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Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish The first set of images are of the…

Child's hand-drawn illustration on lined paper depicting a building with multiple windows and a porch labeled "HRK," featuring stick figures and rats labeled "Me-Me," "Uncle Jeff," and "Big Rats."
Child's pen drawing on lined paper of a sun, two armed figures leading a child, two more armed figures, and several people enclosed behind a crosshatched fence or cage.
Child's hand-drawn sketch on lined paper showing three figures in hats marching beside two spotted dogs, framed by a bold rectangular border with vertical hatch marks above it.
Hand-drawn pen sketch on lined paper depicting several labeled figures—"Rosalie," "Ken & Hether," and "Jeff"—along with a figure labeled "Me-Me, Passing out" positioned near a drawn fan.

Collection

Do You Know What it Means

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

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. When Jeff ran out of film he began to draw pictures of his family's experience post-Katrina.

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

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. When Jeff ran out of film he began to draw pictures of his family's experience post-Katrina.

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

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. When Jeff ran out of film he began to draw pictures of his family's experience post-Katrina.

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

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. When Jeff ran out of film he began to draw pictures of his family's experience post-Katrina.

Original title

Item 26108

Citation

“Jeff Chauppetta, age 53, resident of St. Bernard Parish The first set of images are of the…,” Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, accessed November 3, 2026, https://hurricanearchive.org/items/show/26108.