Do you ever think of people that have meant a lot in your life, but you very seldom call or visit?

Last week as I rounded the DuPont curve going to LaPlace, I passed the Trepagnier’s house. It’s the home of one of my all-time favorite couples, “Trep,” as he is called, and his wife, Lorraine.

That night I called and asked if it would be OK for me to stop by Saturday morning about 9 a.m. They agreed.

When I drove up, Mr. Trepagnier was sitting on the breezeway. I pulled a chair, and that was the beginning of a great visit for me.

I’ve known Trep and Lorraine all of my adult life.

I’ve always respected their walk, their concern for their community and their love of family.

Saturday I learned a lot more about them. Trep shared he will be 93 in August and he and Lorraine have been married for 72 years.

He is a native of St. John Parish, and she was raised in Thibodaux.

“How did you meet?” I asked.

“Lorraine’s older brother Ivy was an over-seer at the Belle Pointe Plantation, and we became friends. He introduced me to his sister.”

He added Ivy is now 95 years old.

Shortly after they were married, Mr. Trepagnier was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for 38 months, from October 1942 to December 1945.

He fought the Germans in Europe and served a short time in the Pacific.

He worked at Godchaux Sugar in Reserve for a couple of years and worked several other jobs before retiring from Western Southern Insurance Company, where he worked for 36 years.

The Trepagniers have always been big LSU fans, and I asked him if he still goes to some of the games.

“Oh, no, you have to walk a mile to get to the stadium after you park. I used to make a few road games,” he continued. “My last one was in South Bend, Ind., when LSU played Notre Dame.”

“Did you fly?’

“No, I drove.”

“Who went with you?”

“Just me and my wife. That’s the way I like to travel. Other people like to stop at places that you don’t want to.”

Also an avid baseball fan, Trep continues to watch a major league baseball game every day. His love for the game motivated him and his best friend Marion Broussard to be instrumental in helping start the Larayo youth organization.

The Trepagniers have two children. Their son Dale, retired from DuPont, and his wife Sandra have four children, five grandchildren and live next-door. Dale has taken over Trep’s garden. Their daughter, Pam, lives in Baton Rouge and visits every Sunday. She brings food each week and prepares a meal for them to share.

Before I left, Mrs. Trepagnier came outside and spoke to us for a while. She is a pretty lady with the most attractive gray hair I have ever seen.

It reminded me of Proverbs 16:31, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.”

As I left the Trepagniers, I thought of how much I had been blessed just by knowing them.

 

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477 or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.