📰 Avoyelles Pages Past: A Look Back Over the Years! 📜

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago

From our Jan. 12, 1936 editions

• Adult schools were started in Avoyelles Parish under the supervision of Hannon Sayes.
• Mrs. Edgar Coco, Sr., the newly-elected Grand Regent of the Court of St. Joseph, presided over the first meeting of 1936.

80 Years Ago

From our Jan. 12, 1946 editions

• William Wright of Evergreen received an honorary discharge from the U.S. Navy.
• A storm of almost cyclonic proportions hit Bunkie on a Saturday morning about three o'clock. The wind was accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain.
• The combined assets from the Union Bank, the Cottonport Bank and the Mansura State Bank totaled over seven million dollars.
• Major Douglas Moreau returned home from military service.
• Cpl. Jerome Nibert returned home California upon receiving his honorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps. He was visiting with his mother, Mrs. E. Nibert, it was the first time Jerome had been home since leaving for training.
• Mr. Frederick Newton passed away in the Marksville Hospital.

70 Years Ago

From our Jan. 14, 1956 editions

• Chairman B.A. Masling of the Avoyelles Parish Teachers Association announced plans for a parish-wide music festival.
• Seeking election were:
• James P. Marcotte for Constable of Ward Two
• Charles A. Riddle, Jr. was seeking election to the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee.
• The local sweet potato contest was held at the Bunkie High School Home Economics cottage with 23 contestants from the school taking part.
• Winners of the contest were Mary Louise Davis, taking first place and Dorothy McIntyre runner-up.
• The judges were Mrs. Ras Earnest, teachers and Mrs. H.A. McConnell, a housewife.

60 Years Ago

From our Jan. 13, 1966 editions

• Mr. Lewis P. Roy, Jr. was elected president of the Cenla Bank.
• La. State Trooper Eddie J. Bordelon was among those selected to the Louisiana State Board of Health’s Life Saver’s Honor Roll for 1936.
• Work on the Simmesport Bridge began.
• Holy Ghost Catholic School won the spelling bee sponsored by the Avoyelles Parish Association of Catholic Schools.
• Paul Giglio's in-laws down Elton way spotted several covey of quail in their area, so Paul and Orval Harris, the avid quail hunters, struck out.
• Orval killed seven and Paul killed two.
• Lindsey Laborde proved that it pays to be retired and spend those days hunting. The ole pro was hunting squirrels behind Gold Dust, where he spied a drove of wood ducks on a pond. He killed his limit, four with three shots. Not a bad squirrel hunt.

50 Years Ago

From our Jan. 15, 1976 editions

• Irwin Bordelon was re-elected as president of the Union Bank.
• Mrs. Jackie Fitzgerald of Bunkie gave birth to the first baby of 1976, Christy Ann. Jackie was also the mother of the first baby of 1972, Tracey Marie Fitzgerald. Both girls were born at Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria.
• The town of Marksville submitted an EPA sewer grant application.
• Raymond. J. Laborde and Ira Schneider were among the new directors of the Cenla Bank.
• Coralie Thevenot of Cottonport was crowned Avoyelles Parish Junior Miss.
• Miss Minnie Laborde and Mr. David Lafargue were honored at a wine and cheese party.
• Michael Normand was promoted to sales manager for the Commonwealth Life Insurance Company Alexandria agency.

40 Years Ago

From our Jan. 16, 1986 editions

• Jan Lemoine and Joe Bernard were elected president and vice-president respectively of the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury.
• Eighteen Avoyelles Parish students were on the LSU-A Dean’s List.
• St. Anthony Knights of Columbus presented the proceeds of their annual "Tootsie Roll" campaign to the Ledoux Provosty, Sr. Foster Home for handicapped children in Hessmer.
• Airman Nevelle S. Fontenot of Marksville was assigned to Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

30 Years Ago

From our Jan. 11, 1996 editions

• Air Force Sgt. Mitchell Cotie, son of Buddy and Pat Cotie of the Brouillette Community, was recognized for the squadron mascot that he created and drew.
• The 16-foot cypress pirogue, discovered in the mud in Bayou des Glaises, was determined not to be as old as originally thought. Carbon dating revealed the vessel to date back to the 1700s.
• Ronald Roy, a native of Avoyelles Parish, was named president-elect of the Louisiana Science Teachers Association.
• The Bunkie Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Mardi Gras Ball to be held at the Haas Auditorium February 10 from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight.

20 Years Ago

From our Jan. 12, 2006 editions

• Avoyelles Parish Supt. of Schools Dr. Ronald Mayeux was given a one year contract renewal and announced he would step down after the contract was up.
• The roads placed on a priority list by the police jury for repair were given a certain order by condition and date, according to police jury Secretary Allison Laborde.
• The new restaurant in downtown Marksville, Rudy’s was named for longtime Marksville resident, Rudy Haydel by restaurant owners, Al and Tonya Mahfouz.

10 Years Ago

From our Jan. 12, 2016 editions

• Emily Campbell, daughter of Max and Carol Campbell of Moncla, and a resident of Plaquemines, was named a “Plaquemines Patriot” for going above and beyond the call of duty to help rebuild the areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
• Crystal Dufour Dardar, a graduate of Marksville High received her bachelor of science degree in Nursing from Nicholls State University.