FOURTH GENERATION

8. Charles Edward "Charlie" Bonnette was born in Dec 1866 in Jackson Parish, Louisiana. He was buried in Apr 1917 in Sanders Cemetary, Louisiana, no headstone located.. He died on 27 Apr 1917 in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Notes from visit with Flossie Bonnette Vess on June 19, 1983. Timothy Lee and Howard Bonnette. (These are notes taken as given by Flossie, not all information is accurate, however, I have listed the notes as taken for historical records)

Visited with Flossie Bonnette Vess, husband was J.R. (Joe) Vess, in Winn Parish. Aunt Flossie is the daughter of Charles and Estelle (Aunt Stelle). Charles and Charity separated and Charles married Daisy Lambert and became a logger at a logging camp near Alexandria. Estelle was living with some people who were raising her at the time. Daisy went to get Estelle to live with her and Charles. Estelle and Daisy were sisters and spoke broken English, possible Cajun French. Upon Daisy's deathbed, so the story goes, Daisy asked Charles to marry Estelle, which he did.

Charity Dier Bonnette remarried to a man named Walter Brown and was known by some of the children as "Granny Brown".

Flossie mentioned that Charles had brothers and sisters. John Bonnett, a methodist preacher who lived in Bastrop, LA. Heck Bonnett, son of John. Edgar Bonnett, son of John. Liller Dale Bonnette, daughter born 12-18-1882, died 6-30-1966, buried at Sanders Chapel near Calvin. Isabelle Bonnett Lewis. Walter Lewis, son of Isabella, lives in Marthaville, LA. Frank Bonnett. Jake Bonnett.

Aunt Flossie said that Uncle John told her Charles had a twin. He also told Flossie we were kin to Dr. Jim Bonnette from Alexandria, LA.

When Charles died Aunt Estelle married Lee Bonnette, Charles' son, who had moved to Marksville, LA, where he died.

Aunt Flossie also mentioned that some of Charles brothers and sisters may live in Shreveport, LA. Aunt Bessie, Charles & Charity's daughter, lives in Minden, LA.

Glen White from St. Maurice, LA had shown Flossie a paper from the Methodist Church showing when Frank and Charles had joined.

Bessie Bonnett Barns lives on Constable Stree in Minden, LA. Phone 318-377-9667.

End

Notes from Timothy Bonnette phone conversation with Bessie Bonnette on June 7, 1983. Not all information is accurate but is reproduced here for historical purpose.

Talked with Besse Mixon Bonnett Barnes. Aunt Bessie lives in Minden at 609 Constable, phone 377-9667. She said her grandfather was Dan. Her Aunts and Uncles were: Isabella, John, whose sons were Hector and Little John, Frank, Andrew and Jake.

John was a Methodist preacher. Isabella was a Pentecostal preacher who saved Aunt Bessie at a revival. Isabella and Charles were twins. Aunt Bessie said there was another set of twins in the family. Charles family had 14 people in it..

Aunt Bessie said the picture with the guns and clubs had Howard Eugene, "Bill" William, Lee T. and Dee in it.

She said Charles and his son Dee died of Typhoid pneumonia in April 1917.

Lee and Dee used to make moonshine according to Aunt Bessie. "They sold it like hotcakes, but, the law never bothered them."

End

Winn Parish Census, 1910, Ward 8 (some of the ages may not be correct I cannot see them clearly from the printout)
Charlie E, 43
Daisy, Wife, 21
Lee, 18
Dee, 15
Lela, 12
Bessie, 6
Lambert, Estelle, Sister-in-law, 17 He was married to Charity Edna Dier on 6 Aug 1884 in Jackson Parish, Louisiana.

9. Charity Edna Dier was born in Jul 1864 in Unknown. She died after 1920 in Unknown. Charity Edna Dier Married Charles Edward Bonnette on August 6, 1884. She divorced him prior to 1910, possible 1906. The 1910 census, Sheet 6-B, of Jackson Parish, Eros Town Ward One shows that she remarried Walter E. Brown age 32, married 4 years. Charity L. "Wife" age 40, # of children 6 by first marriage. Walter was from Illinois. Charity was known as "Granny Brown" She and Walter are also found on the 1920 Census for Jackson Parish Louisiana, Image 16 of 59, Ward 1, Eros Village. Walter is listed as 52 years old and Charity as 51.

Per family story; After her divorce from Charles Charity lived in a tent on the farm homestead of her son Howard Eugene Bonnette and his wife Delia Baskie Cloud Bonnette on Hwy 156 near Sanders Community in Louisiana. This has not been substantiated by me, in fact, Howard and Delia were married in 1915, well beyond the date of the divorce and remarriage of Charity. I suspect this event is not true. However, several folks have relayed the story to me so there must be some truth that a woman of some relation did live on the farm of Howard and Delia in a tent. Did Walter die and Charity lived with them after that?

Family lore has Charity being a Cherokee Indian who was stolen from a reservation by Charles. There are no records to substantiate this. Also the marriage certificate of Charles and Charity has an A. M. Dier signing as a witness. Hardly likely that A.M. Dier would be an Indian! Children were:

i. William E. Bonnette (Private).
4 ii. Howard Eugene Bonnette.
iii. Lee T. Bonnette (Private).
iv. Dee H. Bonnette (Private).
v. Lelia N. Bonnette (Private).
vi. Bessie Bonnette (Private).