Though The Louisiana Weekly has always been published in the city of New Orleans, it has always reported news and cultivated an eager readership in the many other parishes of Louisiana. While still in its infancy, the publishers of the paper realized its potential beyond the city, renaming it The Louisiana Weekly as opposed to The New Orleans Herald.
For several decades, The Louisiana Weekly regularly featured columns with news from various towns and settlements across the state. Oftentimes, these columns included obituaries of highly-regarded members of those communities. the Weekly of 19 March 1932 contained an obituary and photograph of Mr. Armand Mire of Saint James Parish.
Armand Mire was a merchant for over forty years in the town of Gramercy. He owned a large ferryboat, which he regularly ran across the Mississippi River. In addition to a successful mercantile establishment, he was connected with many other business enterprises. Mr. Mire was also a leader of the Springfield Brass Band. He was aided in his business ventures by his sons and by his nephews, the sons of his younger sister, Valentine Mire.
Armand Mire was born in 1860 near Union, Louisiana to Paul-Dumesnil Mire and Louise Boudreaux. His father was a white farmer and his mother was identified as a mulatto. On 24 September 1885, he was joined in marriage to Miss Elizabeth “Bessie” Taylor. Over the course of their thirty-nine years of marriage, they had nine children who survived to adulthood. His wife died on 2 June 1925, while visiting a daughter in Convent.
Armand Mire died at the age of seventy-two years old on 6 March 1932, at the home of his granddaughter, from a stroke. He was buried alongside his wife Bessie in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Union.
Courtesy: findagrave.com
He was survived by six daughters: Wilhelmine Marie (Mrs. Thomas) Robert; Jennie Louise (Mrs. Morris) Heary; Mary Cornelia (Mrs. William) Clem; Rosa Alberta (Mrs. L) Martin; Annie (Mrs. Carl) Hill; and Lillian (Mrs. Lyle) Holt; and three sons: Paul Edward Mire; John Albert Mire; and Louis Webster Mire.
He was also survived by his sister, Valentine Mire (d. 23 April 1945), who was the partner of Augustin Sarrazin (1843-1929), the longtime postmaster of Union. Valentine and Augustin were the parents of Frederic, George, Ambroise, and Lucien Sarrazin, and of Mrs. Laura Sarrazin Davis.
Sources: 1870, 1880, 1900 Censuses, Saint James Parish; Death Certificate for Armand Mire, State Archives, Volume No. 9, Page No. 3203; The Louisiana Weekly, 19 March 1932, page 3.
Jari Honora
I think he may be related to my family. They are from St. James as well. My grandfather’s mother was Elouise Mire or Myre. Unfortunately I don’t know much about her other than she married Gilbert Ketchens and died in 1935 while giving birth. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
This is my great-great grandfather! Thanks creolegen.org for the post 🙂
Armand Mire is my half great-great uncle. (I descend from Paul Dumesnil Mire and his second wife, Marie Belsir Boudreaux). I would love to be in touch with anyone researching (or interested in) Armand or Valentine Mire or their families. Please contact me by phone, letter, or email.
My mom lived in Convent, La. with 9 sisters & 1 brother. Mr. Armand was my grandfather. Also my mother and aunt look a lot like Mr. Armand. Look me up on Facebook under Armstead Mire.
Deidre, thanks for your comment! That means we are related as well!! I would love to learn more.
Deidre, I would love to be in contact with you. I suspect we are related and would like to know more about your family in Convent. My GG Grandfather lived in Union (near Convent) and I believe he was Armand’s father. I am not on Facebook, but I would love it if you could email me here: claire@clairebettag.com
I look forward to hearing from you.
Claire (Mire) Bettag
I am related to the Sarrazin family. Armand was my great grandmother’s uncle. My great grandmother was Laura Sarrazin Dave. My grandmother was Eliska Dave Vallet. If anyone knows these names, please message me I’d really love to hear from you.
Valentine Mire was my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s maternal side. I really enjoyed learning about my family and have been to Convent and Union several times. My mother’s family is from Union and my father’s family is from Convent. My father is Bernard Hornsby and my mother is Victoria Rolanda Vallet. My great-grandmother was Laura Sarrazin and her husband was Adam Norbert Dave.
Bernard, I’m so pleased to hear from a descendant of Valentine Mire! We are related. Valentine’s father, Paul Dumesnil Mire, was my Great-great grandfather. You named you parents and your great-grandparents. But if you tell me your grandparents’ names, perhaps I can figure out how we are related.
I don’t know how interested you are in the Mire line (especially since you’re related through maternal lines). But let me know if you are. In 2019 I broke down a longstanding brick wall and traced our Acadian ancestor (Pierre Martin Lemire) back to France. I found his parents in Paris and his grandparents in Normandy. I can share a lot of that information with you if you’re interested.
I am interested in the information you have on Pierre Martin Lemire. I am doing genealogical for Brian Clem. He is the son of William Webster Clem and Cornelia Mire Clem is his grandson. William died in Port Arthur, Texas and his mother died in New Orleans. Thanks, for any consideration given to this matter. Gloria!
Gloria, Happy to share all info–a lot. Please email me privately: claire@clairebettag.com
Hi Gloria, we are related. I previously posted on this thread as one of the first people. Brian and my father are first cousins. I know Brian’s siblings very well and their children. My grandfather is Hugh Clem, William’s brother.
Bernard, please share your information on Valentine Mire with me. patinren@cox.net
My grand parents were Victor Roland Vallet and Eliska Dave Vallet. My great grandmother was Laura Sarrazin Dave.
Yes indeed cousin, I would love to learn more about my family on the Mire side. My contact information is:
bernardhornsby@yahoo.com
(469) 658-2641–Bernard Hornsby
Hi Bernard, this is Laura, Robert’s big sister. How have you been? This is so interesting.
Hello, Valentine Mire is my great-great grandmother. I’m so excited to find this information. My grandmother, Lula Dave Hamilton is Laura Sarrazin Dave’s daughter who was Valentine Mire’s daughter.
I don’t know how interested people posting to this thread might be in the Mire line going back to France. But contact me privately if you are. We have known for a long time that the immigrant ancestor was Pierre Lemire, an Acadian. Some of his sons migrated to Louisiana in the 1760s. But in 2019 I traced his origins back to France, first in Paris, and then to Pierre’s grandparents in Normandy. You can find a lot of what I found on the FamilySearch FamilyTree. See: Pierre Martin Lemire (ID: L6J8-GHV). I’ve also written some articles about the discovery. Happy to share information. You can contact me privately at: claire@clairebettag.com .
Augustin Sarazin, Valentine Mire’s partner, was my 3rd Great-Uncle. Paul Dumesnil “Dumini” Mire was my 4th Great Uncle. I’m having difficulty confirming the identity of Paul Dumesnil Mire who was the father of Valentine and Armond, and was married to Louise Boudreaux (abt. 1860?). The Paul Dumesnil Mire that I have confirmed I am related to was married to Marguerite “Arthemise” Dugas in 1830. After her death in 1833, he married Marie Belzine (sp?) Boudreaux in 1836. Marie Belzine died in 1853. Paul Dumesnil that I am related to is the son of Alexander “Paul” Mire and Maria Celestina “Scholastique” Lanou(x). Ancestry.com has conflicting information about these relationships with Paul Dumesnil. Can anyone help me confirm who were the parents of Paul Dumesnil, the one who was the father of Valentine and Armond? Thank you…