By Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / March 4, 1998

GRAMERCY – Two men died Friday at Colonial Sugar Refinery in what was described “a freak accident.”Byron James Clement, 38, of Thibodaux, and Edward Jaeger, 62, of Paulina, died Feb. 27 in a warehouse at the refinery when at 10:30 a.m. a trucktandem trailer loaded with sugar imbalanced and turned onto its side. Thetrailer crushed Jaeger, who was standing alongside, and Clement, who was in the cab of his Lafourche Sugar truck.

Refinery manager Ben Loupe commented: “It’s just a huge tragedy which deeply affected all of the employees.”He continued, “Thousands of trucks come through every year with rarely a fender bender. This is just a terrible tragedy.”The refinery continued operations after the accident, using cane from that warehouse until it ran out. The warehouse has not been in use since then,Loupe said.

Investigators from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administrationare investigating the circumstances of the accident.

Jaeger, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, and a resident of Paulina for 16 years, was the husband of Nancy Schuster Jaeger and father of Stanley, Rick and Randy Nank, Edward Jaeger Jr. and Violet Jaeger.He was also the son of Joseph and Violet Jaeger and brother of Raymond and Paul Jaeger, Lu Ann Switzer, Mary Jo Driscoll and Linda Peterson.

He is also survived by 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services were held Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Paulina, withinterment at the church mausoleum.

Clement was the husband of Jenny Daigle Clement, father of Lauren and Lacey Clement and stepfather of Ray Trosclair.

He was also the son of Lloyd “Red” Clement and Anna Lee Pennison Clement and brother of Lee, Aaron and Karl Clement and the late Shelley Jane Clement.

Services were held Monday at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux.

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