As we get older, many people begin to take an increased interest in genealogy. Life Member David Bondurant became engaged in genealogy in 1992 when he learned from the Bondurant Family Association (BFA), a family genealogy group, that his ancestor came from a small town in France called Genolhac.
David Bondurant (center) with Vice Mayors of Genolhac
While on a sales visit to France, he visited the town and discovered many Bondurants still living there. David met the mayor, who showed him a historical house where his ancestor, Jean Pierre Bondurant, lived in 1697 prior to leaving France under religious persecution and coming to America. The house was in the Bondurant family for over 200 years. In 1993, the BFA sent a group of 35 people to Genolhac and placed a plaque on the house telling the story of his flight to America.
On the 30th anniversary of this event, the BFA planned a 6-day Homeland tour of southern France, starting in Nimes and ending in Avignon. The majority of time was spent in the Cevennes mountains where Genolhac is located, visiting sites historical to the 10 known generations of Bondurants that lived in the area. On September 15, a celebration of the 30th anniversary was held at the Genolhac town hall, with a presentation and tours of the Bondurant house.
The title image shows Nine Bondurant descendants in front of Bondurant’s ancestral home in Genolhac with the current owner.
Content provided by David Bondurant.
