Hebert, J. Ferdinand

Submitted by Mike Miller

J. Ferdinand Hebert is chairman of the municipal council of his native city of Plaquemine, Iberville Parish, and as such serves as mayor pro tem whenever there is requisition for his interposition in this capacity. He is secretary of Plaquemine Lodge No. 1398, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is also manager of the local Elks Home and Club.

Joseph Ferdinand Hebert was born at Plaquemine, on the 2d of February, 1878, and is a scion of one of the representative French families that was founded in Louisiana in the Colonial period of American history. His grandfather, Janvier Hebert, was born in Pointe Coupee Parish, this state, but passed the major part of his life in West Baton Rouge Parish, where he became a successful exponent of farm industry and where he remained until his death, as did also his wife, whose family name was Comeaux.

Omer Hebert, father of him whose name introduces this sketch, was born in Pointe Coupee Parish, in 1849, and died at Plaquemine on the 17th of February, 1917. Omer Hebert was reared on his father's farm in West Baton Rouge Parish, and was a young man when he established his residence at Plaquemine, where he was long in the employ of the Plaquemine Lumber and Improvement Company, lumber manufacturers. He retired from active business affairs in 1907, and continued his residence at Plaquemine until his death. He was a loyal supporter of the cause of the democratic party, and was a communicant of St. John's Catholic Church in his home city, as is also his widow, Mrs. Hebert, whose maiden name was Aline Patureau, daughter of Ferdinand Patureau, a native of France. She was born in West Baton Rouge Parish, in October, 1849. Valentine, eldest of the children, resides in New Orleans; J. Ferdinand, of this sketch, is the next younger; Janvier resides at New Iberia and is a traveling salesman for a leading wholesale drug house in New Orleans; Joseph Omer is in charge of the oil department for the Consolidated Companies, wholesale grocers at Plaquemine; Joseph Isadore is manager of the Thibodaux Wholesale Grocery Company at Thibodaux, this being a branch of the Consolidated Companies at Plaquemine. After one year in the public schools of Plaquemine J. Ferdinand Hebert here attended St. John's parochial school a few months, and retired from school at the age of thirteen years, when he began work as operator of the live rollers in the lumber mill of the Plaquemine Lumber and Improvement Company, with which he remained one year, in the meanwhile having been promoted to the shingle department. He passed the ensuing six months as shingle weaver at the Little Gin shingle mill of A. Wilbert Sons Lumber and Shingle Company, and during the following four years he was clerk in the Kearny drug store at Plaquemine. He next passed three months as a straw boss in a convict levee camp, and in 1895, during the grinding season, he was for three months a clerk in a country store on the Augusta Plantation in his home parish, he then purchased a half interest in the Postell bakery at Plaquemine, but he sold his interest, five months later. In 1896 he was for six months clerk in the Frost Hotel at Thibodaux, and in 1897, in the City of New Orleans, he learned the trade of barber. From 1898 until the autumn of 1923 he owned and conducted one of the leading barber shops at Plaquemine, and since October 1st of the latter year he has been manager of the home and club of Elks at Plaquemine, as well as secretary of the local lodge of this great fraternal order.

As a thoroughgoing democrat Mr. Hebert was elected a member of the CityCouncil in 1912, and his service has been continuous since that year. He was chairman of the council until 1924. He was a member of the city democratic executive committee in the period of 1908-12, and he is secretary and treasurer of the fire department of his home city, besides which he was one of the organizers and vice president of the Iberville Building and Loan Association until April, 1925, and a director of the Iberville Bank and Trust Company until April, 1925. At that time he was one of the organizers of the Citizens' Building and Loan Association, and is secretary and treasurer and a member of the board of directors. He is a member of the board of directors of the Citizens Bank and Trust Company. Mr. Hebert is a member of the building committee in charge of the erection of the fine new edifice of St. John's Catholic Church, a structure to be completed in 1926, and he and his wife are zealous communicants of this parish. He is a charter member and a trustee of Plaquemine Council No. 970, Knights of Columbus; holds the office of banker of Plaquemine Camp No. 19, Woodmnen of the World, besides having membership in Hollygrove Woodmen's Circle; he is a charter member and the present treasurer of Plaquemine Aerie No. 1912, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and from the same was a delegate to the silver jubilee assemblage of the national organization of the Grand Acne held in the City of Denver in the summer of 1923. He is affiliated also with and holds the rank of past dictator of New Orleans Lodge No. 477, Loyal Order of Moose. At Plaquemine he owns his pleasant home at 538 Main Street, as well as other local realty and similar property interests in Baton Rouge and at Beaumont, Texas. He was appointed a notary public in January, 1925, by Governor Henry Fuqua. He was specially active and influential in connection with local patriotic service in the World war period, served on various committees, assisted in the drives in support of Government war loans, Red Cross service, etc., and aided in the work of making proper provision for the young men entering the nation's service.

March 19, 1900, recorded the marriage of Mr. Hebert and Miss Mary Edna Melancon, daughter of Mark and Aline (Saurage) Melancon, the former of whom was a successful farmer in Iberville Parish at the time of his death and the latter of whom now resides at Plaquemine. Genevieve, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Hebert, died in infancy. Mr. Hebert was a member of the Catholic Laymen Association and was a delegate from his parish to the state meeting of that society held in the Town of Lafayette in 1923. He has been representative of his city at many state firemen's conventions held throughout this state, and also represented his city at several state meetings of the Woodmen of the World. He is a member of St. Joseph's Union of New York City. He was president of the biggest Mardi Gras carnival ever given in this city, in the year 1907, and was presented with a beautiful gold-head umbrella by his admirers and friends that year. in the year 1909, while treasurer of the Hope Hook and Ladder Fire Company No. 1, he was presented with a beautiful gold badge by his admirers and friends for faithful services. Mr. Hebert was local correspondent of the Weekly Iberville South for twenty years, and is now the Plaquemine correspondent of the Baton Rouge (Louisiana) State Times, one of the leading newspapers of Louisiana.

NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 235-236, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.