Julius Emile Delchamps was born and raised in Mobile County, Alabama, spending his boyhood days on Mon Louis Island. He as, his brothers and sisters, had the advantages of the schools of that time, plus the advantage of parents that believed in education, and a father that was an educator and taught his children at home. J.J. Delchanps schooled his children especially in English, Latin and Algebra.
Julius Emile had a grocery store at Alabama Port, and later at Delchamps station. He, his wife and large family were well known and well liked. His eyesight began to fail when he was a comparatively young man, after which the store was operated by his children. So much credit was allowed that they could not keep going, so very early in the 20th century they moved to Mobile, where they opened a rooming house on Conception St. One of his daughters, Laura Zewen told someone, "We always had nice roomers." They replied, "You people made them nice." Julius Emile was an inveterate and invincible domino player - feeling the spots on the dominos, and with a remarkable memory, he seldom lost. He never played twice with a cheat. He said anyone that would cheat a blind man would stoop to anything.
The family moved back to Delchamps, within a few years, where he remained with his wife and family until his death at the age of almost 90 years. I told Laura I remember very vividly her wedding to Ed Zewen, mostly because of her mother's copious tears. Laura said she remembered that too, but her mother rejoiced at Mac and Newton's marriages - Newton's because he was getting up in years, and Mac's because Aunt Mary was so old she knew she'd soon leave Mac, her baby, that she had when she was way up in age. Mary Hieronomus came from a prominent Mobile County family.
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