Favorite Name

Arabella Guinevere Booksh, c1910

        Arabella Guinevere Booksh was the name listed in the family bible. I was named for her, my Great Aunt Vera, and her sister-in-law, Armelle Dufilho Booksh. I loved them both like grandmothers and I knew them as Noo and Nan. When I started doing genealogy research, I discovered that Noo had many more names than I realized.  Arabella Guinevere Booksh was just the first.

She was born 13 August 1889 in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, the last of four children. She was named for her mother, Arabella Maria Tisdale. Her father, Samuel Walker Booksh, my Great Grandpa Sam, was raised Catholic and Noo was baptized Arabella Genevieve Booksh. Genevieve was a saints name, necessary for Catholic baptism, and we all know Guinevere was no saint.

In the 1900 census she is listed as Vera "Bevoksh," age 10. The surname appears to have been written as "Bwoksh" by the enumerator and was extremely difficult to find. The family includes Sam, Bell, their children, Sam Jr., Leonard, Wilton and Vera. They are living at 142 Constance Street in New Orleans with Vera's mother Eliza Pratt Tisdale, listed as Liza Tisdale and her son Harry and daughter Lee and grand children May and Ruth Pierce. May and Ruth were the children of Belle's sister, Mary Bernice Tisdale Pierce, who died in 1886.

In the 1910 census she is listed as Vera B. Booksh age 19. The Samuel W. Booksh family is living at 1311 St. Mary Street in New Orleans. The family name is spelled correctly and the household consists of Samuel, Belle, Samuel Jr., Charles L., Wilton and Vera B.

In 1920 she and her husband John P. Ventress are living with her parents, Samuel W. Booksh and Bella Booksh along with her brother Charles L. Booksh and his wife Armelle Booksh and Lea Tisdale at 1831 Bayou Road in New Orleans. All four Booksh siblings, Sam Jr., Leonard, Wilton, and Vera, were married in the same year, 1912.

In 1930 she is listed as Vera Ventress and she and husband Posey, as he was called, are living with Sam and Belle "Brooksh" at 1831 Bayou Road. Living with the family are Charles Leonard and Armelle, Wilton and his children, Wilton, William and Susie.

By 1940 Vera Ventress is Head of Household, living at 3003 Ponce de Leon Street with brother Wilton, his daughter Emma, and sister-in-law Armelle. That is where I remember them as a child.

Besides being known as Vera and Belle she was also called Roonie by her brother Wilton and Noo by his children and grand children. Arabella Guinevere / Vera / Belle / Roonie / Noo died  at age 89 on 10 March 1977.