J. Michael Morrow Memorial Nursing Home
Arnaudville, Louisiana


Blog Post

Lillie Boss Noto's Story

J.M. Morrow Nursing Home • Jan 15, 2016

Life before, during and after World War II

“You don’t know what you don’t know.” A friend recently shared that quote. It made me think about the nursing home. My sister, Mavis Arnaud Fruge, had participated in several programs there. On the few occasions that I went to the nursing home, it had been to visit a sick friend or relative. It always seemed sad to me. Once when Mavis needed me to help her with something she was hosting there, I accepted and I am so glad I did. The more I go to the nursing home, the more I like it. Now, it is a place where I have many friends and we love one another. I look forward to my visits. When I arrive, it seems they are waiting for me.

Yes, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” My advice is when you find yourself at the nursing home, don’t rush through. Greet everyone. You soon learn who is open to conversation. And, you get much more out of every encounter than what you put in.

I don’t know how writing these stories came about. But, when you sit and talk with the residents, you soon discover how interesting they are. And, they are interested in you!

The daughter of a J. Michael Morrow Nursing Home resident recently contacted me through Facebook. She told me she had just realized that I was Mavis’ sister. She complimented me on the stories we are publishing on the nursing home website and then told me about her mom. She gave me her mother’s room number. She explained that her mother was hard of hearing but asked me to visit when I could. I sensed an urgency and today, Saturday, two days after I got her message, I told my husband I felt I needed to go.

I found Lillie Boss Noto in a colorful dress lying peacefully in her bed. Communications were slow at first; but, I can speak loudly. The hardest part was to explain to Ms. Lillie how I had come to know about her.

When I asked her to tell me about herself, she started with her career and she confessed right away that she had lied about being a high school graduate. In fact, she had only attended school through the eighth grade. I sat in a comfortable chair and let Ms. Lillie talk and laugh. There was lots of laughter. All through our time together, she would have periods when she was silent for a little while, eyes twinkling, and then she would laugh; and, another part of her story would come. It was a wonderful visit.

She said:

“I went to the airport in Lafayette with friends when we heard that they were hiring people. They told us that if we were looking for work, we had to go to a hotel where we could apply for a job. We did that and we were hired. I think we would make about $1 an hour. We had to go by bus to New Orleans where we worked for Vaultee Aircraft, Consolidated and the Navy. All of us had to wear pants. We worked there until the war ended and they closed the plant.

“Three girls and I roomed together. There was Jeanne who was from Kaplan. Margaret and Martha were from Lafayette. Consolidated found a rooming house in New Orleans where we could live. It was on Esplanade.

“Of the four girls who worked together at Consolidated, I am the only one left. We had a reunion once (See picture below). It was great to see them. Jeanne married a man who worked overseas. She did not work at the time we got together for the reunion. Margaret married a man who had something to do with a drug store and she worked with him. Martha’s husband was in the Navy and she moved to North Carolina to live with his people.

“When I worked in the plant, Jeanne and I walked around with a drill and extension wire. We had to tag all of the equipment. It was either for a certain department of the Navy or for Consolidated. Martha was the dispatcher. Margaret worked in the planes. She installed the little window where the pilot sits. She would be covered in black grease when she got off work. We called her Rosie the Riveter.*

“When the plant closed, my friend Jeanne was going to stay in New Orleans. She became a hairdresser and she wanted me to do that too but I didn’t want. She told me our boss said that he would probably call me to come back; but, I wanted to come home and see my momma. The supervisor did call. He needed me to work on the inventory. I came home for a short visit and then went back to Consolidated.

“In time, I went to work at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. I was a ward clerk and I worked there for about 4 or 5 years. “During some of that time, I lived with Emily, a widow. Her son had married a daughter of Dr. Dolon from Lafayette. Her home was on St. Charles Avenue. The street car would go right by the house. Sometimes, while working at Charity Hospital, I had to work at night. It was so nice to get on that street car right in front of the house. I felt safe, even at night.

“I also worked for the telephone company but I didn’t like that. While I was in New Orleans, I met Glenn Noto. At first, I was not interested in him. Glenn was from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. His family came from Sicily, Italy. And, marriage was not on my mind. Glenn did give me my diamond ring a year before we were married.

“Glenn couldn’t find a job in Bay St. Louis. The Mississippi coast is a resort area. After the war, no one was hiring anyone. No one had money to go on vacation. Glenn tried but he could not find work. He had a brother who was driving a street bus in New Orleans. Glenn tried to get a job as a driver or a mechanic for the buses. Finally, Glenn told me that he had decided he was going into the service. He would have been drafted, so, he joined the Coast Guard and he served for three years. After boot camp, we got married. I was old when I got married. I got married at 31 years. We found an apartment in Vicksburg and we stayed there for a year and a half and then we were in Elizabeth City, North Carolina for a year and a half until he was discharged.

“When he came out of the Coast Guard, Glenn had decided that he wanted to be a farmer. We packed our furniture and rented a house in Sunset where we settled for a time. My brother Frank was the overseer of the Brinkhaus Plantation. Glenn went to work with him and he learned all about farming. He got along with everyone. The first year Glenn was farming, Mary Jo was a baby; but, the second year, I picked cotton.

“In time, Glenn became a tenant farmer for a third. He had bought a tractor but the first year, a storm destroyed our crops. Mr. Elenor Menard helped Glenn buy our farm. He called Glenn ‘No’ for Noto. He said ‘No, I lend you money at 6 percent interest.’ We bought a 13-acre farm with a house. It was not a lot of money and there were pecan trees on the property. Glenn got a job trucking. He was gone a lot of the time. I got tired of being alone. I asked him to buy a house in a subdivision where there would be people around and not so much land to keep up. I had to cut grass and it was a lot of work to maintain 13 acres. We bought a house in a subdivision. I fell in love with a house that belonged to a man who worked overseas. No one lived in the house. It was like new. I liked my house. After a time, Glenn could see that the neighborhood was changing. They were cutting lots and building FHA homes in Briarwood. Glenn wanted to move to Carencro. Frank Boudreaux who worked for Melancon’s told me: ‘Lillie, you will like it in Carencro.’ He built it up. We had paid our house and farm just before Mr. Elenor Menard had died. We didn’t owe anything. We had a Chevrolet. Everything paid for. I was not excited about moving."

Lillie laughs. I wait and then she continues:

“Glenn decided we should build a house in Carencro. I said that I liked living in Sunset. He said: ‘You can stay but I am going to move to Carencro.’ We built in Carencro. It was lonesome after living in town. The roads were black at night. But, we lived in Carencro many years. We were very happy.

“Glenn would say that Italians loved to eat and my wife is the best cook! I liked to cook. I learned about Italian food. My in-laws were from Sicily and my father-in-law spoke Italian. Glenn’s mother did too but she was easier to understand. When I was in New Orleans, Glenn and I would go to Bay St. Louis to eat stuffed artichokes that his mother made. You had to boil, cut and stuff the artichokes. I made spaghetti and other Italian dishes.

“Glenn came home from the service and the month after, I missed my period. I was 35 years old when our daughter was born. We had only one child. We called her Mary Jo. She was born in the hospital in Church Point. She was our daughter and she was also the boy I never had. We really wanted to have a boy too; but, Mary Jo became Glenn’s little shadow.

“Mary Jo and her family live in the country in Carencro. Her husband is Elton Cormier and they have two boys, my grandsons Colby and Lance. Mary Jo loves to sew and she is very good at it. She comes to visit me often. She has three grandchildren now.

“Glenn and I were married a very long time. He was a very good man. We loved to go on vacations, and we loved country music. Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams were our favorites. We went to Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry. We went to Las Vegas and for our 50th Anniversary, we went to Florida. My husband’s niece is married to a doctor so we visited them in Tampa. They are Ann and Louis Lynch.

“Glenn was a diabetic and he got very sick. He stayed in the hospital and a nursing home for 11 months before he died. He had to have a leg amputated. He was in ICU for two days. They brought him to a room after that and three days later, he died. That was 8 years ago but it seems like yesterday. In all of our life, we never had a bad word.

“My husband was a wonderful man. After he died, I stayed in my house. For the first year, Mary Jo came to sleep with me. One day, she said she thought she would sleep at her home that night. I said that was fine and that I was wondering when she would do that. There were neighbors around and I felt all right about staying alone. But, my legs started hurting and I had trouble walking. I fell a few times. I had an emergency button to wear. I would press it when I fell. Mary Jo took care of me. My niece helped Mary Jo. My son-in-law, Elton said: ‘Are you thinking of going to the nursing home?’ I answered that I was thinking of it but I was not ready. But, it came to it. I’ve been here four years. I’m in bed.

“I am 96 years old. On April 4th, I will be 97. I say that I am living on overtime!

“I was born in Cankton in 1919 and there were 12 children in my family. I am Number 8 and there are only two of us left, my brother, Hubert Boss and I. I was a Boss! (More laughter). My father was Maurice Boss. He died of pheumonia in 1936. I remember we had a syrup mill and my father and one of his cousins would make syrup. I went to school in Cankton until the eighth grade.

“Now, I am in bed. This is a good place. If I could use a walker, it would be better; but, with arthritis, I can’t walk. There are lots of good workers here. They bathe me and take care of me. Some workers I like better than others."

“And, you are from Arnaudville?” Ms. Lillie asks. “My nephew Darby Guidry married Maude Thibodeaux from Arnaudville. They have both passed away now and their daughter lives in New Orleans. Do you remember them?” I tell her that I do not and that I left Arnaudville when I was 21 and moved back when I was 52.

I promise that I will come when her daughter visits. Through email Mary Jo and I have made plans to meet in her room on Thursday.

Continued:

It is Thursday and I make it to the nursing home at 9:15. I get a big hug from Neva Soileau Marks (See her stories in the “Our Stories” section of the nursing home website). I greet Father Al Louapre, Mina Patin and Randy LaCompte. J.C. Cary, wearing his beautiful cowboy hat, is sitting in the hall. Smiling, he tells me he is waiting for his sisters and I chat with him for a while.

I make it to Heda Hardy Kidder’s room so that I can get the names of her family members who attended the Communion Service with her on Sunday. Another story I am working on.

Lucille Olivier is taking her morning walk and we walk together and visit in the hall until I get to Lillie Noto’s room.

Lillie’s daughter Mary Jo Noto Cormier is there and I am so happy to meet her. She really helped her mom remember great details of her life. Like: “Tell Betty about your Harley days.”

Lillie laughs and says: “Glenn wanted to go to Vicksburg but we didn’t have a car. He said he wanted us to go on his motorcycle. I said it was too dangerous. He said: ‘We’ll see.’ He came to the house on a motorcycle and I inspected the thing. I decided that I would try. After a couple of rides, I agreed. But, I told him that we couldn’t drink any beer. We usually liked to drink each a couple of beers. Glenn bought me a pair of Dungarees so that I could ride the motorcycle. And, he was very careful. We liked to go on Sundays when there was not much traffic."

Mary Jo said: "I wish Mom would have had knee surgery, she wouldn't be in the nursing home. She loved to visit and I can still see her driving. When she didn't have anyone to visit, she would go to the Adoration Chapel in Carencro."

There are many more interesting story Lillie can tell. She has lived a rich life during a difficult period for our country. War is always hard. Lillie made it through the war and it seems that she has enjoyed every part of her life. And, today, in a bed in the nursing home, she is happy. She makes others happy too. I feel so fortunate to have met her and I know I will visit her often.

A special “Thanks” to Mary Jo Noto Cormier for helping us capture the story of her wonderful mother.

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
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By J.M. Morrow Nursing Home 31 Dec, 2019
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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.
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