Landie and her relatives had discussed many topics during her visit to south Louisiana as a twenty-one-year-old. One particular subject came up often in conversations.

Yellow fever had come to the bayous and to New Iberia in 1839. It had made its presence felt in most of the families there. Spreading up and down Bayou Teche, the epidemic touched almost everyone. Nearly every household lost at least one member to the illness before it passed from the water and mosquito laden countryside.

A name often mentioned along with the sickness and death was that of a woman of color named Félicité. It seemed the individual, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was apparently immune to the virus. As such, she worked day and night nursing the sick and comforting the dying Even the burial of the dead was arranged by the tireless woman. Without her, it was evident there would have been many more victims lost to the fever.

The names of seventeen family members who succumbed to the fever in late 1839, and early 1840, were recorded in Landie’s notes of her visit to the bayous. Landie’s male cousin’s own father had come down with the fever but had managed to survive as one of Félicité’s patients.

Placing her notebook on a table, Landie sat for several minutes visualizing what life must have been like in the low-lying areas in those early days. Mosquitos were as much a part of everyday living there in the bayous as were the ‘gaters and hurricanes.

Thinking of Cary’s upcoming visit, Landie wondered if the two of them might someday consider a trip to New Iberia As one got older, it was interesting to return to places where their family’s history originated.

Approaching Cary about the trip would be one of the to-do items on Landie’s list.

Watch for more episodes of Landie to follow.