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Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina…

Man in black shirt and red bandana leans against a fallen tree limb amid extensive storm debris and downed branches, with a white cross visible in the brush behind him.
A man wearing a red bandana and dark clothing stands beside a weathered metal cross grave marker in Belair Cemetery, surrounded by storm-damaged trees and debris after Hurricane Katrina.
A photograph taped to a red album page shows a storm-damaged cemetery with fallen trees and debris covering a tomb, surrounded by yellow wildflowers under a clear blue sky.
Handmade "Missing" flyer with four photos of Charles "Slim" Chauppetta, seeking information after Hurricane Katrina; lists contact numbers for his brother, daughter, and son.

Collection

Do You Know What it Means

Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina

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, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina

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, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina

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, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina

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 26106

Citation

“Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish, in Belair Cemetery after Katrina…,” Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, accessed November 3, 2026, https://hurricanearchive.org/items/show/26106.