Hi Monday Fans it’s time for another Road Trip with Tom and Lisa !
Today I take you on a cemetery tour in Historical Opealousas: It’s a guided tour through the century old cemetery as dressed characters (spurts) tell us tales of past life and history of the town and the people who built it. Its held annually event to raise money for refurbishing graves. Lisa
Spirits arise for 16th annual St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery Tour
The theme of this year’s tour is “Preparing the Way – Learning from the Past,” Face book page
The spirits speaking from beyond during this year’s event:
Frank Boyance, Sr. – a blacksmith who made many of the iron crosses seen at the St. Landry Catholic Church Cemetery.
Michel Prudhomme II – the son of Michel Prudhomme who donated land for the St. Landry Catholic Church. The Michel Prudhomme Home is believed to be the oldest structure still standing in St. Landry Parish.
General Garrigues de Flaujac – served in the War of 1812. He is originally from France but is buried here, in St. Landry Parish.
Rachel Gradnigo – a Creole icon to most residents of Opelousas. She owned several businesses and helped to establish Opelousas as a thriving community in the 1840’s.
Coy Marie Pavy – a local legend. She was a nursing instructor who improved health care facilities in St. Landry Parish.
Sr. Mary Anselm Duffle – originally from New York. At the age of three, she road the “orphan train” to Louisiana in 1909. She spent the rest of her life in Louisiana as a nun.
Martin Bordelon – owned the Oldsmobile dealership of Roy Motors. When he passed in 1943 his wife, Marie, became the first female to own a dealership in Opelousas.
Agatha Dupré Lafleur – was the mother of Lieutenant Father Verbis Lafleur, a WWII POW who lost his life saving the lives of men aboard the sinking ship, Shinyo Maru.