A few months back, in the aftermath of Katrina, Keith Darbonne reported that his grandfather, legendary New Orleans musicianEddie Gabriel, was missing. Gabriel was a staple of New Orleans night life for 67 years. Now, Darbonne writes that DNA evidence has confirmed Gabriel’s death. He lived in the 9th Ward and drowned in the flooding following the hurricane. The night before Katrina struck, he had worked at Pat O’Brien’s, the bar where he entertained New Orleanians and visitors for almost seven decades. When Gabriel’s family urged him to evacuate, he said he was too tired to leave home. Thanks to John Blutarsky, who writes the blog The Third Battle of New Orleans, for alerting me to this news.

Jason Isaac reports that another New Orleans musician, Barry Cowsill, who was a member of the 60s family singing group The Cowsills, has also been confirmed dead.

News of these deaths serves as a reminder to those of us in parts of the country that were unaffected by Katrina of the ongoing nature of this tragedy. While most of us have relegated Katrina to history, many are still waiting to learn the fate of friends and family who have been missing for four months.