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A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m. at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church for Rena Boudreaux Leeper, 85, who died Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, at 9:32 p.m. at Acadia General Hospital in Crowley.
Fr. Mikel Polson, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, will officiate for the services. The family requests visiting hours Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. A rosary will be recited Friday at 6 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Leeper is survived by one daughter, Patricia Ann Pitre and husband Tim of Eunice; two sons, Terry Michael Leeper and wife Bonnie of Crowley and Jon Thomas Leeper of Crowley; one sister, Joycelyn Laughlin of Lafayette; two brothers, Roderick Boudreaux of Opelousas and Conrad Boudreaux of Mire; five grandchildren, Natalie Dupre, Terry Leeper Jr., Beau Pitre, Patricia Johnson and Brandy Champagne; and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, John Richard “Dick” Leeper; and her parents, Ophie and Celine Stutes Boudreaux.
Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.geesey-ferguson.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, Inc., 301 North Avenue F, Crowley, LA 70526.
Funeral service for Mrs. Beulah George, 95, of Crowley, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, in St. Theresa Catholic Church. Father Godwin Imoru will officiate. Burial will be in Crowley Cemetery, under direction of Semien-Lewis Mortuary of Jennings. A wake will be from 6 p.m to 9 p.m Friday, Oct. 7, in Semien Lewis Mortuary of Jennings (819 N. State Street).
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. Saturday in the church until time of funeral service.
Mrs. George entered into eternal rest, Sept. 29, 2016, in the Acadia General Hospital. She was a native and lifelong resident of Crowley and a member of St. Theresa Catholic Church.
She leaves to cherish her memories, two daughters, Dianne (Roger) Johnson of Carencro and Brenda Broussard of Crowley; four sons, Clarence (Gwendolyn) George Sr., Michael (Patricia) George Sr., Donald (Lorena) George Sr., all of Crowley, and Frederick (Jackie) George of Conyers, Georgia; one brother, Clifton (Audrey) Simon of Hurst, Texas; 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Words of comfort maybe expressed to the family at www.semien-lewis mortuary.com.
Mary Hogan and Edward and Jackie Thibodeaux, all of Morse, along with Troy and Julie Hebert of Iota and Marlon and Tricia McFarlain of Evangeline, are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their children, Sara Ann Hogan of Morse and Trent Jaymes McFarlain of Iota.
The bride-elect’s maternal grandparents are the late Joseph D. and Lovenia Abshire, and her paternal grandparents are Barbra Thibodeaux of Crowley, the late Paul Thibodeaux and the late Mae Thibodeaux.
Sara graduated from Midland High School in 2009 before attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is presently employed as a certified public accountant with Broussard Poché, LLP.
The prospective groom is the grandson of James “T-man” and Judia LaCombe of Iota, and of Charles and Nell Higginbotham and Burton McFarlain, all of Evangeline.
He is a 2009 graduate of Iota High School and is currently employed as a production operator with Quality Production Management.
The couple will be wed at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Jennings.
Wayne and Stephanie Leger of Rayne are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Marie Leger, to Hunter Michael Kole, son of Mike and Trudie Kole of Maurice.
The couple will exchange wedding vows on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Maurice. A reception will follow at The Warehouse Event Center in Rayne.
Samantha is a 2008 graduate of Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish in Crowley, and a 2013 graduate of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She is currently employed as a Pre K teacher at Central Rayne Kindergarten. Her grandparents are Bonabel D. Naquin of Lafayette, the late Narvil “Buck” Naquin, Dorothy O. Leger of Rayne, and the late William “Fats” Leger.
Hunter is a 2009 graduate of North Vermillion High School in Maurice. He is currently employed as a boiler maker at Preferred Industrial Contractors in Baytown, Texas. His grandparents are Jean Bouse of Abbeville, the late Jim Bouse, and the late Sandy and Lola Mae Kole of Winnie, Texas.
After their wedding the couple will reside in Rayne.
Funeral services were held on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 5 p.m. at Gossen Funeral Home Chapel for Cynthia “Cindy” Faye Kegley Freeman, 54, who died Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, at Lafayette General Medical Center Hospital in Lafayette.
Deacon Tim Ledet of St. Joseph Catholic Church conducted the funeral services.
Survivors include her husband, Russell Freeman of Rayne; three sons, David Freeman and wife Amanda of Rayne, Russell Freeman III and wife Kelli of Crowley, and Frank Freeman of Rayne; nine grandchildren; her father, William “Bill” Kegley of LeBeau; three brothers, Mike Kegley and wife Gail of Moss Bluff, Shelton Kegley and wife Cricket of Sulphur, and Kendall Kegley and wife Joyce of Vinton; and one sister, Rachel Kegley Duhon and husband Chris of Midland.
She was preceded in death by mother, Audrey Hebert Kegley.
The family requested that visitation be observed in Gossen Funeral Home on Sunday Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friends may view the obituary and guestbook online at www.gossenfuneralhome.net.
Arrangements were entrusted to Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne, (337) 334-3141.
ROBERTS COVE - From the raising of the American flag Saturday morning until the final notes of the Auf Geht’s Band Sunday afternoon, the 22nd annual Germanfest will go down in the record books as one of the best.
“It was wonderful!” said Gretchen Zaunbrecher, president of the Germanfest Association, Monday morning. “Both days were great. The crowds were large and amazing and it looked like everybody was having a good time.”
And organizers couldn’t have dialed up better weather for the two-day festival, with morning temperatures in upper 60s and lower 70s and the afternoons warming up into the mid-80s.
“The weather was perfect,” Zaunbrecher added.
Though there is no “official” estimate of crowd size, the enormous tent under which most of the activities were staged was full to capacity most of the time. In fact, during the Sunday morning Mass, it was standing-room-only on the grounds of St. Leo IV Catholic Church.
Attendees again this year had their choice of traditional German cuisine — sauerkraut, wurst (sausage), kartoffel (potato stew), zucker platzchen (sugar cookies, and beef stew — and authentic German music provided by the Auf Geht’s Band and the Alpenmusikanten Band.
“Our Heritage Museum and gift shop had a lot of visitors this year,” Zaunbrecher said. “It appears that a lot of people enjoyed all the souvenirs we had to offer.”
This year’s Germanfest honored descendants of the Dischler, Schatzle and Theunissen families.
Also honored during the festival were Josie Thevis and Dot Leger, who were presented special tokens following the Sunday morning Mass.
They were honored for their many years of service to the museum and to the Germanfest Association.
And the festival would not have been the success it was without the help of all the volunteers.
“We especially want to thank our volunteers for their many hours of work and all the thousands of people who attended our festival this year,” Zaunbrecher said.
Proceeds from the annual festival support St. Leo Church, the Germanfest Association and community projects in the Roberts Cove area.
CROWLEY - Notre Dame High School is pleased to announce the events associated with the 2016 Homecoming Game on Friday, Oct. 7, when the Pioneers will host Sacred Heart of Ville Platte.
In addition to campus activities held during the week, city-wide festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, when the annual Homecoming Parade rolls north on Parkerson Avenue from the Crowley Court Circle. The parade turns right onto Northern Avenue, right on Eastern Avenue, and ends at the Notre Dame campus, where a city-wide pep rally will be held.
Immediately following the pep rally, the Notre Dame High School’s third annual Gumbo Cookoff will be held on the school track surrounding the football practice field. Tickets to the event are $5 each which includes admission and all the gumbo you can eat.
Soft drinks and water will also be available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased at Notre Dame at 783-7143. All proceeds will benefit the NDHS Teacher Endowment Fund.
All Notre Dame, St. Joseph High School, St. Michael High School and St. Francis High School alumni are invited to celebrate Mass with the N.D. students and faculty on Friday, Oct. 7, at noon in the A.B. Doré Memorial Gym.
Alumni and friends are also invited to the N.D. campus on Friday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. for the annual Homecoming Pep Rally in the gym.
Prior to Friday night’s Homecoming Game, a reception will be held beginning at 6:15 p.m. at Gardiner Memorial Stadium honoring the Notre Dame High School classes of 1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007, as well as the “7” classes of St. Joseph High School, St. Michael High School and St. Francis High School.
The week’s festivities will conclude with the Homecoming Football Game Friday evening when the Pioneers take on the Trojans of Sacred Heart of Ville Platte. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Gardiner Memorial Stadium.
The Homecoming Court will be introduced at halftime and a new Homecoming Queen will be crowned. Members of the 2016 Homecoming Court include the following 13 young ladies selected by their senior class:
Shelby Lynn Bordes, daughter of Pat and Jessica Bordes of Rayne;
Phyllis Elliot Dore’, daughter of Elliot and Sandi Dore’ of Crowley;
Ashton Marie Dupuis, daughter of Christopher and Jennifer Dupuis of Rayne;
Lynzie Claire Fogleman, daughter of Lyle and Letza Fogleman, Jr. of Crowley;
Madeline Elizabeth Gautreaux, daughter of Judd and Jami Gautreaux of Rayne;
Ashley Rose Goss, daughter of Kenny and Kalynn of Crowley;
Eleanor Claire Hensgens, daughter of Denny and Amanda Hensgens of Crowley;
Abigail Claire Kilgore, daughter of Kerry and Karrie Kilgore of Crowley;
Josie Anne Lamm, daughter of Brant and Khristy Lamm of Crowley;
Emily Ann Savoy, daughter of Gaynol and Ann Savoy of Rayne;
Jeanne Frances Thibodeaux, daughter of Frank and Lisa Thibodeaux of Crowley;
Caroline Elizabeth Welter, daughter of Fritz and Tremayne Welter of Rayne; and
Remington Marie Winchester, daughter of Monte & Missy Winchester of Rayne.
The Rayne Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture was named “Small Chamber of the Year” during the recent Louisiana Chambers of Commerce Executives annual conference in Metairie.
The winners were chosen by an out of state panel of chamber executives who reviewed the nominees’ applications.
On hand to accept the award was Rayne Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Fran Bihm.
“It is so exciting to be judged by your peers and be recognized as a leader, not only in Louisiana, but by out-of-state judges,” Bihm said. “This shows that the Rayne Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture is a vital leader in our community, and is continuing to implement programs and projects for our membership and business community.”
Entries were encouraged to submit project examples and to cite multiple examples of projects for each award criteria in a clear, succinct manner. Recognition is based on the past 12 months beginning July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.
To be considered, a Chamber must submit examples of growth and progress in three areas vital to an organization’s success:
1) Community Development – How has your Chamber spearheaded or played a key role in positive community changes?
2) Organizational Development – What unique or highly successful programs makes your Chamber a stronger organization? and
3) Professional Development – How have you distinguished yourself as a leader in your community and your profession?
“I submitted the application for the Louisiana State Chambers of the Year award because I am extremely proud of what our Chamber has continued to accomplish these past two years,” Bihm explained. “My name is engraved on the award, along with the Rayne Chamber of Commerce, however, it is because we work together that we accomplish all that we do!
“Together we are the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives ‘2016 Small Chamber of the Year’.”
Jimmy Prevost, who served as president of the Rayne Chamber’s board of directors for 2015-16, credited Bihm for the honor.
“I have always been impressed with Fran’s work ethic,” Prevost said. “She is a great salesman, organizer and promoter. She leads by example when it comes to working hard, promoting Rayne and working with the businesses in Rayne.
“We are fortunate to have a good person that loves what she does for a living.”
Other awards presented included Mid-size Chamber of the Year - River Region Chamber of Commerce representing St. John, St. James and St. Charles parishes; and Large Chamber of the Year - East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.
“We are excited to recognize Louisiana’s Chambers and the valuable work they do for their business membership and communities,” said April Wehrs, 2016 president of LACCE.
“Louisiana has over 70 local chambers of commerce representing tens of thousands of businesses and their employers. These chambers are highlighted through their excellence in organizational management, professional development and community advocacy.
“All three components are necessary for the chamber’s ultimate role of business development and advocacy.”
LACCE’s annual conference provides professional development opportunities to Louisiana’s Chambers executives. This year’s conference keynote speaker was Mick Fleming, president of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives - a worldwide chamber executive association.
Fleming presented ACCE’s “Horizons 2025 Report” highlighting the future of communities and businesses and the chamber’s role.
Other topics included regional collaboration for public policy advocacy, board engagement and social media trends. Cathi Hight is also scheduled to present on membership retention and chamber trends.
The Rayne Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture has been an active member of this Association since 2014.
CROWLEY – From mosquitoes to economic development to a new air-ambulance service operating in Acadia Parish, members of the police jury’s various committees handled a wide range of topics during their regular October sessions here Tuesday.
The meetings began at 5:30 p.m., an hour earlier than their traditional start time – another area of concern for at least one parish citizen.
On mosquito control, former two-term police juror Homer Scheufens, accompanied by his son and neighbor David, said he was unaware that spraying for mosquitoes along his road had been stopped because he lives adjacent to crawfish ponds.
Homer Scheufens pointed out that a number of surrounding parishes – he named Vermilion, Jefferson Davis and Iberia, specifically – have been conducting aerial spraying for the pests and that each parish has at least a comparable, if not more in some cases, amount of acreage devoted to crawfishing and rice.
“We can spray certain chemicals and it’s safe,” he urged.
But David Savoy, police jury president and, himself, a crawfish producer who has requested a “no spray” zone around his ponds, claimed that each and every chemical used for spraying – aerially and via ground spray – warns not to use around or over aquaculture.
“We just don’t know what it’s going to do,” he said. “Ten years down the road they might find out that these chemicals cause cancer in you.”
David Scheufens pointed out that Acadia Parish has a 0.25-cent sales tax dedicated to mosquito control, yet certain areas are being denied that service.
“We put into the system,” he said. “We have to be able to co-exist. If we can’t come together and do something to help everyone, let’s do away with (the sales tax).”
Savoy said that, although his home is surrounded by crawfish ponds, he has found this “mosquito season” to be surprising light. “I can work my dogs until late and not be bothered,” he said.
David Scheufens countered, “Well, I invite you over to my house for grilled rib-eyes — on me. The only stipulation is that you have to wear short pants and you have to stay outside until about 8:30 — and you can’t spray yourself.”
Glenn Stokes, president and owner of Mosquito Control Contractors, Inc., the parish contractor, pointed out that his company will spray individual sites at the owners’ request.
Both Scheufens admitted that they had taken advantage of that service.
No action was taken by the Mosquito Control Committee.
The jury’s Legislative Committee, after hearing from Chris LeBas, OneAcadia board member from Church Point, voted to recommend that the full jury adopt a resolution naming the parishwide business consortium as the economic development organization representing the parish.
LeBas extolled the dedication of the OneAcadia board of directors and its CEO, Laurie Suire, but added, “We would like to be recognized for our efforts and the fruits of our efforts. Being designated as the economic development organization representing the parish would give us a stronger presence in the area and allow us to better represent the parish.
“This designation would give us a lot more ‘clout’.”
Kerry Kilgore, chairman of the Legislative Committee, agreed.
“When dealing with businesses and industries, you would be able to say that you have the support and backing of this jury,” he said.
The full jury will consider the resolution when it meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Jurors present for the committee meetings appeared surprised to learn that a new air-ambulance service has been permitted to operate in Acadia Parish.
Kirk Cousson of Air Evac Lifeteam noted that his company has been operating out of St. Landry Parish and has recently been granted a permit to operate in Acadia, providing both emergency and non-emergency transfer of patients.
“We’re here to supplement the service you already have,” Cousson said, adding that, with the permit in place, his aircraft can now be dispatched through fire departments, police department, 911 Centers, etc.
But personnel from Acadian Ambulance questioned not only the need for another air ambulance service, but the ordinance regulating ambulance services in the parish.
“Your ambulance ordinance says there must be three stations in the parish,” said Toby Bergeron, Acadian Ambulance supervisor for Acadia Parish, noting that Air Evac has no presence in Acadia.
Laura Faul, secretary-treasurer, admitted that she had only just been made aware of that provision of the parish ordinance and that the issue would be addressed by the parish attorney.
But Savoy and other jurors voiced concern that Acadian Ambulance was only trying to quash competition.
“Why should it be incumbent upon us to provide you an exclusive,” Savoy asked.
No action was taken, but Faul assured that matter of stations located in the parish will be considered.
Finally, on the matter of meeting time, Charles King, a former attorney from Crowely, pointed out that the jury, in September, voted to move its regular meetings from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. “contingent upon an opinion from legal counsel.”
Faul assured King that she had received a written opinion from Brad Andrus stating that the jury could, indeed, change its meeting time by simple majority vote.
The meetings were moved up one hour as a way of saving the parish from paying overtime for employees who were forced to remain “on duty” for the meetings.
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Fax: 337-788-0949
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108 North Adams, Rayne, LA 70578
Phone: 337-334-3186
Fax: 337-334-8474
Church Point News
c/o The Eunice News, 465 Aymond St., Eunice, LA 70535
Phone: 337-457-3061