Vivian Anna Morlas

1909 - 2000  (91 years)

• Name	Vivian Anna Morlas  [1]
  Born	22 Mar 1909	New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Died	29 May 2000	New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
  Buried	Metairie Cemetery (Lake Lawn Metairie), New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
  Notes	Vivian Morlas Schoenfeld, a homemaker, died Monday of a stroke at Life Care Hospital, Memorial Baptist Campus on Monday, May 29, 2000 At 7:30 P.M. She was 91. Mrs. Schoenfeld was born in New Orleans and lived In either New Orleans or Metairie all her life. She was the daughter of the late John Dominic and Lucine (Roquevert) Morlas and was preceded In death by four brothers and eight sisters. She was the beloved wife of the late Eugene Morris Schoenfeld, Sr. and the mother of Kathleen S. Casey, of Daytona Beach, Fl; Vivian S. Solares, of Harahan; Robert Morlas Schoenfeld and Noel Douglas Schoenfeld both of New Orleans, and the Late Eugene Morris Schoenfeld, Jr., of Austin, Tx. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Relatives and friends are Invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home Chapel, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. (In Metairie Cemetery) on Thursday, June 1, 2000 at 11:00 A.M. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. Visitation on Wednesday from 6:00 P.M.until 9:00 P.M. And on Thursday after 9:00 A.M. until Service Time. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to Sisters Of Mercy, Holy Name Of Jesus Convent, 6028 Freret St., New Orleans 70118. Obituary Source: (1) two undated unreferenced clippings provided by Keith McGuire Jr. (2) http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/orleans/obits/1/s-06.txt E U L O G Y VIVIAN MORLAS SCHOENFELD 1909 - 2000 WRITTEN BY: KATHLEEN S. CASEY--June 1, 2000 This is indeed the end of an era. Mama is the last of her immediate Morlas family. Eight sisters and four brothers have gone before her. And I have lost the best friend I ever had. For Mama, life was a long journey, and in her 91 years she had many side trips and outings along the way. She loved reminiscing about them. With great relish she used to tell about her first plane ride. She was not quite 14, and her father, who died in 1923, was still alive. Someone was selling plane rides over New Orleans for about $15 apiece. Mama's mother arranged for Mama and some of her sisters to take a ride. While they were flying overhead, Mama's parents were sitting in their yard. When Mama's father saw the plane, he said to Grandma, "I wonder what fools are in that plane." Grandma spared him the truth. In 1926 and 1929, Mama, her mother and unmarried sisters toured Europe. Mama got more mileage out of those trips than anybody else, I know. She loved telling how she was followed after an evening out in Amsterdam by a big crowd because the people thought she, in her long evening gown, was a movie star. She regaled us with stories of officers and college students on the ships who were madly in love with her. I never doubted her for a moment. Then there was the flight to Detroit in 193l with Grandma and Aunt Eleanor to buy the Hupmobile and drive it home. In 1938 there was the sad journey by train from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New Orleans when Mama learned her sister Clothilde was dying. Mama's family and friends meant more to her than anything else. I was brought up in a home where I felt secure and loved. Vivian, Jim, Bob, Noel and I knew we were blessed. We and other family members have talked a lot lately about things we did together, places we went: a trip to Sturgis, Mississippi, when I was about 15 to visit Aunt Lucille and family, weekend excursions to Mississippi in a car loaded with cement and tools so Daddy could work on his swimming pool. Mama and Daddy named their place at Beneshewaah KAVIJIBONO, using the first two letters of each of their five children's names. We enjoyed many happy gatherings there with family and friends. Mama and Aunt Eleanor went by train to California to see Jim who was there in the Navy. They also visited Uncle John. Aunt Leontine had sent Mama and Aunt Eleanor off with a big box lunch. The travelers laughed all the way to California and back. Mama and Daddy went to Colorado in 1972 with Jim and Dee and Aunt Dora and Uncle Larry. Just recently in the hospital Mama said they had a "wonderful time." Noel reminded me night before last that on that trip after eating at a roadside park, Mama threw a paper cup over her shoulder and it landed in a trash receptacle. Jim said, "I bet you can't do that again." He gave her another cup and once again she made a goal. Mama was always on target no matter what she was doing. When Mama and Daddy stayed at a dude ranch once with Bob and Genie and their children, Mama got to ride horseback again for the first time in many years since she had ridden regularly along the levee. She took great pleasure telling how as a young woman, she was thrown over a horse's head and had to lead the horse to a lamp post and climb up the post to remount and gallop away uninjured. On trips to St. Martinville, Mama and Daddy relaxed and enjoyed "happy hour" on Bob and Genie's front porch. There were trips with Vivian and Sig and their children to Austin and to Daytona Beach and later with Vivian to Daytona Beach, Disney, World and Key West. And, Mama never missed a grandchild's wedding even if it meant traveling to Daytona Beach and later to San Antonio while nursing a broken pelvis. Over the years, Mama and I reminisced about life when Vivian, Jim, Bob, Noel and I were children. Visiting was a big part of our entertainment. I remember a family reunion at Grandma's on South Tonti Street. On Sundays we went to see Uncles Louis, Leon and Paul and Aunts Leontine, Stella, Lucille, Jennie, Juliet and Eleanor. When Aunt Josephine came to town from Oklahoma, we had get-togethers on a large scale. When I was a child, my brothers, Vivian and I took rides to the lakefront and Audubon Park where we'd run up and down Monkey Hill, look at the seals and visit the zoo. Daddy would take us swimming. Every Easter we'd pick clover in the park for our baskets, and at Christmastime we'd take rides to see the lights and then go to Canal Street to see Santa Claus waving from the balcony at D. H. Holmes. Noel tells about going downtown with Mama to shop and eat at Kress or McCrory's. On one occasion when he was about five, Mama bought him a little rubber mouse which he left on the streetcar. When they discovered his loss, he was heartbroken. Mama, carrying him, ran after the streetcar but couldn't get it to stop. She even called NOPSI to see if anyone had turned in Noel's lost treasure. No such luck. On their next trip downtown, Mama bought Noel another rubber mouse. Life was simple, and it was good. For years Vivian was Mama's wheels-running her errands and taking her to her doctors and to visit family and friends. In recent years, Mama didn't go out much, but her radios and telephone took her where she wanted to go. She looked forward to talking to her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. They were very good to her, and Mama was good to everybody. She was thrifty and generous, a happy combination which benefited many of us. Family and friends played a vital part in Mama's life to the end, and they kept dropping in and phoning her at the hospital. One day I counted 20 visitors. She seemed happy being surrounded by those who love her. Mama knew she was dying, and she accepted death with prayers and peace. And there was laughter, too. Only a few days before she died Noel had Mama smiling over a hilarious story about Linda's dog Promise. I owe all that I am and all that I have to my parents, and my life will be very different without Mama. It is awfully hard to say goodbye, and I won't. Instead, for Mama-our dear, sweet Mangie-on her final journey, I wish her Godspeed.
  Person ID	I983	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	28 Apr 2023

  
  

  Father	John Dominic Morlas,   b. 25 Aug 1865, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 14 Feb 1923, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Lucine Roquevert,   b. 28 Jan 1869, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 16 Feb 1946, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 77 years)
  Married	28 May 1888	St. Stephen's Church, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana   [1]
  Photos		Morlas Family Reunion, New Orleans, 1987 Over 120 family members were present for this reunion, most of them descended from John Dominic Morlas and Lucine Roquevert of New Orleans
  Albums		Morlas Siblings & Cousins Reunions (9) Held in New Orleans starting in 1927
  Family ID	F176	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Eugene Morris Schoenfeld,   b. 18 Apr 1908, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 8 Jun 1993, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 85 years)
  Married	11 Apr 1936	Gretna, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
  	They were remarried in a religious ceremony on 13 Sep 1936 at St. John Church in Thibodaux, LA.
  Children	1. Living   2. Vivian Clara Schoenfeld,   b. 11 Mar 1940, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 15 Jun 2022, Harahan, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana  (Age 82 years)   3. Eugene "Jim" Morris Schoenfeld, Jr.,   b. 4 Jul 1942, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 10 Oct 1983, Austin, Travis County, Texas  (Age 41 years)   4. Robert Morlas Schoenfeld,   b. 10 Apr 1943, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana ,   d. 16 Jul 2017, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  (Age 74 years)   5. Living
  Photos		Schoenfeld, Eugene and Vivian (Morlas) Photo taken in honor of their Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1986
  Documents		Schoenfeld, Eugene and Vivian (Morlas) Invitation to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversaary, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1986
  Last Modified	24 Aug 2010
  Family ID	F721	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 22 Mar 1909 - New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana Married - 11 Apr 1936 - Gretna, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Died - 29 May 2000 - New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana Buried - - Metairie Cemetery (Lake Lawn Metairie), New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Morlas, Lucine and daughters This formal portrait of Mms. Morlas and her daughters was taken around 1918 in New Orleans. Her husband and her four sons were not pictured. Back Row (l to r): Eugenia, Juliet, Leontine, Clothilde Front Row (l to r): Estelle, Josephine, Eleanor, Mme. Lucine Roquevert Morlas, Vivian, Lucille
  		Morlas Siblings Children of John Morlas and Lucine Roquevert Back Row: Leon Morlas, Juliet Morlas, Paul Morlas, Jennie (Morlas) Bishop, John Morlas, Leontine (Morlas) Zahn, Eleanor (Morlas) Rohli, Louis Morlas. Front Stella (Morlas) Trapani, Vivian (Morlas) Schoenfeld, Josephine (Morlas) McGuire, and Lucille (Morlas) Quinn. Only their sister Clothilde (Morlas) Bordes was missing. Since Clothilde had died in 1938, the photo was presumably taken after this date. It could very well have been taken at their 1951 reunion.
  		Morlas Sister Reunion, likely 1951 TOP ROW - (Left to Right) Josephine Morlas McGuire, Stella Morlas Trapani, Stella O'Brien (cousin), Eleanor Morlas Rohli, BOTTOM ROW - Vivian Morlas Schoenfeld, Leontine Morlas Zahn holding her grandson Edward, and Eugenia Morlas Bishop
  		McGuire, Patricia ca 1957 marriage to Charles Richard Strong, Stillwater, Oklahoma 6 of 10 Pat and Charles with her mother and a few of her Aunts from New Orleans l to r: Eleanor Morlas Rohli, Josephine Morlas McGuire Carpenter, Charles Strong, Pat McGuire Strong, Jenny Morlas Bishop and Vivian Morlas Schoenfeld PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THAT PAT'S AUNTS ARE ALL CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED
  		Morlas, Eleanor, Vivian and Josephine The three youngest of the Morlas sisters, Eleanor Rohli, Vivian Schoenfeld, and Josephine Carpenter. This was taken around 1980, on Josephine's last trip to New Orleans.
  		Morlas, Vivian, Sister Cyril, RSM (Juliet), and Eleanor The last surviving Morlas sisters, at a luncheon in their honor in New Orleans, Summer 1984
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Hess, Anna Rose and Vivian Morlas Cousins and long time friends, New Orleans, sometime around 1990
  		Quinn, Sidney with his Aunt Vivian Schoenfeld Sidney Quinn escorts his Aunt Vivian Morlas Schoenfeld, at the wedding of his son, Michael
  		_Morlas, Vivian Posing near a portrait of herself when she was younger
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

  Documents

  Morlas, Lucine (Roquevert) with daughters Elenora and Vivian, circa 1925 After purchasing a Hupmobile, Lucine and her youngest daughters, Elenora and Vivian, flew to Detroit as part of the nationwide "Sky-Road Parade and Million Dollar Driveaway" promotion. The Party of seven included another purchaser, Sam Dander, as well and the owners/managers of New Orleans United Motor Car Company, Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Johnson. The plane was piloted by John Worthen. The trip probably occured in 1925 or after, when the straight-eight model of Hupmobile was debuted.

  
  

  Headstones

  Morlas Mausoleum, Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans This mausoleum was erected in the Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans at the death of John Dominic Morlas in 1923. It also became the final resting place of his wife, Lucine Roquevert, and their children: John Louis & wife Antoinette (Trapani) Morlas, Clothilde & husband Leon Bordes, Estelle & husband August Trapani, Louis & wife Lenora (Christoffer) Morlas, Leopold "Paul" & wife Olie (Roberts) Morlas, Vivian & husband Eugene Schoenfeld; as well as the resting place of several of John Dominic's grandsons; John Louis (I) Morlas Jr., Bertrand C. Morlas, John Louis (II) Morlas Jr., Sylvan "Brother" Bordes and Eugene "Jim" Schoenfeld, Jr. More so than any city this side of Paris, New Orleans is renowned for its historically significant and ornate necropolises. One of the parish's most unique "Cities of the Dead" is the eerily beautiful and diverse Metairie Cemetery. Built over the old Metairie Race Course, the cemetery was founded by Charles T. Howard. According to legend, when Howard was not allowed to join the country club that owned the track, he vowed it would become a cemetery. Many other famous Louisianans are interred here, in structures ranging from Gothic crypts to Romanesque mausoleums to Egyptian pyramids

  
  

• Sources

  [S479] Zahn, Bennie Jay--The Families Pene Roquevert Morlas (Privately Published; New Orleans, LA 1992) , updates and corrections issued periodically.