A Strad Inspired Violin - Log 3/22/2010

Monday March 22, 2010
GNOYO Office and Instrument Donations

Monday morning after my stay with the Montes family I returned to the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra office, 170 Broadway, so I could take the photos I missed the night before when I delivered the instruments from Indianapolis.

Dr Montes family is seen below with from left to right Jaz, Sarah and Soley.

Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to capture a shot of Dr. Montes.  However Meriwether McGee forwarded the photo below of Dr. Montes with GNOYO board president, Katherine Cain and the beautiful "Dr. Samuel W. Siurua" memorial violin.

The GNOYO office sign is seen here.
















The violin in Sam's memory was earlier presented to the administrator, Meriwether McGee with case and Jon Paul Bravo Carbon fiber bow seen below.

In this room the instruments from Indianapolis are being stored before inventoring and final packing.

In the next room inventoried, packed instruments await the trip to Florida from where they will be flown to Haiti.

GNOYO had 20 instruments inventoried and packed.  The 15 from Indianapolis brought the total on hand to 35.  Another shipment of possible a dozen or so should have arrived Friday and did not.  If it arrives in time it will be added to the 35 on hand to go to Florda  Otherwise it will need to wait for a later trip. 


Monday Afternoon
On to Pascagoula, Moss Point, Kreole, and Pecan

I left the GNOYO office and headed directly to Mississippi on I-10.  I wanted to meet with Renee Gautier-Hague of the Genealogy Department at the Pascagoula Public Library. 

She assisted me earlier by sending an electronic file of the Jackson county, MS. Siurua family history page which Sam had written and submitted to the library some years before.  I had previously sent her an uneditable electronic copy of Sam's biographical sketches but wanted to download a fully editable version with additions since his passing.  That would allow them to utilize any materials including photos independently.  Renee was extremely helpful providing references, maps and directions to try to locate Kreole and Pecan sites.

As I had driven into town I was elated to see that the Pascagoula  train station was still standing.  I had found a picture of Sam standing in front of it ready to head off to college in Chicago and wanted to see the building for myself.  It is now the location of the Singing River Art Association and owned by the city.  It is no longer serving Amtrak trains.

Thank you to Scotty Montague (left) and John Lynn (right) at the Moss Point Fire Station who provided excellent directions over to Kreole and Pecan after I lost my way the first time in Moss Point.  Scotty, I forgot to mention that Sam graduated from Moss Point High School in the 1930's.

Below are photos of the Kreole Finnish Luthern Church and Cemetery which I finally located on the opposite side of Highway 90 from where I had been searching. I located them only after Scotty gave me assistance.

Below is bayou near Pecan similar to that Sam said he had to cross to reach the gulf coast.

Sam's grandfather planted the Pecan grove pictured below behind their property when he moved there before Sam was born. Although overgrown, trees are still living.

Sam's home still stands but not for long.  It changed hands several times after Ada's death and now is apparently Federal property to be leveled as part of an Army Corps of Engineers improvement project.  I am still trying to determine details but Scotty believes it is part of a plan to reduce flooding in the area.

I am holding several branches from a rosebud azalea bush standing at the side of the house next to the porch.  It was so sad and disappointing to see the old homestead deserted, neglected and doomed for demolition.  I was so pleased to notice the beautiful blooming bush and pick the blooms to photograph and bring back as a remembrance.  Sam and his mother Ada so loved beautiful flowers.