Bell Family, 1967 - Courtesy Dr. Michelle Bell Boissiere

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Presented by The City Archives & Special Collections and New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries

About the Program

Join Dr. Michelle Bell Boissiere, New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, and the City Archives to learn and discuss basic genetics concepts, providing genealogists with a better understanding of consumer genetic testing such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA (among others). Dr. Boissiere will provide an overview of her family history with a look at the questions answered and raised by adding the genetic analysis.

Michelle Bell Boissiere, Ph.D. holds degrees in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana (B.S.), and from Tulane University (M.S. and Ph.D.). Dr. Boissiere has been a faculty member at Xavier University since January 1994, and is currently the head of the Biology Department. Her primary teaching responsibilities include General Biology and Genetics, with an emphasis on Human Genetics.

Michelle is a lifelong resident of New Orleans, whose family has resided in southeast Louisiana for eight generations. She is a devout Catholic and in 2001 she was awarded the Order of St. Louis Medallion by the Archdiocese of New Orleans for distinguished community service. Michelle is married to Lambert C. Boissiere III, who is also a multi-generational resident of Louisiana. Michelle and Lambert have one son, Lambert C. Boissiere IV. With pride, Michelle consistently regales all the seasonings, sounds, sights and stories that make southeast Louisiana a cultural gem.

New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries manages 13 Catholic cemeteries in the city. Dating back to 1789, they are some of the most famous in New Orleans. New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries accepts donations towards perpetual care of its historic tombs on their website here: Perpetual Care.