I had promised last week that we would have a free access to our Library at the 
beginning of this week.  I am taking some days off this week and have to cancel 
the free access. A lot of people have written asking about the Library access.  
After you read the following I think you will understand why I am taking a few 
days off. 

Several of you know that I am from the Mississippi Gulf Coast . I was there for 
two family unions in July. I am from Biloxi/Ocean Springs area and my husband 
is from Gulfport.  Both of us have very large extended families there.  They 
live from Slidell, Louisiana to Mobile, Alabama.  I have five siblings and my 
Mom, my husband have two siblings living on the Gulf Coast.  Several of our 
family members have lost their homes, jobs, and businesses to the Hurricane.  
My husband's sister in Colorado Springs, my sister in Tampa, and I have been 
frantically trying to locate our families.  Monday morning was the last we 
heard from those family members that didn't evacuate. Now they don't have phone 
are internet access.  Even the ones who left on the Coast, their cell phones 
are not working because their area code is for the Gulf Coast.   

My husband's brother and sister, their spouses, and six children were in the 
same home, in North Gulfport. They were at the brother's home.  The last time 
we spoke was Monday at 11:00 AM.  Their electricity was out and we were talking 
by cell 15 mins. before the worse part of the hurricane.  They didn't know the 
hurricane eye was heading for them until we called.   The sister's home, (my 
husband's family home since 1920) was about five blocks from the beach in 
Gulfport.  We don't know if the family home is still there, but from photos on 
TV, we don't have much hope.  The home is near where you are seeing the news 
film where the Dole banana trailers for semi-trucks, Grand Casino, and downtown 
Gulfport.  

My Aunt lived two streets from the beach in the same area of Gulfport and we 
are sure her home is gone... my aunt did evacuate.  We don't know where another 
eldery aunt 

My mother evacuated to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to my 4th brother house.  We 
talked with them on the phone giving them updates on the hurricane until 15 
minutes before the eye of the hurricane hit.  Today my sister got in touch with 
him.  He could only talk for a couple of minutes.  They took some damage to 
their house but can live in it.  He is a fireman and went to the city, but had 
to use a chainsaw to cut down trees on the road to get to the city.  He did see 
some TV footage at the firehouse.  My mother doesn't know how bad the Gulf 
Coast is and that she probably doesn't have a house anymore.  Her house was 
near the Beau Riverage casino and the Lighthouse on the beach in Biloxi... near 
the apt. complex that 30 people died in.  Mom worked for my business and my  
3rd brother.  The apts. that I mentioned was on a street between Mom's house 
and my brother's business.  We don't think he has a business or home anymore.  
We heard from brother #3 today.  He evacuated to Pensacola.  He lived in a 
condo on the beach in Pass Christian.  That area took the eye of the hurricane 
and it is so bad there that very few reporters can get there.

Brother #2 is working off the coast of Africa for the past month.  He lives in 
Gautier, MS.  His entire family (children and grandchildren) evacuated to 
Northern Louisiana.  We have not idea how their house faired.  My brother is 
due to come in from Africa Wed. or Thurs. night.  We don't even know where he 
is coming into... we can't get threw to his families' cell phone.  Ironically 
he is the boss over several oil rigs in Africa.

My 1st brother primary home and businesses in Mobile, Alabama faired well. We 
just heard from heard from this brother tonight.   He has generators and is 
bringing one to my 4th brother's home in Hattiesburg.  We believe my 1st 
brother lost his new vacation home on Dauphin Island, Alabama.   

We haven't heard from my 2nd second and her daughter's family.  They rode the 
storm out in northern Ocean Springs.  This sister has MS and we are very 
worried about her.  Because of the MS is can't take the 95 degree coastal 
weather without a/c. Her husband works on the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.  
We don't know if he made it inland before the hurricane hit or not.  Normally 
they come in the mouth of the Mississippi River which was hit first by the 
hurricane.  My niece and her husband worked at the Grand Casino in Biloxi, and 
are now unemployed.  The hurricane pushed this casino across the highway.  

My husband's family in Pearl River and Slidell, Louisiana have lost their homes 
to the floods.  They had evacuated to northern Louisiana.  We have heard from 
them.

For our subscribers, you saw my photos in the Library of the huge historic 
antebellum homes on the beach in Pass Christian.  I took those photos in July, 
ironically again during a tropical storm.  I just saw news footage of that area 
and all those home are gone.  Some of those homes had been there since the 
1830s.  Another irony, this town is named after one of my husband's 
great-grandfathers who discovered the pass between the islands and the Gulf 
Coast.  His name was Christian Ladnier and was one of the founding families of 
the area between New Orleans and Mobile.  That's why we have so many family 
members in this area.  My husband has so many cousins in this area and we just 
don't know where they are now. 

It is so heartbreaking to see an area that we grew up into adulthood so torn 
apart.  We don't know what our family members are going to do for homes or 
income.  All the businesses have been destroyed.  

We are just some of the thousands who are trying to find our families on the 
Gulf Coast.  If you want to help, send money to the American Red Cross or the 
Salvation Army.  Write in the memo section Hurricane Katrina and the 
organizations promised to use the monies for that cause.  These charities are 
sending in teams to feed the Coastal residents.  Please keep all the Gulf 
Coastal residents and their families in your prayers.

I am sorry if there are spelling or grammar errors in this message.  I just 
don't have the heart to read over what I just wrote.  I have cried so much, my 
head hurts.

Penny E. Ladnier
Owner,
The Costume Gallery, www.costumegallery.com
Costume Classroom, www.costumeclassroom.com
Costume Research Library, www.costumelibrary.com
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