J. Michael Morrow Memorial Nursing Home
Arnaudville, Louisiana


Blog Post

Bernice Robin "Bea: Eusay Shares Her Life

J.M. Morrow Nursing Home • Jun 18, 2015

One of my favorite memories is combing my grandmother Marie Quebedeaux’s hair. We lived in Notleyville, close to Port Barre. My grandfather was Joseph Artigue from Port Barre and I would often spend nights with them. My mother was named “Bridget.” I remember moving closer to Notleyville or Leonville and riding in the wagon. I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters. Clarence was the oldest and he married Gilda Stoute who still lives. Clarence was in WWII and that experience greatly affected his life. My brother Harold was next. He married Edna Mae Lalonde. Germaine married Eric Mayer. My brother Curley married Elda Miller and they are still living. I am next. My name is Bernice Robin Eusay and my husband was Murphy. My sister Joyce married Huey Stelly. My brother Leroy married Joyleen. He was a pitcher and was named to the Louisiana Baseball Hall of Fame. Before there was television to entertain people, it seems every little town had a baseball team and that is how Leroy got to the Hall of Fame. My brother Eugene was the baby. He married Shirley Brasseaux.

I have great memories of my Mom and Pop and my sisters and brothers. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we would get together and it was a great time. I can still see the children playing in the pasture.

Pop died in 1974 in Leonville. He was 74 and that is how I remember. The year and his age are the same. My sister Joyce and I took turns caring for Mom for 13 years and then Mom came to live with me for three years and then she lived right here at J. M. Morrow Nursing Home for one year until she died. While she was a resident here, I visited her every day.

I attended school in Leonville until the seventh grade. It was my idea to stop going to school and my mother didn’t encourage me to continue. Some people I knew begged me to go to New Orleans and I got a job at a big store that had a lunch counter. I remember lots of sailors sitting around the counter. I did not like the feeling and after two weeks, I came home.

After coming home, I helped Mom and we worked in the house and in the field. Eventually, I got a job in Krotz Springs where two brothers, Yves and Andrew, had a restaurant. That is where I met my future husband. One of the customers was a fisherman. I believe his family lived around the Henderson area; but, Murphy lived not far from the restaurant. After we met, he came to the restaurant pretty often. He had already served in the Navy and he soon got a job in the oilfield. He would check on three oil wells around Arnaudville. One well was the Singleton Well and one was the Blanchard well. I don’t remember the name of the third one.

We rented a house in Arnaudville which was owned by Lambert Stelly. But, we owned a house in Krotz Springs, so we moved back there and after Murphy died, the children and I moved the house to Arnaudville and repaired it. It was our first house and our last home.

Murphy and I had five children—four girls and then a long-awaited boy. Linda Gail married Dubby. Newlyn “Nell” Marie came next. She married Cleveland Gay. Our third girl is Angela. She married Huey Wyble and they have five children. Their daughter Lacey also has five. My daughter Monique married Larry LeBlanc. Our baby is Murphy Jr. He was always so good. His wife is Paige. Murphy Sr. was so proud of his children. He loved to bring his boy with him to check the oil wells, diaper and all! Murphy Jr. at first was called “M.J.” but now, we all just call him “J.” He was only 19 months old when his father died.

Murphy had a heart condition and the doctor tried heart surgery but it was not successful. Murphy lived for a night and a day and then he died at the age of 35. I was 33.

My oldest daughter, Linda, was very close to her father and she took it hard when he died. She was married young and never had children. Our pastor, Monsignor Daniel Bernard, tried to discourage her from marrying but she married anyway. She and her in-laws moved to Hackberry. The father, mother and a brother and sister were all living together in an apartment. They smoked and one day, someone lit a cigarette. The gas had been turned on in the bathroom and there was an explosion. Linda and her little sister-in-law were killed.

How to survive? How to live on? I visited my parents often. I have always been a bit of a loner. I am so thankful for my faith and my church has been a part of my daily life. Because I had blockages in my legs, I can’t walk so J. M. Morrow Nursing Home is where I live. I feel lucky to have this room. It was Louella Miller Dekerlegand’s room before it was mine.

In my life, I took two trips that I really enjoyed. One was with my friend and cousin Nola Artigue Arnaud. We visited Nola’s daughter Mavis and her husband Richard Frugé. Richard was in the Air Force and he and his family were stationed in Alaska. That was my first trip on a plane! The other great trip was also with Nola and a group when we went to the Holy Land. I will never forget that.

Now and for a long time, I begin my day with EWTN and the Mother Angelica Rosary, followed by the Saint Michael’s Rosary. Mass comes on next. That is my daily routine. I have been a resident here for six years now. It is not “home” but I have adjusted. My children are nearby and family is very important to me.

Now, Gurley “Frenchie” LeBlanc, also a resident here, has become a good friend. I believe that God sent him to me. All day long, he comes and stays with me. That gives me company and it is a very peaceful life.

Around Our Home Away From Home, Our Stories

By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 26 May, 2021
George Frugé was sitting peacefully in the dining room with his brown jacket on a hanger in anticipation of an outdoor visit. Too bad it was bitterly cold and the nurse in change of visitation, “Mary,” assigned George to an indoor booth instead. George moves fast. He does not look or act like a man of 93 years. Mary Aileen Kidder, one of George’s fellow residents at J. Michael Morrow Nursing Home said: “George is physical mobile and mentally sharp.” The nurse returned to the indoor booth over an hour later to tell that our visitation time had expired. George and I had had a lovely conversation, almost all in French. George remembers family details. His father was Christopher Frugé and his mother was Ida Lalonde. Christopher Frugé who was born August 10, 1905, the son of Henry Joseph Frugé and Adeline Thibodeaux. Christopher’s brothers, and George’s uncles were Willis “Bill” who married Olivia Bellard; Columbus “Boy” who married Louisia Noel; Albert who married Elvina Dupuis, and there were two other brothers, August and Wilbert who died in early childhood. George’s father’s sisters were: Isabelle, Mrs. Clophas Comeaux; Maria Rachel, Mrs. Frank Guidroz; and Ella, Mrs. Franklin Randolph Wright. Henry Joseph Frugé married a second wife, Nadia “Da” Perriou. They had two children: Joseph Henry who married Lorena Savoie and James Earl who married Mavis Olivier. Born on August 24, 1927, in Arnaudville, George lived his whole life in the area, except when he was working on dredge boats. He had four brothers: Lee Roy, Ludovic, John “Pete” and Milton “Bob.” George attended school in the school house on Highway 31 near Myran’s restaurant. He remembers there was a “little” graduation after the sixth grade. He also attended school in Chicago and became a Chief Port Engineer. During his long career working on dredge boats, he traveled the world over. And, he proudly proclaims he “knows machines.” One day, George drove down Highway 31 to visit with his mother who was caring for his grandmother. On the way, he stopped at “Faquin’s,” a little country store. There he met a girl from Arnaudville named Ethel Mae Bergeron. He told his mother that day that he had met the girl he would marry and he did. Ethel graduated from Leonville High School. She and George had three sons: Terry, Kenneth and Neal; and two daughters: Kathie and Tammie. They have nine grandchildren: Kristie, Brad, Hollie, Gerrod, Chad, Jeremy, Lydia, Brittany and McKenzie. They have ten great grandchildren: Joshua, Kolten, Blaire, Lesley, Dustin, Addison, Braylon, Gabrielle, Brayden and Noah. George and Ethel spent their time surrounded by a great family and many wonderful friends. The Catholic couple attended St. Leo Church in Leonville where George volunteered in service of his fellow parishioners. George remembers a homelife of nice quiet evenings watching TV. He and Ethel also enjoyed gardening. He liked to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, bell pepper, hot peppers, watermelon, merleton and crowder peas. Probably in the 1940’s, before television, many of the towns in the area had baseball or softball teams. There was the Nina Red Birds, Arnaudville Blue Jays, New Iberia Rebels and Cecilia Merchants, just to name a few. The large Richard family from Arnaudville had a softball team and George played on the Richard team. He explained that some teams played hardball or baseball. Dr. Robert L. “Bobby” Morrow, the Arnaudville doctor, was the pitcher of the baseball team. George played softball as the second baseman for the Richard Brothers Softball Team. Some of the Richards were Antoine, Louis, June, Francis, Lawrence and Carroll. Raymond Bergeron, Ethel's brother, also played with the team. The softball games were held on the Leroy Darby Field near Last Street in Arnaudville. Leonville also had a softball time. Some Team members George remembers were Leroy Carriere, Hoppy Morris and Alex Richard. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softball )
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 05 Mar, 2021
Aileen Kidder is now a resident at J. M. Morrow Memorial Nursing Home in Arnaudville. In true Aileen fashion, she is making the most out of this stage of her life and serving as example to all.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 05 Feb, 2021
Lucy Frederick shares memories.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home and the Nonco Foundation Volunteer, Betty Roy 02 Feb, 2020
Veavil Latiolais Guidry's story of life, career, love, losing a child and the senior care at J. M. Morrow Nursing Home.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 31 Dec, 2019
It is a joy to sit and visit with Joseph and JoAnn Mallet. Though JoAnn does most of the talking, the love they have shared for over 63 years is apparent. Joseph is a resident at J. Michael Morrow Memorial Nursing Home and JoAnn visits him every day. Although it is difficult for Joseph to get around, JoAnn was happy that they were able to bring Joseph to share a special Christmas celebration at their son's home this year.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 31 Dec, 2019
Leonard Louis Angelle shares his memoirs and those of Franklin Wright.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 26 Dec, 2019
It was a beautiful summer day when Julius Courville Jr. decided to walk to the store in his hometown of Breaux Bridge. His route took him by City Park where a little bandstand stood. On this particular day, a pretty girl sat on that bandstand. Julius learned that her name was Betty Jo Young and the two began a courtship that resulted in a marriage that has endured for over 65 years. Now, Julius and Betty sit side-by-side and visit at J. Michael Morrow Nursing Home. Julius learned that Betty Jo Young came to Acadiana from Oklahoma when she was only 9 years old. Her father worked in the oil patch. Julius also worked in the oil industry; but, when he was 19 years old, he joined the Army and served his country for 8 years. He says that he and Betty’s first home was in Clarksville, Tennessee. They lived there while he was stationed at Fort Campbell, in Kentucky. The Courvilles returned to Acadiana and raised a family of four children, two boys and two girls. Their daughter Debbie resides in Abbeville. Their youngest son Tim lives in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Their daughter Becky lives in Fort Worth. There was another son Kenneth who was very kind. One year, for Easter, he made a gift for every one of the residents at J. Michael Morrow Nursing Home. He brought smiles to all of their faces. Kenneth is deceased now but Betty doesn’t know that and Julius is careful not to upset her. Kenneth was only 60 when he passed away. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed fishing, crabbing, shooting his gun at the range and spending time with his grandchildren. Kenneth faithfully loved visiting his mom in the nursing home and being a sidekick to his dad. They are a close-knit family. Five years ago, when Betty first became a resident at the nursing home, she loved to entertain all of the residents and guests. She had learned to play the piano as a child watching her mother. She says she became an even better piano player than her mom. She no longer plays but when Mavis Arnaud Frugé prompts her, Betty breaks out in song! Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai. Je te plumerai la tête. Et la tête! Alouette! A-a-a-ah Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai. Je te plumerai le bec. Et le bec! Et la tête! Alouette! A-a-a-ah Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai .... In April of 2019, Julius joined Betty at the nursing home. How does he like it? He says: "It is what you make of it." He continues: "When you wake up in the morning, put a smile on your face. If you can't, get back in bed and get up on the other side. If you want life to be bad, you can surely make it so. But, if you put a smile on your face, you can meet your challenges and find pleasure in life. It depends on YOU!" Julius even sings in the nursing home choir and finds many activities to fill his hours. Remember: "It is what you make of it."
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 11 Oct, 2019
J. M. Morrow Memorial Nursing Home is proud of Alice Morrow, wife of Pat Morrow, who was named one of the 2019 Leaders In Philanthropy Honorees for St. Landry Parish by The Community Foundation of Acadiana on September 25, 2019.  Congratulations to Alice and all of the Walking Ladies of Opelousas.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home, Betty Roy 07 Apr, 2019
Colonel Jerry Quebedeaux tells the story of his wife Marie and their handling of her diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home, Betty Roy 13 Apr, 2018
Mario GaGot, Aquadilla, Puerto Rico, shares his life
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