Friends and family gathered last week at SummerHouse Ashton Manor for the birthday of Sadie DiGirolamo Trosclair, celebrating her milestone as she turned 102 years old.
“I don’t feel different,” Trosclair said. “It just kind of happened. I know I am getting older, but I don’t feel 100 years old.”
Trosclair lived in Norco for much of her life, first moving there when her father began working at Shell, then once again once her husband Sidney (nicknamed Pete) began working at Shell himself. In between, she lived in Reserve – one of seven siblings growing up.
“We couldn’t get everything we wanted, but we did have each other,” Trosclair said. “I was the second oldest. We took care of the little ones.”
When Trosclair first went to school, she was just three years old.
“I was the smallest,” said Trosclair.
But over the years she became quite popular. At Destrehan High School, Trosclair holds a special distinction – she was the school’s first-ever homecoming queen, a bit of history she’s proud of. She was recognized on the 75th anniversary of being named queen in October of 2018.
“When I made queen, I told my Mom, and she asked me, ‘Well, what are you going to wear?’” Trosclair said. “My sister had a new outfit she let me wear and it worked out.”
She and Sidney married on April 27, 1946 and the couple were married for 70 years. They had one daughter, Glenda Bergeron, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Sidney passed away in 2016 and Trosclair said she misses him dearly.
Sidney, a World War II veteran, was writing back and forth with a friend and co-worker of Sadie’s while he was deployed with the military.
“She told me he was coming home and he’s gonna come and see you,” said Trosclair before quipping, “I said, ‘if he does, fine, if not, fine.’”
Their first meeting indeed came on Christmas Eve. As cool as she played it, Trosclair remembers that night like it was yesterday.
“My mom had a lot of company that night and we heard a knock at the door,” Trosclair said. “And somebody
said, ‘the best-looking man is out there – and he’s looking for you!’” Trosclair said. “And that’s how we met.”
The two of them loved dancing. They especially loved dancing together.
“We’d go every month,” said Trosclair.
She partially attributed her longevity to those dancing outings and getting her regular exercise over the years. Trosclair has lived a very active life. She was part of the Ladies Altar Society at her church. She has also been good at a lot of things, a great cook and talented seamstress, Bergeron said.
Bergeron said that her mother has always been full of personality, a trait she maintains to this day.
“She’s very energetic, outgoing – and very giving,” Bergeron said. “She loves to help everyone. She loves to cook. She would have everyone over and cooked for them. She helped all of her sisters growing up … she’s just a huge blessing.”
The birthday celebration, both Trosclair and Bergeron said, was a wonderful gesture by Ashton.
“It was very nice,” Bergeron said. “You couldn’t ask for more.”
