Continuation of tree (1st child of Mayance Pitre/Enah Manuel); all known surname descendants:
11 Elin Pitre b: 15 July 1922 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA; d: 16 December 1981 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA
+Effie Ardoin b: 13 November 1924; m: 1 November 1940 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA [Anning/Ida Guillory]; d: 1 February 2008 Eunice, St. Landry, LA
12 Janola Marie Pitre b: 13 January 1942 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA; d: 30 July 2004 Smyrna, Rutherford, TN
+John Wade Deshotels m: 1 July 1958 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA [Isaac/---]
*2nd Husband of Janola Marie Pitre:
+Joseph D. Broussard m: Bef. September 1985; d: Aft. July 2004
12 Ronald Rhett Pitre b: Abt. 1944
+Louisa Lydie Soileau m: 22 December 1971 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA [Yves/---]
12 Perry Elin Pitre b: Abt. 1946
+Jo Ann Ortego m: 8 July 1967 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA
12 Chauncey Lodge Pitre b: 15 January 1951 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA; d: 28 August 1976 Lafayette, Lafayette, LA
+Rebecca Prejean m: 22 August 1969 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA [R. L./---]
12 Timothy Mead Pitre
+Patricia Leeper
Notes for Elin Pitre:
Census
- 1940 Evangeline, Louisiana: Mayance Pitre 39 [$500 house value] farmer/farm, wife Ena 35, Elince 17, Maurice 12.
- 1950 Ville Platte, Evangeline, LA: Elin Pitre 27 Ford dealer/Ford dealer, wife Effie 25, Janela M. 8, Perry 3, Ronald Rhett 5, maid Helene Fontenot 15.
WWII Records: Elin Pitre, res. Ville Platte, LA; b. 15 Jul 1922 Ville Platte, LA; contact Mayance Pitre (same address); 5'11", 150 lbs., hazel eyes & blonde hair, light complexion; 30 Jun 1942 Ville Platte, LA.
Obituary: The Town Talk (Alexandria, LA), Thursday, 17 December 1981: (photo) Ville Platte - Former Evangeline Parish Sheriff Elin Pitre, 59, died at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday in his home. Pitre had been ill for about six months. He was sheriff from 1964 to 1980, and was owner of Pitre Ford-Mercury which he established over 30 years ago. Pitre was active in many political and civic affairs. He was named Man of the Year in Ville Platte in 1962. About three years ago, he donated five acres of land along Louisiana Highway 10 for a youth agricultural facility in memory of his deceased son, Chauncy. Pitre had often been embroiled in controversy. He was defeated for re-election in 1980 by Dr. Ramson Vidrine in a wild campaign in which both candidates were arrested at different times from charges stemming from the heated race. In the midst of the campaign, Pitre was held in contempt of court, fined and given a suspended jail sentence in a hassle over conditions in the parish jail, following a fire in which one inmate died. A state audit once accused him of political payroll padding because he reportedly had 205 employees. Pitre explained he would rather hire 10 part-time deputies for $60 each than one full-time deputy for $600. His colorful style of politics continued through the last campaign when he gave out frozen turkeys, boxes of fruit, poultry and ham at outdoor rallies. "It's just a thank you for the people," he said at one rally during the last campaign. "A box of fruit for the poor people - the poor people are my people." As he was preparing to leave office in June, Pitre attempted to sell all the equipment in the sheriff's department at auction. The auction was blocked by a court order. Survivors include one daughter, Janole Deshotel of Ville Platte; three sons, Perry Pitre of Eunice, and Rhett Pitre and Timothy Pitre, both of Ville Platte; and one brother, Maurice Pitre of Ville Platte. Services will be at 3:30 p.m. today in Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. Burial will be in Gates of Heaven Cemetery under direction of Ardoin.
Obituaries for the children:
Janola Marie Pitre: The Eunice News (Eunice, LA), Thursday, 5 August 2004: Ville Platte - Funeral services were held for Janola Pitre Broussard, 62 of Smyrna, TN., formerly of Ville Platte on Tuesday, August 3, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of All Saint's Catholic Church in Ville Platte, LA. Burial followed in Gates of Heaven Cemetery. Mrs. Broussard died Friday, July 30, 2004 at Summit Medical Center following a lengthy illness. Survivors include her husband, Joseph D. Broussard of Smyrna, TN; her mother, Effie Pitre of Eunice, LA; three sons: Rankin Deshotels of Murfreesboro, TN, Blake Deshotels of Ville Platte, LA, and Peter Deshotels of St. Louis, MO; one daughter, Deneen Stanford of Point Mugu, CA; two step-sons, Joey Broussard of Mamou, LA, and Kevin Broussard of Memphis, TN; two step-daughters, Monica Broussard of North Carolina, and Stacy Broussard of Memphis, TN; three brothers: Perry Pitre of Eunice, LA, Rhett Pitre of Washington, and Tim Pitre of Eunice, LA; 8 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Broussard was preceded in death by her father, Elin Pitre and a brother Chauncey Pitre. Visitation was held Monday, August 2, 2004 from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. until time of services. A rosary was recited at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Ardoin Funeral Home of Ville Platte, LA was in charge of arrangements.
Chauncey Lodge Pitre: Daily World (Opelousas, LA), Sunday, 29 August 1976: Ville Platte - Chauncey Pitre, son of Evangeline Parish Sheriff Elin Pitre, died at 12:35 a.m. Saturday morning at Lafayette General Hospital. Pitre, 25, was involved in a one-car accident on May 14 of this year. He was the manager of the Pitre Ford Tractor Company in Ville Platte. Funeral services for Pitre will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. Burial will be in the Gates of Heaven Cemetery directed by Ardoin's Funeral Home of Ville Platte. Survivors include his father, Elin Pitre, Ville Platte; his mother, Effie A. Manuel, Ville Platte; one daughter, Lisa Brook Pitre, Ville Platte; three brothers, Perry Pitre, Eunice, and Rhett and Timothy Pitre, both of Ville Platte; one sister, Mrs. Janola Deshotel, Ville Platte; paternal grandmother, Anah Ardoin, Ville Platte; and maternal grandmother, Mrs. Anning Ardoin, Vidrine Community.
Back one generation to parents of Elin Pitre
Items in RED verified from transcriptions in the following:
- Southwest Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records of Parishes of Acadia, Allen Beauregard, Cameron, Calcasieu, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St Landry, St Martin, St Mary and Vermillion.
- Some Louisiana births, marriages & deaths in RED taken from obituaries or the LA vital statistics collection (which includes spouses/parents).
Last updated: 8 March 2026.