STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / March 20, 1999

LAPLACE – Fe Neito fled to the United States from Cuba in 1958 and has considered her life a blessing ever since.

Now a grandmother of three living in LaPlace, Fe was only 16 years old when she moved from Cuba to New Jersey with her husband. She says nowthat 16 was too young an age to be married. But her husband brought her tothe land of freedom, and for that she says she is grateful.

Fe lived in New Jersey for 11 years and in Los Angeles for five years before finally making a home in St. John the Baptist Parish. Before thefinal move, Fe had given birth to two daughters and divorced her husband.

Fe said she never plans to leave LaPlace, as it has been her favorite place to live and raise her family.

“New Jersey was too cold, and I didn’t like California, especially after the earthquake,” she said. “I love it here.”Never remarrying, Fe has been devoted to her work and her family.

She helped her brother-in-law open Pat’s Supermarket in LaPlace after moving to the area more than 20 years ago, and she is now a manager at Pat’s Deli in LaPlace.

The deli opened just six years ago, and its new owner, Todd Brady, calls Fe “the heart and soul of the establishment.”Fe said working hard is part of her character, and it is something she hopes to instill in her grandchildren. She said her wish is that hergrandchildren work for a living, avoid drugs, marry and have happy families.

Drugs are the biggest downfall of youth in the U.S., but that’s not aproblem in Cuba, Fe said. She said lack of drug availability to the youth isthe only advantage Cubans have over Americans.

“People in Cuba have nothing, and the United States has everything,” Fe said. “But drugs are not a problem with children in Cuba. They go to schooland work, and that’s it.

“Teen-agers in Cuba don’t have fun like teen-agers here,” she said.

With two sisters still living in Cuba, Fe said she has returned to the communist nation to visit and feels fortunate to have left when she did.

Her sisters will probably not be able to join her in the U.S. because Cubandictator Fidel Castro and the U.S. have made immigration more difficultsince 1958, Fe said.

“Immigration is hard because so many people want to enter this country,” she said. “Castro won’t let a lot of people leave, especially doctors andother people with good professions.”One of Fe’s sisters is a teacher and the other a homemaker. She plans tovisit them at the end of this year if possible. Fe visited her sisters twoyears ago and said she can’t wait to be reunited with them.

“I was lucky, and I want the best for my grandkids,” Fe said. “I want themto go to college.”Fe’s oldest grandchild is a 17-year-old senior at East St. John High School,and she said he plans to attend college.

“Neither of my daughters went to college, so he will go,” she said.Back to Top

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