Cecilia – A devout Catholic, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and dedicated educator, she died at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2008, at Lakewood Quarters in Baton Rouge. She was 103 and a native and lifelong resident of Cecilia (St. Martin Parish) where she was an active member and held numerous offices in both the St. Joseph’s Ladies Altar Society and the Catholic Daughters of America. She was a loving homemaker, retired school teacher and principal. An inspiration to many, “Ms. Agnes” as her students respectfully called her, was a graduate of Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and along with her sister, Edith, drove a horse and buggy eight miles daily for her first two years of teaching in the mid 1920s. In her later years, she often reminisced about her years of teaching, recollecting proudly that she often had up to 60 students in her classroom, and was visited by Superintendents T. H. Harris and Shelby Jackson.

Her heart was filled with love for her chosen profession and she instilled the love of education in her children and grandchildren. Her teaching instincts have lived on, for her three children and four grandchildren all have university degrees and have studied at the The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Harvard University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law, Northeast Louisiana University and the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

She and her late husband spent three wonderful years as residents of the St. Agnes Nursing Home in Breaux Bridge which was named in her honor. To be closer to her late husband and her children, she spent her last years at Lakewood Quarters in Baton Rouge. Both nursing home facilities were especially courteous to her, and the family is grateful for the care and concern of their administration and staff. Life Source Hospice staff were supportive and a blessing.

The rosary was recited at 7 p.m. Sunday led by sister-in-law Sister Rita Hardy, MSC.

Religious services at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2008, celebrated by her grand nephew, Monsignor Douglas R. Courville. Interment followed at St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in law, Mary Agnes and Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau of Baton Rouge; two sons and a daughter-in-law, former Lieutenant Governor Paul Jude and Sandra Gayle Gatlin Hardy of Baton Rouge, and Louisiana State Archivist Florent Hardy Jr., Ph.D., of Baton Rouge; grandsons, Dr. A. J. (Mrs. Melissa) delaHoussaye IV of Houma; Gregory Paul (Mrs. Dede) Hardy of Lafayette; granddaughters, Monique Angelle delaHoussaye (Mrs. Timothy Jude) Breaux of Lafayette; and Yvette Rachal Hardy (Mrs. Darrell) Gross of Baton Rouge; one great-grandson, Jacques Timothée Breaux; and two great-granddaughters, Heather Gayle Hardy and Jessica Yvette Gross.

She is preceded in death by her devoted husband of 64 years, Florent Hardy Sr.; father and mother, Drauzin and Agnes Guidry Dupuis Angelle; one brother, former Louisiana Speaker of the House of Representatives Robert “Bob” Angelle; sisters, Laurence A. Hamilton, Anna A. Dupuis, Rose A. LeBlanc, Aminthe A. Calais, Edith A. Calais and Alice A. DeVillier; step sisters, Marie Dupuis Courville, Amelie Dupuis Guidry and Mozella A. Willis; one step brother, Boone Dupuis; son-in-law, Captain Arthur Joseph delaHoussaye III, USMC; one sister-in-law, Madge Begnaud Angelle; and numerous brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers were Timothy Jude Breaux, Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau, Dr. A. J. delaHoussaye IV, Florent Hardy Jr., Gregory Paul Hardy and Paul Jude Hardy.

Honorary pallbearer was Jacques Timothée Breaux.

Memorial donations may be made to the Hardy family’s church parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church, P. O. Box 279, Cecilia, LA 70521.

Pellerin Funeral Home of Cecilia ws in charge of arrangements.

To view on-line obituary, sign guestbook and view video tribute, go to www.pellerinfuneralhome.com.