St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery

St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery. . (side 1) , West Baton Rouge conveyance records reveal that on June 28, 1833, Jean Baptiste Hebert donated land for use as a cemetery for the congregation of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. With Hebert’s permission, the tract had already been used as a cemetery. Around 1860, the encroaching river took the original tract. At the church’s expense, Hebert’s remains were moved to the present cemetery. The present cemetery and church are on property acquired from Ambroise Blanchard in 1838. (Continued on other side). (side 2) (Continued from other side). Ancestors of many Brusly and area residents are interred here, as noted by markers and headstones. Also interred here are veterans of military service, dating back to the Civil War. Remains of individuals from the Catholic cemetery in Lobdell were transferred to this site in 1932. According to Heck family members, many of the iron crosses in the cemetery were made by André and Henri Heck, prior to 1921, in their blacksmith shop near this property. A stroll through the cemetery can be compared to walking through the pages of family history.