Jeanne Casenave (1906-1995)

My grandmother. Don't you love that bow?

Marcus Anthony Casenave (1875-1956)

My great-grandfather. Son of Pierre Casenave, recipient of the letters from France.

Only 100 years old

OK, this letter is not quite as old as the last one I posted, in fact it is one of the most recent letters in my collection. The original of this letter is in the hands of a distant French cousin named Anne-Marie Vaillant, who lives in a house built by her grandfather in 1871. I have the scan pictured here, which is not quite as thrilling as holding the original paper which has been handed down through five generations. But it is still exciting.

Even though I haven't figured out exactly what these letters say, I think it's awfully cool to think that they are still around after that long journey from Los Angeles to France and vice versa, and through five generations of hands. Somehow I can't imagine that anyone will be reading the words on my blog 100 years from now!

Parlez-vous français?

142 years ago, this letter was written by Arnaud Casenave to his brother, Pierre Casenave. Pierre Casenave was my great-great-grandfather who left the Basque country of France to settle in Los Angeles.


From 1866 to 1883, letters were written back and forth between France and Los Angeles. The original letters, all written in French, were passed from Pierre Casenave, to his son Marcus Casenave, to my grandmother Jeanne Casenave, then to my father Howard Lawson, Jr. and finally to me. Not ever having learned any French, I was left to wonder what mysteries they held.


Now thanks to the internet, one of the letters written from Los Angeles to France has been located in the hands of a distant cousin in France. This letter is from Pierre's wife, Cayetana Alaniz, telling the French relatives of Pierre's death. Distant cousin speaks limited English, so maybe we will begin to unravel the mystery. In the meantime, I have got to find a translator and figure out what these letters say!