Annie Delchamps Nugent

This is my great grandmother, my grandmother's mom, Annie Delchamps Nugent. She was married to William Michael Nugent. This history was written by her daughter, Grace Nugent Nicol.

This is Annie with her 2 daugthers, (The older little girl is my grandmother, Grace)

Annie Delchamps Nugent married to William Michael Nugent

Known to all as "Nana"



Annie Delchamps was born on April 4, 1873 in Mobile, Alabama, daughter of Edwin Alexis Delchamps and Elizabeth Rasberry. She was the only child of this marriage, though her father married three times and had twelve other children by two subsequent marriages. When Annie was quite young her mother contracted tuberculosis--"consumption" they called it in those days, and died when the child was six years of age, about 1879. Her father's sister, her Aunt Sally, took her to raise; she was kind, but a strict disciplinarian, so the child spent many lonely hours in an adult household, where perfect obedience was demanded. She was a bright little girl, and did exceptional work in school, completing her high school education at Barton Academy in Mobile, when she was quite young.
A few years after her mother's death, her father remarried to a very kind red haired young woman, named Georgia Williamson. From this marriage Annie had two half sisters, Sarah Louise (Sadie) and Corinne, and a half brother, Clovis, the latter dying in infancy. Her stepmother passed away when Annie was about sixteen, and she became a second mother to her young sister-- Sadie was about six and Corine four. Not long after this, Edwin Delchamps moved with his family to Thibodeaux, Louisiana, where he lived and operated a photograph studio on a houseboat. Here he made an adequate living for his family.
When Annie was about nineteen years of age she made an unfortunate marriage to a scenic painter by the name of Benjamin Cox. It is believed that he was from Ohio. He returned North shortly after the marriage, where he died. A daughter, Ethel, was born to this marriage, on October 1, 1893. About a year later, Annie met a young man from New Orleans, William Michael Nugent, whom she married on June 23, 1895. The marriage took place in Houma, Louisiana, but they went to New Orleans to make their home. Sadie and Corinne went along, remaining in the Nugent household until each was married several years later. Annie's father returned to Alabama where he shortly afterwards married a young woman about three years his daughter Annie's senior, a Miss Martha Taggert. To this marriage of Edwin Delchamps nine children were born, two passing away within a short time after their birth, and unnamed. The others were John Julius, Edwina and Marguerite, twins, Curtis Eugene, Ethel, Marwin and Araleete. They all lived to adulthood, and are all still living with the exception of Edwina, who became Mrs. Cecil Putnam, and left two children.
The Nugents lived in New Orleans for approximately seven years, during which time they had two daughter, Grace and Loretta. Then they moved to Mobile, Alabama, where in Mobile County, they had four sons, William Leonard, Arnold Joseph, John Julius, and Hillary Vincent.
While in New Orleans Annie kept house, helped her husband in his work, and taught school at the race track. She taught jockey and exercise boys, and though some of them gave her quite a bit of trouble, they loved and respected her.
When Grace was seventeen the Nugents moved back to New Orleans, where the husband and father went to work for the Illinois Central Railroad. Annie was a fine mother and wife, and as the children grew up and married, and the grandchildren began to arrive she became Nana not only to her grandchildren, but also to many others who knew and loved her.
She had a curiosity and alertness that kept her alert and young to the end. She was an active member of the Episcopalian Church.
On Wednesday, December 14, 1955, at the age of 82, she passed away quietly in her sleep. One of her granddaughters, the mother of a very small child, said, "I only regret that Beth won't know her. Everyone should be raised with a wonderful Nana like ours."