GRSNO -

Philip Fabacher, MD, a long-time genealogist and volunteer curator/director of the Robert Cove German Heritage Museum, will discuss “the history of Roberts Cove and Fabacher Settlement,” at 7 p.m., Monday, May 19, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This presentation occurs as part of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans. It is free of charge and is open to the public. There is no registration.

Fabacher Settlement and Roberts Cove are two communities settled by Germans or German descendants in north Acadia Parish in 1870 and 1880. Both communities have direct connections to New Orleans: Fabacher Settlement began in 1870 and was founded by Joseph Fabacher of the noted restaurant and Jackson Brewery family. The success of this endeavor led Fr. Peter Leonard Thevis, Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish and builder of St. Roch Shrine, to lead 20 families of his home village of Schierwaldenrath, Germany, to immigrate to the prairies of south Louisiana in Acadia Parish in 1881-1882.

Dr. Philip Fabacher will concentrate on the founding and history of Roberts Cove, which grew to include 36 families of German origin. The original settlers were instrumental in establishing rice as the major agriculture product of southwest Louisiana. Recording of the community’s religious, educational and economic history began in the late 1950s. The community has maintained traditions brought to the U.S. from Germany, including celebrating St. Nicholas Day. Each October for 30 years, it has held a two-day Germanfest to fund the community museum. It records the genealogies and histories of the German families of the area with a unique collection of personal items and photographs associated with the history of the area on display.

Born in Iota, a small town in north Acadia Parish, Dr. Fabacher graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He then graduated from LSU Medical School in Shreveport in 1984 and completed his OB/GYN Residency Program in Shreveport in 1988. He served in the Louisiana Office of Public Health as Director in Family Planning and Maternity Clinics. He also served as Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge and University Medical Center in Lafayette.

Dr. Fabacher retired in June 2014 and began to volunteer as the director/curator of Roberts Cove German Heritage Museum located at 7212 Roberts Cove Rd, Rayne. He began working on his genealogy 55 years ago as a class assignment in eighth Grade in 1970. Since 2000, he has organized and led tours to Europe visiting family homes and villages of the original settler families of Roberts Cove. 

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.