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Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish The first 2 photographs are of…

Belair Cemetery scene with two yellow bowl-shaped planters, a small red shrine, a white cross, and a headstone surrounded by tall bare and leafy trees on bare ground.
A white cross monument on a pedestal stands in a wooded cemetery clearing, with a blue bucket visible nearby; the photo's edges show heavy orange and purple discoloration.
A young woman in a blue graduation cap and gown stands smiling on the porch of a brick house with a striped awning, surrounded by potted plants.
A man wearing a dark hat and vest crouches in front of a wall covered with Elvis Presley posters and memorabilia; the photo's edges show water or chemical damage.

Collection

Do You Know What it Means

Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish

The first 2 photographs are of Belair Cemetery before Hurricane Katrina.

The last 2 are: Michelle Lynn Nastasi at Nunez CC Graduation, 2001, infront of the house in St. Bernard Parish. The other image is Jeff Chauppetta in front of the 'Elvis Wall'

The first set of images are of the Belair Cemetery, on the East side of the Mississippi in Plaquimines Parish. The cemetery once belonged to the Diamond family, who had a plantation home on the property adjacent to where the cemetery is. Is is said that slaves are buried there and also Jeff Chauppetta's grandfather, Salvadore Chaupetta. In 1980 Jeff Chauppetta visited the cemetery with his father to learn more about his grandfather's life. His grandfather's tomb was the only remaining one in the Belair Cemetery. In 2000 Jeff began cleaning up his grandfather's gravesite and served as the unofficial caretaker of the cemetery until Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.

Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish

The first 2 photographs are of Belair Cemetery before Hurricane Katrina.

The last 2 are: Michelle Lynn Nastasi at Nunez CC Graduation, 2001, infront of the house in St. Bernard Parish. The other image is Jeff Chauppetta in front of the 'Elvis Wall'

The first set of images are of the Belair Cemetery, on the East side of the Mississippi in Plaquimines Parish. The cemetery once belonged to the Diamond family, who had a plantation home on the property adjacent to where the cemetery is. Is is said that slaves are buried there and also Jeff Chauppetta's grandfather, Salvadore Chaupetta. In 1980 Jeff Chauppetta visited the cemetery with his father to learn more about his grandfather's life. His grandfather's tomb was the only remaining one in the Belair Cemetery. In 2000 Jeff began cleaning up his grandfather's gravesite and served as the unofficial caretaker of the cemetery until Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.

Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish

The first 2 photographs are of Belair Cemetery before Hurricane Katrina.

The last 2 are: Michelle Lynn Nastasi at Nunez CC Graduation, 2001, infront of the house in St. Bernard Parish. The other image is Jeff Chauppetta in front of the 'Elvis Wall'

The first set of images are of the Belair Cemetery, on the East side of the Mississippi in Plaquimines Parish. The cemetery once belonged to the Diamond family, who had a plantation home on the property adjacent to where the cemetery is. Is is said that slaves are buried there and also Jeff Chauppetta's grandfather, Salvadore Chaupetta. In 1980 Jeff Chauppetta visited the cemetery with his father to learn more about his grandfather's life. His grandfather's tomb was the only remaining one in the Belair Cemetery. In 2000 Jeff began cleaning up his grandfather's gravesite and served as the unofficial caretaker of the cemetery until Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.

Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish

The first 2 photographs are of Belair Cemetery before Hurricane Katrina.

The last 2 are: Michelle Lynn Nastasi at Nunez CC Graduation, 2001, infront of the house in St. Bernard Parish. The other image is Jeff Chauppetta in front of the 'Elvis Wall'

The first set of images are of the Belair Cemetery, on the East side of the Mississippi in Plaquimines Parish. The cemetery once belonged to the Diamond family, who had a plantation home on the property adjacent to where the cemetery is. Is is said that slaves are buried there and also Jeff Chauppetta's grandfather, Salvadore Chaupetta. In 1980 Jeff Chauppetta visited the cemetery with his father to learn more about his grandfather's life. His grandfather's tomb was the only remaining one in the Belair Cemetery. In 2000 Jeff began cleaning up his grandfather's gravesite and served as the unofficial caretaker of the cemetery until Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005.

Original title

Item 26104

Citation

“Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish The first 2 photographs are of…,” Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, accessed November 3, 2026, https://hurricanearchive.org/items/show/26104.