The Lyons Family

ARAMIS BARRAS was born in Houma, Louisiana, on February 2, 1857. He married Cora Breaux on January 28, 1886. Aramis died in October, 1930. Cora Breaux was born in 1864 and died in December, 1922. Eight children were born of the marriage of Aramis and Cora Barras:

1. Nelidolph Barras, born November 15, 1886. He married Jennie Debuse. Nelidolph died October 17, 1918.
2. Wade Barras, born July 7, 1888. He married Laurence Prosper.
3. Argus Barras, born December 15, 1889. He married Hattie Lancon. Argus died in 1956.
4. Aline Barras, born June 1, 1891. She married Alphonse Lancon.
5. HERBERT PAUL BARRAS, born October 18, 1894. He married Hazel Marie Hebert.
6. Stanley Barras, born July 4, 1896. He married Frankie Holliman.
7. Lee Barras, born August 18, 1898. He married Alice Armstrong.
8. Sidney Barras, born May 5, 1901. He married Rena Romero.

HERBERT PAUL BARRAS was born in Loreauville, Louisiana, on October 18, 1894. In 1917, he married Georgette LeBourgeois and of this marriage, two children were born:

1. Amiee Barras, born September 12, 1918. She married Randolph H. Parro.
2. Cecilia Rose Barras, born August 23, 1921. She married Thomas Paul Wilson.

After the death of Georgette Barras, Herbert Barras married Hazel Marie Hebert, daughter of Charles and Aline Tabb Hebert. They were married on February 27, 1933.

A formal education beyond the third grade was denied Herbert but this did not take from him his natural talent as a deep thinker or his ability to create a workable machine from an idea. For many years, Herbert was a cane farmer and as such he learned the problems involved in cane growing, and his creative talents went to work and he built a one-man cane loader. This machine proved very efficient. In 1921, he secured a patent on this machine. Since that time, Herbert has obtained many successful patents, in­cluding patents on a cane piler, drain cleaner, V-ditch digger and dirt throw­er. His cane piler is used as far away as the Philippines.

Herbert Barras has a great sense of humor and loves to tell stories. An engineer came from Washington, D. C., to witness one of Herbert’s machines in operation. After watching the efficient manner in which the machine functioned, he asked Herbert where he had received his engineering degree. When Herbert laughed and said he had only gone to the third grade, the engineer joined in the laughter because he thought it was another of Herbert’s stories he had been entertaining them with all day.

Herbert is a great lover of music and plays the violin. His father owned a beautiful, priceless violin but would not let Herbert or any of his brothers and sisters play it. However, when his father was away, Herbert would sneak in and practice it. He never received any training other than his “sneak practices” but he loves to play.
Herbert and Hazel Barras now live in Baldwin, Louisiana. Three children were born of the marriage between Herbert Paul Barras and Hazel Marie Hebert:

1. ANN BARRAS.
2. Lynn Marie Barras, born February 9, 1946.
3. Herbert Paul Barras, Jr., born December 26, 1955.

ANN BARRAS, who was born October 4, 1936, in Linwood, Louisiana. She moved with her parents to Baldwin, Louisiana, and attended elementary school there and high school in Franklin, Louisiana. Ann at­tended the University of Southwestern Louisiana, at Lafayette, Louisiana, from 1954 to 1959, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano in 1958 and Bachelor of Music degree in Voice in 1959. After receiving her degrees at USL, Ann took graduate work at Indiana University where she received her Master’s Degree in Music in Voice in May, 1961.

Upon receiving her Master’s Degree, Ann became an Instructor of Music at USL (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and continued teaching until June, 1963. Ann has also given private instruction in piano and voice. She has sung opera, oratorio and concert. She was a violinist in the USL Orchestra and in the Chamber Group at Indiana University.

Ann married Hall McCord Lyons, son of Marjorie and Charlton H. Lyons, on August 17, 1962, at Aspen, Colorado. They now live at 629 Camellia Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana. (See Lyons family for children of Ann Barras and Hall Lyons.)

The Barras family thus merged with the Lyons family.