Biographies
Biography of NUNEZ, E. E., St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
E. E. Nunez, tax-collector and sheriff of St. Bernard parish, La.,
resides near the old New Orleans battle ground. He was born in St.
Bernard parish in 1846, a son of Vincent and Mary (Serpas) Nunez, also
natives of this parish, where they spent all of their lives. Mr.
Vincent Nunez died in 1853, aged fifty years, in the prime of life.
During his life he was a progressive merchant and planter. He had a
good public-school education, as good as was afforded at that early
time. He accumulated a large and fine property, and donated the land
upon which is located the present parish seat of St. Bernard parish.
During his early life he was captain of a militia company, and was
quite active in all public local affairs. He was twice married, and by
his first wife had three children, Vincent, Pierre Vincent and
Celine, all of whom are now deceased. He was one of the seven children
born to Esteve Nunez, who was also born in St. Bernard parish, where he
was all of his life a planter. His parents were natives of Spain, and
were among the early settlers of St. Bernard parish, and from them
sprang many of the first and best citizens of the parish. The mother
of our subject died in 1889, aged seventy-two years. She was a
daughter of Joseph Serpas (a native of this parish, whose parents were
natives of Spain), and Marie Delile (of French descendants and belonged
to the early and prosperous families of the parish). They were all
Catholic.
Mr. Serpas was a successful planter and reared a large family, many of
the descendants of which are living in New Orleans and vicinity. Our
subject is the sixth of nine children, namely: Odile, the wife of
Cyprian Lefebre and mother of two children, Constance and Berthe
Dumouchel, the issue from her first marriage to Charles Dumonchel
(deceased) whose parents were French (after the death of her first
husband, Charles Dumouchel she married her present husband, Cyprien
E. Lefebre, of New Orleans, La.); Azema, the wife of Edgar Ruiz; Felix,
for the war in Company D, Orleans cadets, when killed was a lieutenant
in the Eighteenth Louisiana regiment); Rosa, the wife of R. V. Ducros;
Louisa, widow of Andre Rivet, the subject of this notice; Victor, now
deputy clerk of the civil district court of the parish of Orleans;
Albert, justice of the peace of the First ward of the parish of St.
Bernard and postmaster of Arabi post office, La., and Lovensky, now a
member of the police jury of St. Bernard parish. E. E. Nunez was
educated at the public schools in New Orleans. He began life for
himself at the age of seventeen, by cotton-planting, and was for some
years a merchant. He then served for six years as deputy sheriff, and
then two years as tax-collector. He has been sheriff for twelve years
successively, having no opposition at the last election. Mr. Nunez was
first married in 1871 to Miss Pauline, daughter of Justin Aguilard, a
native of New Orleans.
Her father was also a native of New Orleans, and served as tax-
collector before the war. Mrs. Nunez died March 15, 1883. Mr. Nunez
married for his second wife Miss Acelie Roy, daughter of Frederick and
Louise (Roche) Roy, natives, respectively, of France and Louisiana, Mr.
Roy coming to Louisiana when a young man, and spent the rest of his
life here. He died in 1889 in St. Bernard parish. During his life he
was a planter and a manufacturer of bricks. He was once a member of
the city council of New Orleans, before the war, and was for many years
a member of the police jury of St. Bernard parish, being president of
that body for some years. Mrs. Nunez was born in St. Bernard parish.
Mr. Nunez is the father of four children, born to him by his first
wife: Nemours, Berthe, Lelia and Fernand, all living, and from his
second wife two children, Pauline and Esteve Joseph, both deceased.
The family are all Catholics, and Mr. Nunez is a member of the Orion
lodge, Knights of Honor, of New Orleans. He is well known as a good
and honorable citizen, and enjoys the esteem of the people of his
parish.
Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 287.
Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.