History of Cooter

Submitted by JACQUES COUTRE (pronounced KOO-TRAY) married Anne Christien at Tonnoy, Meurthe-et-Moselle (Alsace-Lorriane), France, on January 20, 1674.

The Meurthe and the Moselle are rivers. Alsace-
Lorriane is on the border between France and
Germany. Tonnoy is the name of the town.

Jacques’ grandson JOSEPH COUTRE born approximately 1745, probably in France. Exact date and place not known at this time. Joseph’s father, (born approximately 1714) also unknown.

Sons of Joseph Coutre and Marie Francois Hubert
La Crois born in Ste. Genevieve, MO. An extra “u” has been added to their name on the documents. Coutre family members say its the same name.
(1)JACQUES COUTURE, date unknown
(2)JOSEPH COUTURE on January 16, 1769
(3)NICHOLAS COUTURE on July 5, 1774

Daughter of (1)Jacques Couture and Susanne Le Grand born in Ste. Genevieve, MO.
SUSANNE COUTURE born September 11, 1795

No documents found as yet on (2)Joseph Couture’s family.

Sons of (3)Nicholas Couture and Marie Louise Pirat Tirard born in Ste. Genevieve, MO. JEAN-BAPTISTE COUTURE born January 14, 1797 LOUIS COUTURE born April 24, 1798 JOSEPH COUTURE born March 19, 1801

The family of Marie Louise Tirard included the DeGuires and the DeLisles of Ste. Genevieve, Jean Baptiste Bienvenu DeLisle marrying Appoline DeGuire at Ste. Genevieve in 1780. Louis Maurice Tirard was married to Marie Joseph DeGuire in 1760, Ste. Genevieve.


“Houck’s History of Missouri”, Volume 2, page 151, lists PORTELL COUTRE as a settler of New Madrid, MO. in 1795. The “Encyclopedia of Missouri”, page 218 of the Missouri Gazetter, says the town of ‘Cooter was named in 1854 for the Coutre family of New Madrid, one of whom was a merchant there in 1795.’

PORTELL COUTRE is the only Coutre family member identified by Houck as a resident of New Madrid in 1795 so therefore is the head of the family Cooter
was named for. 

Due to the dates known, Portell is most likely also a son of Joseph Couture and Marie Louise Hubert La Crois and a brother to Jacques, Joseph, and Nicholas Couture. (Note: his name has the original spelling in the documents).

There are 128 members of the Coutre family living in the Chicago area. They are all direct descendants of Portell Coutre. Tom Coutre and Len Coutre (the family historian) are at present gathering information to fill in the blanks in their family’s connection to Cooter.


1854 Cooter named for Portell Coutre of New Madrid

1888 Holly Grove Baptist Church founders: Miles A. Holly and wife Nancy; Mrs. Polly Douglas; Benjamin M. Michie; Virgil and Rosa Funderburk; David Glen, Nancy, Lillian, and Julia Hendricks and Julia’s fiance John Satterfield; N.J. Jolly; Virginia Duncan; and E. Manning.

1890 Dr. T.S. Cooper; John and C. Childress (Childers?); Laura Hendricks; Laura Miller

1891 Almeda (Mrs. T.S. Cooper); W.R. Barger; Margaret German; R. L. Burns; J.R. Kearney

1892 W.H. and Cordelia Kearney; Joe and Mary Allison; J. M.
Richardson; Ida Marcum; W. F. Elkins; 

1895 Etta Perry; John Philpott and wife