Ortego

This is copied from a document I was mailed by a distant cousin who was darling enough to contact me and share the information she had on our family. All thanks & appreciation goes to Aline McGintey.

I hope the information below is as helpful to some as it was to me (I was absolutely stuck on the Ortego line, the maiden name of my great-great grandmother, Alice Ortego Beauvais, whose parents I did not even know until Aline contacted me.) {Ed. Notes} are my own.

The Genealogy of the families of ELGY PIERRE ORTEGO & MARIE LOUISE MOREAU, by Janet Neyland Ortego

The Ortega name is the most ancient in Spain and is described as an old and distinguished Castellion lineage originating in the city of Carrion de los Condes, Provience of Palencia in Old and New Castille, Spain. The earliest Ortega known was Antonio de Ortega. Before this time last names were not used. ANTOINE de ORTEGA, born about 1620, married Catalina Berceruelo around 1640. Their son, SANTIAGO de ORTEGA, was born around 1642 in Spain and married May 6, 1661, Ana Rodriguez, the daughter of Mateo Rodriguez and Maria Hernandez. One of the sons of Santiago and Ana, FRANCOIS de ORTEGA, was born September 26, 1665 in Spain and married January 2, 1694, Ana Molinero, the daughter of Juan Molinero and Angela Rodriguez.

FRANCOIS de ORTEGA and ANA MOLINERO had many children, one of which was SANTIAGO de ORTEGA II, born August 10, 1704. He was born in Pollas, Spain. After Santiago grew up he moved to Tordesillas, Spain. There he met and married Francisca Antonio Prieto, the daughter of Manuel Prieto and Tomasa Del Rio. They were married May 16, 1742 in Tordesillas and made their home there, raising many children.

One of the sons of Santiago and Francisca Antonio, JEAN JOACHIM de ORTEGA, was the first of the Ortegas to leave Spain and come to the new world and he is the one who is responsible for all the Ortegos here.

Jean Joachim de Ortega y Prieto (in Spain the male child always carried the mother's name as can be seen here) was called Joachim and was born on August 2, 1755 in Tordesillas, Valladolid, (Old Castille) Spain. He did not marry in Spain, but came to the new world, as he was in the Spanish Armed Services and came to Florida in that capacity during the Spanish reign of Florida. During that time, he came to Natchitoches on official business, and at that time he met the daughter of Louis St. Denis (he is the founder of Natchitoches) and they were married. Her name was Marie Damasante DeSoto y St. Denis, and was the granddaughter of Manuel Antonio DeSoto and Marie St. Denis. After his services in the army were over, they returned to Natchitoches, but finally settled near Opelousas, Louisiana in St. Landry Parish and raised all of their children there.

In early newspapers of Natchitoches, you will find the name of Joachim de Ortega (still spelled with an "A" instead of an "O" in many places). He was a well-known and well-educated man. One of the early newspapers states that "Joachim Ortega was one of the Spanish soldiers at the Opelousas Port, and signed many early documents which are on file in the church and courthouse records here." A copy of Jim Bowie's marriage license (he was married in Opelousas) shows Joachim Ortega as a witness. James Bowie's marriage was recorded in Marriage Record Book No. 1, page 256 in the St. Landry Catholic Church, Opelousas. There are notes from the parents giving the couple permission to be married. The license goes through the whole explanation of the two parties being married and who their parents are and the bans being announced in the church, etc., and the last paragraph reads:

"After having interrogated them both and having obtained their mutual consent in marriage, I have imparted to them the nuptial blessing according to the rites of the Holy Mother the Roman Catholic Church, in the presence of DON JOACHIIM ORTEGA, Jean Baptiste Jeansonne, and others."

This book is signed by the couple, James Bowie, his wife, Margaret Nevil, Joachim Ortega, and Msgr. Bernard Barrier, Priest. This was the year 1802, after Joachim Ortega was married.

Another important document is a letter written to Joachim Ortega in 1779 by Governor Galvez. This was written during the American Revolution and before Joachim was married. It was written in Spanish and it seems that Joachim had just done some favor for the Governor, who told him what a good job he had done, thanking him for setting the situation straight and to go to Natchitoches to await further orders from him.

Ortega apparently was a very well-educated man, in a time when such a thing was rare, for he corresponded with several of the Spanish governors, as the one mentioned above, and Galvez refers to him as "my dear friend" in his letter.

Joachim was the founder of the large Ortego clan of the South Central Louisiana area. This Spaniard arrived on the Gulf Coast probably as early as 1770 in Natchitoches, certainly before 1782, as he married his wife, the granddaughter of St. Denis, that year.

For a few years, Ortega had served as an important government official at Pensacola. He was a voluminous writer and an apparently devoted father. In his Succession, he gave council to his son (the oldest, Jean Francois Ortega). The document is written in the Louisiana History: Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, Volume III, No. 2, Spring 1962. This letter was taken from a book of his which can be found in the Opelousas Courthouse with much of his writings. This letter was written in his hand. The handmade little booklet from which this excerpt is translated from French is deposited in the St. Landry Courthouse, Opelousas, Louisiana, among the un-indexed notarial records of the early statehood period. Although undated, the document is found with the Spaniard's succession papers, which were filed by J.M. Deballion, notary public, on June 29, 1826. It is safe, therefore, to assume that the booklet was written between 1822, a year mentioned in the first pages of the booklet, and the date of filing, 1826. The opening pages concern routine business matters. The penmanship is firm throughout and the writing is done on cloth-content paper. ("FiFi" is the nickname for his son, Jean Francois Ortego). The letter is reprinted here for you:

Exhortation To My Son, FiFI

The succession of your father could cause much unpleasantness in the hands of poor innocents not knowing how to conduct ticklish business affairs without exposing themselves to criticism. Listen my dear child, to the counsel of your old father.

Your old father was always a father perhaps a little too hard with his children, and if one has not known the duty of a father, one must begin to pardon him. If his wife dies before him, (as early as my dear one has), he must be favored with all the consideration due a bereaved father.

The rights of children, it is true, should be defended, but with prudence, and without (consideration of his parental) attachment; the harmony and union in the family should be given your first attention, as the first obligation of man.

If one of your relatives says that you are silly for having some consideration for such advice of a father, you will answer that the unkind always conduct themselves in an evil manner, that you want to follow the gentleness which your father affixes in your heart. With this answer you will close the mouths of the malintentioned; your conduct will be praised; your heart will feel a repose and unshakable tranquility.

My son, my age gives me experience to know that the voice of ah honest man is often mistaken, especially when he tells the bitter truth; but in the long run, it is revealed that its author is lauded and esteemed of all people, and the wicked remained abash before the world.

Your principal attention should be the inventory of the papers, and the silver money; but after the inventory should be given consideration: the mounts and carriages should be paid free of charge. The habitation (home and surroundings) of the women servants and manservants, the farm animals in his car at the value of the estimation. As for the rest, it is to be bought by outsiders. If the heirs refuse this consideration, they will be criticized by the people and you will be sheltered."

There are a lot more interesting things about Joachim Ortega. Joachim and Marie were married January 14, 1782. Before her death on October 1, 1814, at the age of 50 years, and his death in 1826 (they are both buried in Opelousas in the St. Landry Church Cemetery {Ed. Note: I have been unable to find the graves; they are so old I do not believe any marker exists today}) they had nine children. They are as follows:

- Jean Francois, who married in 1806, Eugenia Fontenot
- Joseph Gregorie, who married Emelia Fontenot
- Dennis, who married Felonise Solleiu
- Anisette, who married Ophelia Fontenot
- Joseph Marcelin, who married Louise LeJeune
- Joseph Marie, who married Marie Josephe Guillory
- Joseph Manual, who married Marie Denise Vidrene
- Philippe (he died young, before marriage)
- Marie Josepha Matilda (their only daughter), who married Phillipe Fontenot

All were married in St. Landry Parish, and of these children, Joseph Marie Ortega, married to Josephe Guillory, the daughter of Pierre Guillory and Marie Josephe Fontenot is the beginning of our particular line. (The rest of this piece applies to the line of JOSEPH MARIE ORTEGA and JOSEPHE GUILLORY of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana).

Joseph Marie Ortega and Marie Josephe Guillory had the following children:

- Joseph Ursin, b. February 15, 1815 in Opelousas
- Joseph Dorsineau, married in Opelousas (St. Landry Parish) on May 21, 1833 to Cephise Landreneau
- Small child b. November 1, 1816 in Opelousas and d. November 7, 1816
- Jean Baptiste, b. October 1, 1818 and d. May 6, 1892. He married May 15, 1838 in Ville Platte, Louisiana to Helene Guillory
- Joachim, married April 20, 1843 to Julie Ardoin
- Marie, b. February 15, 1823 and married November 30, 1837 to Victorin Deshotel
- Jean Pierre Marie, b. 1825 and married April 8, 1844 in Opelousas to Marie Azilie Billeadeau
- Julia, b. 1827 and d. September 22, 1829
- Marie Josephe, b. August 21, 1827 in Opelousas
- Domitille, married January 22, 1850 in Opelousas to Olin (Hollin) Guillory
- Emelie (Ine), b. August 11, 1833 in Opelousas and married June 13, 1853 to Archille Benoit Billedeau in Ville Platte
- Zoe, b. September 11, 1835 in Opelousas, and married February 10, 1855 to Edmond Joseph Ortega at Opelousas
- Aristide, b. November 27, 1838 in Opelousas, and married Julie Verone, then married Sara D. Goff on October 3, 1861 in Opelousas
- Elie, b. August 11, 1839 in Opelousas

JEAN PIERRE ORTEGO (and this is when the name first started showing up as being spelled with an "O" at the end instead of an "A"), the son of Joseph Marie Ortega and Marie Josephe Guillory (their seventh child) married Marie Azilie Billeadeau, who was the daughter of Francois Billeadeau who had come from Santa Domingo and Marie Azilie Jeansonne. The children of Jean Pierre Marie Ortego and Marie Azilie Billeadeau were as follows:

- Jean Pierre, married (first) to Odele Guillory and (second) to Pauline Johnson in Ville Platte
- Telemacque, b. November 29, 1847 in Opelousas and died in Plaucheville at the age of 65 years in 1913
- Rosenville, b. October 28, 1849 married twice. First to Mirza Rogeau on May 23, 1866 and second to Alecia Bathilde Ducote
- Belissaire Ortego, married Amelie Pauline Guillory
- Ulysses Ortego, married Emelie Jeansonne
- Bridgette Ortego, married Arville Ardoin
- Marie Josephine Ortego, b. February 4, 1857 in Ville Platte
- Marie Aurore Ortego, b. March 20, 1859 and married Arcaduis Vidrine on December 8, 1879
- Jean Billodeau (Biodo), married Hermena Jeansonne
- Jean Baptiste Ortaire Ortego, b. December 16, 1861 and married on January 27, 1880 to Edvise Ida Jeansonne
- Urbain Ortego, b. July 28, 1865 in Ville Platte
- Avernet
- Norbil

Of the aforementioned children of Jean Pierre Marie Ortego and Marie Azilie Billeadeau, the second child, Telemacque Ortego, born November 29, 1847, there is considerable confusion.

He is known to have married Ophelia Fuselier in St. Landry Parish on June 22, 1865. He is next heard of as having family with Celaine Fontenot in the area of Eunice and Ville Platte. No marriage records have been found on Telemacque and Celaine, nevertheless, they had a large family. Both died and were buried in the Plaucheville Cemetery (he in 1913 and she in 1907). It seems that after her death, he returned to St. Landry Parish and remarried his first wife, Ophelia, then the widow of Solomon Miller in 1909.

The children of Telemacque Ortego and Celaine Fontenot are as follows (they are not in order and there may be more):

- Marie Dolina, b. January 1, 1869 at Ville Platte
- Irma, b. March 16, 1870 in Eunice
- Jean Rosenville, b. April 7, 1871
- Lenora, b. August 9, 1872 in Eunice
- Amos
- Ange (Bido), married Edna Dufour on November 11, 1909. Buried at Plaucheville.
- Alice, b. October 12, 1881 and d. November 13, 1959 and buried in Godeau. Married (1) Oge Deville on August 3, 1898 and (2) Ernest Beauvais on November 8, 1908 {Ed. Note: This is my great-great grandparents...burials listed at Find A Grave}
- Liza
- Dora, married Zelma Duboc married March 9, 1900 then Resie Firmin on December 30, 1908
- Viea, married Kenny LaFleur

DORA ORTEGO, the son of Telemacque Ortego and Celaine Fontenot, was born in 1877 and died in 1924. He married twice, both times in Avoyelles Parish where he raised his family.

1) Selma (Zeline) Dubroc, the daughter of Fernand Dubroc and Azelia Turner, March 9, 1900
- Beatrice Ortego, b. January 17, 1900/01, married Esaure (Ezira) Ducote, then, after his death, married Thomas Lossoir
- Amos Ortego, b. March 4, ????, married Middie Nash of North Louisiana
- Dorseno Ortego, married Louisa Keller on August 27, 1927
- Winnis Ortego, married Lillie Keller on September 21, 1928
- Elgy Pierre Ortego, b. November 9, 1901, married Louise Moreau

2) Resia Firmin, daughter of Avit Firmin and Caroline A. Deville, on December 30, 1908
- Camille Ortego, married Emily Williams on September 16, 1930
- Lelia Ortego, b. October 20, 1909, married Calvin Firmin
- Wilton Ortego, b. June 3, 1919, married (1) Effie Maxwell and (2) Eula Dufour
- Wilbon Ortego, married Anna Mae Mayeux
- Anna Mae Ortego, married Jack Marcel
- Dora Ortego, Jr., married Minnie Dufour on September 24, 1948
- Marcelin Ortego, married Cecile Dufour

ELGY ORTEGO, the son of Dora Ortego and Zeline Dubroc, b. November 17, 1901 at Avoyelles Parish, married Marie Louise Moreau. The story of their family may be found in the MOREAU FAMILY story {Ed. Note: I do not have a copy of this.}