In an earlier post, we featured Private William Broyard, a New Orleanian, who was one of five brothers to all serve in the armed forces during World War II. Among our files we uncovered a picture of Mrs. Mary Broyard, the mother of those five valiant soldiers.
Mrs. Broyard was born Mary Alexandrie Lyons on Roman Street near Columbus Street on 16 February 1885 to Mr. and Mrs. William Lyons. Her mother was the former St.-Elia Marguerite Baquet, an early member of the famed family of restaurateurs. Mary Alexandrian attended the school conducted by the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and Saint Mary’s Academy in the Vieux Carré. Like so many of the children of the old Creole families, she made her First Communion within the venerable old Saint Louis Cathedral.
On 1908, she was married to Mr. Henry Broyard within the Church of Saint Katherine on Tulane Avenue. To their union were born ten children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. These children were: Private Randolph Broyard, Staff Sergeant Paul Broyard, Corporal St. Clair Broyard, Corporal Samuel Broyard, Private William Broyard, Miss Cornelia Broyard, and Sister Mary Clarisse Broyard, S.S.F.
Mrs. Broyard’s mother, St.-Elia Marguerite Baquet was born on 16 December 1845 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana to Myrtil Baquet and Adelaide Rouse. Her paternal (Baquet) lineage traces back to the town of Saint-Marc in Saint-Domingue (Haiti), while her maternal lineage can be traced to the Saulets, one of the oldest Creole families.
J.C.L.H.
Hi, my name is Ireland. I am the daughter of Annabel Broyard Severin looking for information on my grandfather’s address before he passed. Mary, his wife lived their years after. How beautiful this story is. I am interested in finding the address that my grandfather Paul Broyard and Mary Navarre?) Broyard. They resided in Slidell, Louisiana years ago. The area where they lived was around Sergeant Center Bar. If anyone can give me the address, I would be more than happy. Thank you so much!
She also had a daughter named Regina Fournier, from a previous marriage