Louisiana Lineage
Tracing the roots of the Beauvais, Charrier, Guerin, Guillory, Nugent, Ortego, and Prestenback Families

KEY:

Indicates My Line
Indicates Photo of Individual
Indicates Photo of Individual's Grave (off-site, Find A Grave)


The Descendants of Urban Prestenbach

Lorenz Prestenbach of Baden, Germany married Regina Zeller and had five children:

Children of Lorenz & Regina Prestenbach
Name Sex Born Died Age Spouse
Julliana F 1819      
Wendelinus M 21 Dec 1824      
Monika F 5 May 1827      
Urbanus M 23 May 1828 7 Jun 1891    
Martina F 11 Nov 1833      
Wendelin M 30 Mar 1835      

My ancestor is Urban (or Urbanus) Prestenbach, who was born 23 May 1828 in Germany. Later, he traveled with his wife, Louisa Wack/Waag, from Baden, Germany (now Baden-Württemberg) to the United States; eventually settling in Vacherie, Louisiana - a German settlement in St. James Parish.

An 1870 Census shows Urban, a farmer, (age 42) and Louisa, keeping house, (age 41) living in "Ward 2, Lafourche, Louisiana", near Thibodeaux. Urban died in Thibodeaux, Louisiana on 7 Jun 1891. A 1910 Cenus shows Louisa, an 82 year-old widower, living with daughter, Caroline (59) and son-in-law, Frank Christen (62) and grandson, Francis (16). Urbanus and Louisa had six children:

Children of Urbanus & Louisa Prestenbach
Name Sex Born Died Age Spouse
Caroline F 12 Nov 1850 5 Mar 1935   Frank Christen
William M Nov 1852 May 1925   Felicia Schaubut
Louis M 25 Dec 1855 3 Apr 1944 89 Aurelie Constant
Louise F 25 Dec 1855      
Emilie (Amelia Cora) F 24 Jun 1859 14 Sep 1948   Alidore Joseph Torres
Gustave M abt 1863     Emma Gautreaux

My line continues from Louis Prestenbach - changed to Prestenback - twin brother of Louise. Louis married Aurelie Constant, daughter of Jean Constant and Marie Otilie Hotard, on 28 Feb 1878 in Lafource Parish, Louisiana; Aurelie was born in 1860. Louis and Aurelie (later changed to Ora Lee), moved to Maringouin, Louisiana in Iberville Parish in 1902 - bringing eleven children with them. Aurelie died 21 Mar 1943 and Louis died 3 Apr 1944 in Maringouin, Louisiana; they are both buried at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery in Maringouin, Louisiana.

Children of Louis & Aurelie Prestenback
Name Sex Born Died Age Spouse
Frankie M 21 Aug 1886 23 Apr 1964   Maria Ella ?
Alice F       ? Calloway
Carrie F 21 Jun 1889 2 Nov 1958   James Edward Call
Edward Lefeaux
Sarah F 8 Apr 1895 21 Apr 1988   Adam Ponson
Clara F       Clarence Shubert
Laura F       Charles Weil
Dora F       Ben Tabor
Adnes M 1892 1943   N/A
Addis M       Eve Bergeron
Nelson M 18 Jan 1891 2 Nov 1973   Florence Mae Guerin
Wilson (Perch) M 6 Mar 1897 28 Oct 1983   Florence Vallet
Connie F Stillborn; year unknown   N/A

There was also a baby - stillborn - named Connie. Though my grandfather insists she is buried at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery, we have been unable to ever find her grave.

Though my line continues with Nelson, I will share the information given to me by my grandfather, Riley - Nelson's son - for others that might need it:

Frankie was killed in a car accident with his grandson on Airline Hwy. Alice married a Calloway and is buried in an overgrown cemetery in Maringouin - the grave is now lost. Carrie married Ed Call and, then, Ed Lafeaux; she is buried in Lottie in Cottonwood Cemetery. Sarah, who is buried in Maringouin, married a Ponson; she was married a few more times but I can't remember their names. Clara, the youngest to die, was killed in a car accident and is buried in New Orleans; she was married to Clarence Shubert. Laura married and had two children with Charles Well; she is still living as of this writing (1997). Dora married Ben Tabor - who left her and took her three children; she is now buried next to him in Vacherie. Adnes was injured in WWI and never fully recovered - he died from complications from these injuries in 1943; he never married. Addis married Eve Bergeron and they had 3 boys. Nelson married Florence Guerin and had 2 boys and 2 girls. Wilson (known as 'Perch') married Florence Vallet; they are both buried in the mausoleum in Maringouin. Their daughter, Connie, is named after a stillborn daughter that Ora Lee had.

- Verbal account by Riley Prestenback; transcribed by Shanna Bourke

Nelson married Florence Mae Guerin, daughter of Adolphe Oliver Guerin and Lelia Lebeau. The couple had had four children: Roland, Myrtle, Riley, and Margie Ann. As of this writing (2007), both sons are still living; Myrtle died in 1983 and Margie Ann in 1967, a few months after their mother. Florence Mae, "Mae", died 7 Dec 1966 and Nelson died 2 Nov 1973 in Maringouin, Louisiana; both are buried in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery in Maringouin, Louisiana.

My grandfather, Riley Claude Prestenback, married Dorothy Marie Beauvais, daughter of Horace Beauvais and Melina Nugent, in Maringouin, Louisiana on 25 Jun 1950. This union produced two children: Robert Keith Prestenback and Pamela Ann Prestenback, my mother. Dorothy was born 7 Jul 1932 in Bayou Jack, Louisiana in Avoyelles Parish and died 7 Sep 1989 in Maringouin, Louisiana in Iberville Parish; she is buried at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery in Maringouin, Louisiana. On June 5, 2009, my grandfather, Riley Claude Prestenback, passed away; he is buried with his wife in the mausoleum at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery in Maringouin, Louisiana.

Robert "Keith" married Mary-Frances Chustz; they divorced after six months. He then married Lynne Graffia, daughter of Joe and Dora Graffia. They had one son, Robert "Robby" Keith Prestenback. Keith and Lynne divorced, and Keith married Lydia Townley; they have no children together.

Pamela Prestenback, born 21 Sep 1957, married John Ford Bourke on 18 Mar 1977. They divorced in 2008. This union produced three children: myself, Shanna Denise, my sister, Amber Alayne, and my brother, Johnnie Ford. Neither my sister or I are married or have any children, at present.

In May 2006, my brother and his girlfriend, Amanda Grace Wilson of Idaho, had a daughter, Ava Grace Bourke.

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