Grima, Edgar

Submitted by Mike Miller

Edgar Grima, a leading notary public of New Orleans, first saw the light of day in the city in which he is now residing on the 15th of October, 1847. His father, Judge Felix Grima, a learned and able lawyer,. and a notary with a large practice, once served as presiding judge of the city court, and later as judge of the criminal court. In 1825 he was a member of the state legislature, being a member of that body when the civil code and code of practice of Louisiana were adopted. He was also a member of the city school board for some time, and as a successful and talented lawyer and a law-abiding and progressive citizen he took high rank. He died in 1887. His father, Albert Grima, was a native of the isle of Malta. Paternally and maternally the subject of this sketch is of French descent, for his mother, Adelaide Montegut, came of pure French stock, although she was born in the city of New Orleans. She died in 1876. Her father came from France to America at the fall of Louis XVI. and her mother was a native of the island of St. Domingo. Mr. Grima was educated in the Jefferson academy of New Orleans, during which time he acquired a thorough knowledge of both French and English, becoming sufficiently well versed in both to eminently fit him for his present calling. He began his knowledge of a notary business under his father at the close of the war and clerked for him and his partner, T. 0. Stark, until 1869, when he obtained a notarial commission for himself and to this has ever since devoted his attention in the city of New Orleans. He is one of the leading notaries of the place and does the notarial business for the Citizens' Bank of Louisiana and the Louisiana National Bank of New Orleans. He is president of the Notaries' association, of New Orleans, and has held the position for five years, for he was chiefly instrumental in the organization of that association in 1886. He is also a member of the bar, a graduate of the law department of the Tulane university, of Louisiana. He is a democrat in politics, but has never been a candidate for office, and is opposed to the rechartering of the lottery. Re is a member of the Athénée Louisianais, a literary association, was lately its second vice-president, and is now its assistant secretary. His contributions to its "Comptes Rendus," the only periodical published in the French language in the South, particularly his tales in verse, denote that said language still holds out its rank in Louisiana. These tales were cited with favor by Professor Alcée Fortier, in his articles on the literature of the South published in the Modern Language Notes. He belongs to the Young Men's Gymnastic club and the Chess, Checker and Whist club. He is a young man of exemplary habits and ii admired and liked, not only as a business man, but in the social circle in which he moves. He is a member of the Catholic church.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), p. 453. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.