Anna Monica / L’Observateur / November 8, 2000

In our area there really wasn’t much along the River Road that was more picturesque than the former Leon Godchaux High School in Reserve. At agathering in New Orleans this past week I found myself talking about the school and its antebellum appearance. I must have done a good job becausethey were impressed. Truly, the older I get, the more I regret that it burneddown years ago and isn’t there anymore. Several others of the samearchitectural style have also burned, and isn’t that truly sad? New buildings lack the southern charm those schools had.

Speaking of the school, we, former classmates of 1957, got together for lunch again this year. Actually, lunch is just incidental when we get together. Seeing and enjoying each other’s company is the real objective. Our seniorclass at Leon Godchaux High was an exceptionally close-knit one. We haveregularly had reunions, and there are still enough of us in the area to keep that bond. Like so many classes, there are some we never get to see orhear from, but the larger percentage of us, I do believe, either see each other or know something about the others.

This time we couldn’t stop classmate Judy Belle Vicknair Millet, owner of BB’s in LaPlace, who insisted on hosting and entertaining her classmates. Wesocialized, took lots of pictures and had a great lunch that Judy Belle had prepared just for us.

Sometimes we don’t have the same people there when we gather, but we always have at least some of the same classmates and always, always have a good time with each other. Although much of our lives were the samesince last year, there were significant events in the lives of some of us. Forinstance, we found out that Judy Belle’s daughter-in-law, Courtney, daughter of Olga and John Porteous, is principal at LaPlace Elementary and has a Ph.D. Jane Cambre Chapman has a second granddaughter, Morgan, born to son Mark and wife Heidi. We also found out that when Jane was in the Sr.Germaine’s first-grade class she tried saving her popsicle in her purse so she could have it after school.

Marie Reine Verret has a new grandchild, Ann Elizabeth, born to Kim and David, and Jeannette Landry Nannie’s son-in-law, Tony Cheesebrough, is graduating from Nicholls in December. Her son, Mark, recently married, andthey are expecting to make her a grandmother for the second time.

An eighth grandchild is expected for June Feucht Sutton next year. This oneis for her son Mark, who has been transferred to Paris.

Several important events in Joycelyn Jacob Perret’s life included granddaughter Brandi Graham starting at LSU and the arrival of the 11th grandchild, Luke, to Gregory and Julie Perret.

Loyce Brock Vicknair is the classmate married the longest (all have their original husbands) and her granddaughter, Ashley Weber, also just started LSU.

It’s the fourth grandchild, Chloe, for Shirley Chapman Millet, one of our event organizers, born to Richard and Danya, and Judy Klibert Cancienne’s daughter, Miller, will welcome a new arrival in May.

It’s only fair to admit that one of us is to become a great-grandmother, and it’s Elaine Lasseigne. Her daughter Cheryl, has a daughter, Amy, who isexpecting. Elaine also no longer caters.Others of our classmates attending included Eugenie Henderson Triche; Janice Triche Haydel, whose husband, Bubby, is that great cook you are always reading about; Patsy Matherne Gravois, a hard-working organizer of our event; Juliette Clement Reine; Saundra (Pye) LeBlanc St. Pierre, who,regretfully, plans to move away; Marian Maus Loupe, another capable organizer; Marie Reine Verret and me.

It was a lovely day and a lovely event. It was good to be able to cometogether as the years between now and then seem somehow to have melted away. We all did agree that relationships in our lives are so very importantamong family and especially among friends of long-standing. As we growolder, our relationships seem to become dearer to us. In our desire to gettogether again in the future, we realize that circumstances may change, but that desire for togetherness with the familiar may never burn out.

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