Avoyelles Pages Past

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago

From our June 13, 1936 editions
- Dr. E.M. Laborde was elected mayor of Marksville.
- Charles Martin received a bachelor of philosophy from
Loyola University.
- Burton J. Couvillion opened a general insurance business
in the Union Bank building in Marksville.
- Hazel Lee Neck was awarded one of the seven Alpha
Omega keys by the LSU Newman Club.
- Charles J. Mayeux was elected Grand Knight of the
Marksville Knights of Columbus.
- Dr. S.B. Darracott of Marksville died.
- L.B. LeMoine was elected Mansura mayor.
- The Louisiana Legislature declared Huey P. Long’s
birthday, August 30, a legal holiday.

80 Years Ago

From our June 15, 1946 editions
- Mr. A,W. Laborde and Miss Corrine Edwards opened a
canning kitchen.
- Ford Roberts was re-elected as Evergreen mayor.
- Nolan Edwards and Frank Sanchez were selected to attend Boys State.
- Marksville High School regained the parish softball
crown.
- Turner Scallan was elected mayor of Mansura.

70 Years Ago

From our June 16, 1956 editions
- Stanley Chatelain of Mansura was the recipient of the
M.N. Architecture Award.
- Richard Couvillion graduated from the University of
Colorado.
- Master Sergeant Lacey L. Fuqua of Cottonport was
nominated for Outstanding Airman of the Alexandria re-
serve squadron.
- Louise Greer of Marksville was listed on the Northwest-
ern State College honor roll.

The Union Bank in Marksville received the Treasury Minute Man Citation for the outstanding achievement of promoting the sale of US savings bonds.

60 Years Ago

From our June 16, 1966 editions

- J. Alton Coco announced his candidacy for Ward 2
school board member .
- Dr. C. Verna Brian of Simmesport received his optometry degree.
- Rudy Bordelon was elected secretary of the La. Association of the FFA.
- Marksville native Robert Hale performed in the Marksville High School auditorium.
- Stephen C. Braud of Marksville received an appointment
to the US Air Force Academy.
- Moreauville native Raymond J. Coco joined the Science
Research Association.
- Louis Garrot, Linda Gaspard, Alice Laborde and Wayne
- Laborde all of Marksville were named to the LSUA Dean’s
List.

50 Years Ago

From our June 17, 1976 editions

- J. Numa Damiens of the Marksville Knights of Colum-
bus was enrolled in the Order of Merit.
- Billie Jo Catlett of Bunkie was named state winner of
the 4-H Dairy Poster Contest.
- Wickliffe St. Romain, Jr. of Marksville was awarded a
trophy for recording music.
- Mae Travasos was elected president of the Avoyelles Re-
tired Teachers Association.
- Miss Rachel Rachal of Moreauville was the winner of
the 1975 Farm Bureau Jr. American Heritage Essay contest
- Miss Lorraine Lemoine was the winner of the senior di-
vision.
- Cheryl LaGrange was elected president of the Fifth Ward
Homemakers Club.

40 Years Ago

From our June 19, 1986 editions

- Aubrey Lacombe was re-elected president of the Man-
sura Lions Club.
- Jill Elmer of Mansura was awarded a $300 scholarship
to LSU for her accomplishments in speech.
- Kathleen Gremillion, Charles Masters and Anna Pon-
thieu, all of Marksville, were honored at the American Le- gion Auxilary Convention.
- Marilyn Coco of Hamburg was elected president of the
Arts and Humanities Council of Avoyelles.
- Thirty Avoyelles teachers faced a possible layoff.

30 Years Ago

From our June 13, 1996 editions
- Leigh Erin Cole of Effie, daughter of Barbara and Wayne
Cole, competed for the Miss Louisiana crown in Monroe.
Senator Don Hines of Bunkie was selected as Avoyellean
of the Year.
- School children and Marksville area residents gathered
on Memorial Day to place flags on the graves of veterans
interred in area cemeteries. Father Jim Ferguson of St. Joseph Church led the service.
- Col. Mansel Mayeux spoke to St. Mary’s School stu-
dents on his activities in World War II. Mansel, a Moreau- ville native, was a resident of Baton Rouge.

20 Years Ago

From our June 15, 2006 editions
- Nicole LaJaunie, a 7th grader at Marksville Middle, was
a big winner in the American Spirit Poster Contest when she
was named parish and state winner in the 7th grade division.
- The courthouse maintenance building was dedicated to
Francis Dauzat who was a former employee.
- The school board received a bid of $777,932 for total in- surance coverage, which was $235,000 over last year’s cost.
- Pictured having a great time at the Bunkie Corn Fest
were Kenta Henry, Brooks and Brit Riche, Cullen Redmon,
Cole Freeman, Sara Marcotte, Matthew Lemoine, Spencer
Lacombe and Hayden Sauseda..
- The old Bennettville store and the Bennett home on Hwy
71 north of Bunkie were being dismantled and moved to
Inglewood Plantation. The buildings had historic value dat- ing back to the Civil War.
- Joseph Hilton of Bunkie placed third in the La. Motor
Transport Championship held in Baton Rouge.

10 Years Ago

From our June 16, 2016 editions

- The $10,000 profit that was made at the Cajun Cross-
roads Festival was dedicated to improve lighting at the ball
field and for work on the backstop and fence.
- Summer Anderson of Hessmer and Rebecca Knott of
Plaucheville were named to the McNeese President’s Honor
List.
- Winners of the Children’s Corn Shucking contest at the
Bunkie Corn Fest were John David Smith-1st place; Emmy
Smith, 2nd place and Adison Lemoine, 3rd place.
- A local yoga group paid Memorial Day tribute to fallen
American soldiers before they held their class. Included
were: Sandie Laviolette, Lisa Breaux, Mary Bonnette, Mi- chelle Stracener, Barbara Ravierre, Reggie Ducote, Mary Ducote and Tammy Tassin.
- Haden Goudeau and Austin Juneau of Bunkie High were
named to the All-District 3-AA baseball team.