Prejean Family Genealogy & History

Carrie Prejean, born Caroline Michelle Prejean Boller, is an American model and former beauty queen known for her roles as Miss California USA 2009 and first runner-up at Miss USA 2009. Prejean gained significant media attention due to her controversial response regarding same-sex marriage during the Miss USA pageant. Her career highlights include modeling for prominent brands such as Target, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale's, as well as involvement in the San Diego Padres' Pad Squad. She has also contributed to outreach ministries, focusing on children with developmental disabilities.

Born in San Diego, California, Carrie Prejean is the daughter of Francine (Coppola) and Wilbert Prejean. Her mother is of Italian American descent, while her father is of French ancestry. Raised in an evangelical household, Prejean's childhood was marked by her parents' tumultuous divorce, which she describes as a formative yet challenging experience. This family background influenced her desire to provide a stable home for her own children in the future.

Helen Prejean, born April 21, 1939, is a prominent Catholic religious sister and a leading advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in America. Renowned for her best-selling book "Dead Man Walking," Prejean shares her poignant experiences as a spiritual adviser to death row inmates, highlighting the profound effects of capital punishment. Her work has been adapted into a feature film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, an opera by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally, and a play. Prejean's dedication is further demonstrated through her roles as the National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and founder of The Moratorium Campaign and SURVIVE, supporting families affected by violent crimes.

Helen Prejean was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Augusta Mae (née Bourg), a nurse, and Louis Sebastian Prejean, a lawyer. She joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille in 1957, marking the beginning of her religious journey and advocacy work.

Dalton Prejean, born on December 10, 1959, was executed in 1990 for the murder of Louisiana State Police Trooper Donald Cleveland. Notably, Prejean was one of 22 individuals executed for crimes committed as juveniles before the Roper v. Simmons decision in 2005. His case drew international attention due to racial dynamics, his mental health issues, and the age at which he committed the crime. Despite a troubled youth involving crimes such as burglary and murder, Prejean's life ended in the electric chair in Louisiana.

Dalton Prejean was the second of four children born to a family in Lafayette. At two weeks old, he was sent to Houston to live with his aunt and uncle, unaware of his true parentage until age eleven. After his father left the family, Prejean returned to his mother in Lafayette, where his life began to unravel with legal troubles.

Gayle Kawaipuna Prejean, born on April 14, 1943, was a prominent Hawaiian nationalist and activist renowned for his pivotal role in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. Prejean founded the Hawaiian Coalition of Native Claims, now the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, and was a key figure in the "Hawaiian Renaissance" of the 1970s. He was instrumental in stopping the bombing of Kahoʻolawe Island and advocated for Kanaka Maoli independence at the United Nations. Prejean's legacy includes proposing the 1993 Kanaka Maoli Tribunal, and he was known for his music, comedy, and criticism of the U.S. military's impact on Hawaiʻi. He passed away on his 49th birthday while opposing the destructive construction of Interstate H-3 on Oʻahu.