIay lived - directly or through their ancestors - in the Kergosien home on Carroll. Alphonse, a few years after moving to Bay St. Louis, bought the Powers Drug Company on the beach, directly across from Hancock Bank. He renamed it Beach Drug Store - which was a ?Downtown? gathering place for young and old. Virtually all of their children worked at some time or other in the store. Shortly after the purchase Clara Ker-gosien, a school teacher, became manager of the store and was soon joined by her brother, Laurent, who had attended pharmacy school at Loyola. Laurent also established himself as a successful real estate broker -the firm L.L. Kergosien- is now operated by his son Ames. Horace, who served as a deputy clerk of courts had also engaged in real estate prior to and after his elected political career. In 1939 he was elected sheriff and tax collector- which was a combined office. After having served his 4 year term in office (Mississippi law prohibited sheriffs and governors from succeeding themselves), he returned to real estate brokerage. Like Adolphe and Alphonse, Horace left a large legacy of off spring - 6 children, 21 grandchildren and vast multitudes of great grandchildren. Horace?s eldest son, Gregory Gaines (Pamps) who resides at the family home on Carroll Avenue, is currently the oldest living male Kergosien in America.
Kcrgosiens have spread from Bay St. Louis to California, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida as well as other parts of Mississippi. Though some of the younger members may not know some of the other family members today - don?t let them fool you. They all came from Carroll Avenue.
All Kergosiens where ever they may be salute Bay St. Louis on this Tercentennial Anniversary. Our thanks for us having been, and being, a part of it!