Mercedes Antonia Bourg, native of White Castle and resident of Luling, passed away on Aug. 15 at 3:o8 pm. She was 87 years old.

She is preceded in death by first husband, Louis S. DeBautte, parents Lawrence and Julia Penn Braud, brother Lester Braud and sisters Julia Braud, Genevieve DeBautte, Mary Hymel, Olive Lemoine and Bernice Metz. She is survived by husband Cullen Bourg, son Lou DeBautte; daughter Sylvia Granier; nine grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Services were held at Holy Family Church on Aug. 19.

Walter W. Dufrene, a resident of Des Allemands, passed away on Aug. 31 at 10:30 a.m. He was 86 years old.

He is survived by his wife, Pearl Matherne Dufrene, sons Curtis and Coral Dufrene, daughter Lottie Dufrene Waire, brother Josh Dufrene, sisters Annie Dufrene, Walterine Comardelle, Winnie McCully, Dessie Burson and Vonnie McBlair, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Pierre and Lucia Authement Dufrene.

Services were held at First Assembly of God Church of Des Allemands on Sept. 2, followed by interment at Mennonite Cemetery in Des Allemands.

Ervin L. Granier, a native of Wallace and resident of Edgard for 37 years and of Baton Rouge since 1974, passed away on Aug. 20. He was 96 years old.

He is survived by his wife Eunice Waguespack Granier and four children: Ervin Jr. and Jill G. Spence of Baton Rouge, James Granier of New Orleans and Sue G. Gandy of Tampa, Fla., 16 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Emile Granier and Blanch Tregre Granier Abadie, sister Ethel G. Matherne, two half-brothers, Symore Abadie and Armand Abadie, and a daughter, Donnie Ann G. Clapp.

He began his career as a coach and teacher at Julius Freyhan High School in St. Francisville from 1924 until 1934. He was assistant principal of Edgard High School from 1934 until 1944 and became principal of Leon Godchaux High School in Edgard in 1944, where he remained until his retirement in 1972.

Donald Ray Guidry, a native of Vermilion Parish and resident of Raceland, passed away on Aug. 17 at 8:55 p.m. He was 70 years old. He is preceded in death by his parents, Cloepha and Eula Duhon Guidry, and sister Barbara Pisani. He is survived by his wife, Stella Matherne Guidry; sons Carl, Randy and Craig Guidry; daughter Sheila Guidry Bryant; sisters Ruth Bourgeois and Edith Jane Duval; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Verna Plaisance Hebert, native of Bridge City and resident of Boutte, passed away on Aug. 17 at 2:46 p.m. She was 54 years old. She is preceded in death by her parents, Hubert and Virgis L. Plaisance Ledet, and her sister, Ethyl Theriot. She is survived by her husband, William Hebert Sr., son William Hebert Jr., daughter Donna Lynn Hebert, brothers Louis and Eddie Plaisance and sister Loretta Grabert. Services were held on Aug. 19 at First Union Presbyterian Church in Luling, followed by interment at Des Allemands Mennonite Cemetery.

Marie Aupied Portier Kenser, age 89 years, passed away at Kenner Regional Hospital on Aug. 16 at 5:19 p.m. Kenser was native of Lafourche Crossing and had been a resident of Norco for 69 years. A homemaker and member of the Sacred Heart Altar Society, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Guy Portier. She is survived by her husband, Mel Kenser. Daughter of the late Thomas and Marle Baye Aupied. Mother of Larry Richard and his wife, Janet, of Norco. Sister of the late Emily Aupied Richard, Rita Aupied Ruth, Ferdnand, Clayton, Thomas Jr., Francis and Ernest Aupied. Kenser is grandmother of Larry Jr., Galen, Amanda, Lacy Richard, all of Norco, and Richelle R. Cazenave of Luling. She will always be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 20 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 401 Spruce St., Norco, with interment following at St. Joseph Mausoleum, Thibodaux. The family would like to extend a special thanks to the staffs of Ormond Nursing Home and Kenner Regional Hospital.

Floyd Joseph Landeche of Raceland passed away on Aug. 17 at 8:50 p.m. He was 67 years old. A native of Killona, he was retired from Dresser Industries after 31 years, a U.S. Army veteran and lifetime member of VFW Post 3665 in Raceland, as well as American Legion Unit 349. He was a member of the United Veterans League and an associate broker with Century 21 Action Real Estate.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry Jr. and Pauline Lousteau Landeche, and his daughter, Pamela Waguespack. He is survived by his wife, Regina Rodrigue, sons Eddie Landeche and Patrick Waguespack and daughters Cynthia Landeche, Dawn W. Daigle and Syd Waguespack; brothers Roy, Claude, Harold, Alvin, George, Joseph, Roger, Wesley and Henry Landeche III; and sisters Rita Hymel, Marie Louise Bourgeois, Anna Mae Melancon and Lorraine Rodrigue; and four grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Aug. 22 at St. Mary Church in Raceland. In lieu of flowers, masses preferred.

Joseph Anthony Lucia, Sr. passed away on Aug. 21 5:30 AM. Lucia was a retired staff reporter and photographer for The Times-Picayune for 40 years (1937-1977). He was also the publisher, editor, and owner editor of the weekly paper, L'Observateur in St. John the Baptist Parish. He was 88 years old.

Lucia was a native of Lutcher, Louisiana and resided in LaPlace, Louisiana. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Eula Vedros Lucia; 2 sons and daughters -in-law, Joseph Lucia, Jr. and Shelia Lucia, Ellis Lucia and Bevil Knapp; a daughter and son-in-law, Patricia Lucia Austin and Michael Austin; eight grandchildren, Laura Lucia Wear, Joseph Lucia III, Leigh Lucia Hoover, Charles Lucia, Kacie Mendoza, Dominick Lucia, Rebecca Austin Reed and Rachel Austin; six great-grandchildren, Blaine Wear, Jr., Breck Wear, Joshua Hoover, Ryan Hoover, Adam Hoover, Noah Hoover; a sister, Madeline Lucia Sexton; God-children, Lester Sexton, Morris Lucia, Jr., JoAnn Poche' and Charlotte Petersen. Preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Josephine Lucia, a brother, Morris Lucia, Sr., and a sister Concetta Lucia Lambert.

He was a graduate of Tulane University of School of Journalism, a member of Riverlands Golf and Country Club, Knights of Columbus and Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church.

Mass was held on Aug. 24 at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1809 Greenwood Drive, LaPlace; followed buy burial in St. Joseph's Mausoleum, Paulina, Louisiana.

CM/Sgt. Harold Charles Madere (Little Buddy Green), age 81, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died on Aug. 7 Madere was born in Hahnville on Feb. 11, 1921, to Emile and Rena Kinler Madere. He had been a resident of the northwest Florida area for the past 30 years. He retired from the Air Force as a Chief Master Sergeant with 30 years of service to his country, serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Madere received numerous awards and decorations during his service. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church,a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and was honored as Knight of the Year in 1998 for his outstanding volunteer activities.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nellie Madere of Fort Walton; son and daughter-in-law Edward C. and Sue Madere of Shorewood, Wis.; daughters and sons-in-law Patricia and Richard McGrath of Fort Walton Beach, Carol and Randall Haydel of Raceland and Cindy and Jack Yanora of Palm City, Fla.; brothers and sisters-in-law Fred and Hilda Madere, Emile Madere, Nolan and Essie Madere, Nett and the late Robert Madere, all of Luling; sister and brother-in-law Leona and Jerry Walker of Luling, nine children and one great grandchild. He is preceded in death by sister Evelyn Hart of Gulfport, Miss.

He was buried with miliary honors in the Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla.

Helen “Gram” C. Markey, a resident of Boutte, died on Aug. 26 at 6:50 a.m. She was 87 years old.

Markey is survived by her sons, Joseph and Phillip Markey;, daughters Antoinette Markey, Helena August, Sylvia Markey, Joan Moore and Elaine Markey; sisters Leontine Edgerson and Mathilda Matthews, 18 children, 15 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She is preceded in death by husband Joseph “Buster” Markey, parents Varise and Pauline Pierre Champagne, brothers George, Oliver and Ulysses Champagne and sisters Irma Pierre and Hazel Champagne.

Services were held on Aug. 29 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Luling followed by interment at St. Mary Cemetery in Boutte.

Robert Pyle, a native of El Dorado, Ark. and a resident of Raceland, passed away on Aug. 21. He was 77 years old. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Guedry Pyle, son Robert Noah Pyle, daughters Alice Martin, Bess Pyle and Judith Tusler, sisters Wanda Smith and Shirley Dolden, two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is preceded in death by parents Robert and Bertie Lawrence Pyle and sister Carrie Pyle. Robert Pyle was retired from Monsanto after 35 years of service.

A mass of Christian Burial was held on Aug. 26 at St. Mary Nativity Catholic Church in Raceland. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to St. Mary Nativity Church or any charity.

Marcel Ogden Smith of Luling passed away on Aug. 27. He was 78 years old.

Born in Eldorano, Ark. on July 3, 1924, Smith was a parishoner at West St. Charles Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Doyce Smith; children Denise Smith Harper, Lanell Smith Landry and Dr. David Smith and grandchildren Amanda and Stephanie Harper and Daniel and Ryan Landry. Funeral and burial were held in Eldorano, Ark. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to West St. Charles Baptist Church, the American Kidney Foundation or the American Alzheimer’s Association.

Irma Cecile St. Pé Troxclair of New Sarpy passed away on Aug. 20 at 9:21 p.m. She was 88 years old.

Beloved wife of the late Simon Troxclair, mother of Joyce Troxclair Marino of Kenner, Robert Troxclair of Houston, James Troxclair and his wife Gloria Mancuso Troxclair of Gramercy and Linda Troxclair Vicnair of Kenner. She was preceded in death by her parents, Irma Nicholas and Joseph Camille St. Pé, nine brothers, nine brothers and two grandchildren, Gina Maria Troxclair and James N. Troxclair, Jr.

She is survived by 12 grandchildren: Charmaine Marino Fuijoka, Roxanne Marino, Tina Marino Berteau, Troy Marino, Theresa Troxclair Calencia, Yvonne Troxclair, Gaye Marie Troxclair Darby, Dana Troxclair, M.D., Angie Troxclair Tramonte, Darren, Simon and Jesse Vicnair, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 23 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Destrehan, followed by entombment in St. Charles Borromeo Mausoleum.