Avoyelles Past Pages

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago
From our June 20, 1936 editions

Pearl Miles left for a centennial exposition in Old mexico.

The Eileen Didier Dance Studio presented a summer revue at the Bailey Theater in Marksville.

Sheriff Vic Saucier advised the public not to give business to liquor mechants who didn’t have a license.

DA Sam Moreau presided as master of ceremonies at a police jury gala.

80 Years Ago
From our June 22, 1946 editions

Captain Houston Greene from the Louisiana Highway Department addressed the Marksville Lions Club.

Auto and boat use taxes were repealed.

Father John Conney of Holy Ghost Catholic Church died.

L.P. Carter III of Bunkie was transferred from Parris Island to the Naval Station in Washington D.C.

70 Years Ago
From our June 23, 1956 editions

Merlion Dorgant was elected Post Commander of the Hubert Chatelain American Legion Post.

E.J. Gauthier was elected Grand Knight of the Cottonport Knights of Columbus.

Lewis P. Roy of Marksville passed away.

Bobby Reynolds of Marksville was selected as a member of the State Honor Band.

Edgar Baronne of Bunkie graduated from Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, which he attended under the Education Board’s contract program.

Jane Ponthieu and Janette Venable represented Marksville at the National FHA Convention.

60 Years Ago
From our June 23, 1966 editions

Bunkie High cheerleaders attended cheerleader camp at Northwestern in Natchitoches. They included Chris Kojis, Ginny Wright, Candace Faust, Martha Knoll, Cindy Wright and Martha Goux.

Daniel Mayeux was elected to the board of directors of the La. Proprietary Hospital Association.

Sandra Dupuy, Maria Norman and Sandra Crow were selected to represent Marksville High at Girls State.

Gene Couvillion of Marksville graduated from the United Airlines Training School in Denver.

State Highway Director A.L.Stewart announced the Marksville-Mansura highway would be improved.

Pfc. Julius C Ducote, Jr. of Moncla arrived in Viet Nam for duty.

Mrs. C. W. Edwards, formerly of Marksville, was crowned “Queen of the Senior Citizens’ at the International Rice Festival in Crowley

There were a total of 2,521 farms counted in Avoyelles Parish by a U.S. Dept of Commerce census..

50 Years Ago
From our June 24, 1976 editions

Chairman Louis Mayeux delivered the financial report at the police jury meeting.

M. Peter Roy, Terri Desselle, Jeff Lemoine, and Aloysia Coco attended the State 4-H Junior Leadership Conference.

Lt. Governor Jimmie Fitzmorris was the guest speaker at the Bunkie Rotary Club’s Installation Banquet held at the Avoyelles Country Club.

Dr. Gary Couvillion received the L.M. Ware Distinguished Teacher Award.

Angelo Piazza, Jr, of Marksville was elected President of the state FFA.

40 Years Ago
From our June 26, 1986 editions

Mayor Richard Michel assumed his third consecutive term.

Mark’s Family Pharmacy, owned by Mark and Sally Dubroc, opened for business.

The first annual pre-school rally was held in the Marksville High School gym.

The Union Bank donated $100 towards the annual benefit raffle of the Lions Club for the Crippled Childrens Camp in Leesville.

Mr. Andy Lewey and the Midnight Riders provided the entertainment for the Colonial Nursing Home barbeque.

The Mansura FFA assisted the Mansura Fire Department by conducting a survey of businesses served by the Mansura Fire District.

Hurricane Bonnie dropped small amounts of rain on Bunkie, as the area escaped the high winds that attacked Port Arthur earlier in the day.

Lewis Roy Motors was presented a Great Performance Award.

30 Years Ago
From our June 20, 1996 editions

The Bunkie City Council passed a resolution saying they didn’t want the old Bailey Hotel turned into a halfway house or a homeless shelter.

Leigh Cole of Effie won the non-finalist talent award at the Miss Louisiana Pageant in Monroe, with a stunning rendition of “How great Thou Art.”

Winners in the Riverside Elementary Book Character Day were Jared Kimble who portrayed “The Frog Prince Continued” and Caina Munson who portrayed “Miss Nelson Has a Field Day.”

Mr. Roger Rachal and Mrs. Marilyn Coco both of Hamburg, were invited to speak to classes at the Acadian 6th Grade Center in Alexandria. Coco spoke on days past and brought antiques to show. Rachal showed the students how to dance the Cajun two step.

20 Years Ago
From our June 22, 2006 editions

Marksville High School Principal Charles Jones was upset when a special meeting of the school board added another student to co-valedictorian status.

An LSUA scholarship was established by sisters Eleanor and Kathleen Gremillion of Marksville. The award was for a student from Avoyelles Parish who was majoring in education.

Mansura Councilman Gaon Escude announced that video poker, which was in several businesses, was bringing in $12,000 a month.

A prisoner who escaped from the Simmesport Women’s Prison was recaptured at Bunkie General Hospital when staff members treating her became suspicious and called the sheriff’s office.

10 Years Ago
From our June 16, 2016 editions

Allen Gaspard of Marksville received the second conviction for cutting down trees on Spring Bayou WMA, blocking hunters from getting to his hunting grounds.

Garland Foreman, editor of The Bunkie Record, was named president of the Louisiana Press Association.

Payton Maddie, 9; Braden Lacombe, 10; Aiden Bordelon, 10; Gabriel Thomas Laborde, 8 and T.J. Bordelon 11 took advantage of hundreds of worms flushed out by recent rains and sold fishing worms on the road.

Merkel Dupuy of Moncla was named the 2015 Avoyellean of the Year.