Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Cut Off, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Interviewed with brother, Emmett, Butch is one of two sons of Emmett Renois, Sr., from the Shreveport area. The father, born in 1902, died in 2000. His daughter-in-law, Joycelyn, wife of Butch and secretary to Windell Curole at the Lafourche Levee District, shot a home video of Emmett, Sr., in 1992, covering some of his recollections of working in the Leevillle oil fields right after the Depression; Emmett started working on land rigs in north Louisiana at age 16 during summer vacation. He retired from Conoco, where he was a driller on Conoco's own rigs and on Rowan rigs.

Butch retired from Chevron, where he was first a production operator and then, with the merger of Chevron and Gulf, was transferred onshore to run the supply operation out of Leeville. Butch started as roustabout in Chevron's Bay Marchand field in 1961, in production; promoted to wireline operation in 1979; got transferred to transportation, supplying everyone; on platforms, lived in 6-man bunkhouse on corner of platform. Both are avid hunters, but not down here; they go up to the old family place of origin around Shreveport.