Fournet Cemetery in St. Martinville was established because of a dispute with the local Catholic Church over Freemasonry membership of its founder. When a prominent local man was denied burial in the Catholic cemetery for belonging to the Masons — a fraternal organization the Church condemned — his family established their own cemetery next door on Cemetery Street. The irony of proximity has played out for two centuries: the Catholic and Masonic cemeteries sit side by side in St. Martinville, separated by a fence and a theological argument that no longer has any living participants. Today Baptists and Catholics from the descendants of the original founders are buried here alongside each other — including Lt. Col. Valsin A. Fournet, who founded and funded the Yellow Jacket Battalion in the Civil War, and Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jefferson J. DeBlanc, a WWII Marine fighter ace from St. Martinville.
- ·Established because a prominent local man was denied burial in the Catholic cemetery for belonging to the Freemasons.
- ·His family established their own cemetery next door on Cemetery Street — the Catholic and Masonic cemeteries have sat side by side for two centuries.
- ·Separated by a fence and a theological argument that no longer has any living participants.
- ·Notable burials include Lt. Col. Valsin A. Fournet, who founded the Yellow Jacket Battalion in the Civil War.
- ·Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jefferson J. DeBlanc, a WWII Marine fighter ace from St. Martinville, is also buried here.
- ·Located on Cemetery Street in St. Martinville. Open and accessible.
Memories
Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.