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January 17, 1941 — July 18, 2025

KAPLAN, La — A Funeral Service officiated by Deacon Keith Duhon will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan honoring the life of Lou Ella Theresa Hardy Meaux, who passed away on July 18, 2025, at Vermilion Heath Care Center. She was 84.
Visitation will take place at Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan on Monday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. The visitation will continue Tuesday from 8 a.m. until the services at 11 a.m.
Born in Abbeville Louisiana to Hazel Hebert and Awill Hardy, Lou Ella was the first of her parents’ six children. With an older half-sister, Delores, she was the oldest sister of brother’s Joe and Leo, and sister’s Dorothy, Peggy and Maxine. She attended Abbeville High School. She married Jimmie Jones Meaux Sr. in 1959 and moved to Kaplan. They were married for over 40 years and shared many memories together.
She is survived by three daughters, Mary, Annette (Ricky Schexnyder) and Jessica; two sons, Jimmie Meaux, Jr. (Andrea) and Luke Meaux; seven grandchildren, Meaghan, Jay, Seth, Bruce, Angelle, Aimeé and André; five great grandchildren, Matthew and Gabriel Schexnider, Owen and Austin Cloud, and Lily Grace Chapman.
For many years she was a wife, mother, and homemaker who enjoyed cooking, crocheting, gardening, and visiting with her family and friends. Later she began a career as a salesperson for Godchaux’s department store in the Acadiana Mall. Over many years she honed her skills eventually winning several awards, consecutively from 1988-1990, as a top commissioned “Master Merchant” for the company, which later changed its name to Maison Blanche. She developed a loyal clientele in the “Today’s Woman” clothing department and was rightly proud of her achievements, earnings, and ability to succeed at her job.
At home she excelled as a classic Cajun cook who was extremely comfortable in the kitchen. Her extravagant holiday meals were a true testament to her love of family and food and were enjoyed by all who gathered at the Meaux home to share those special occasions.
Out in the yard, she tried her hand with plants, flowers, and shrubs. Over the years she focused on African Violets, Daylilies, Roses and even a Cacti rock garden. Her passion for the beauty of plants led her, perhaps at times to excess, as a plethora of pots lined her sidewalk, steps, deck, and carport. Those beautiful plants and flowers brought her natural joy which she maintained until very late in life.
In her later years she became an in-home caregiver for the elderly. Assisting those in need, she cooked, cleaned, and cared for the aged with both enthusiasm and a sense of compassion. In her 70’s she purchased, furnished, and decorated a new home of her own, another accomplishment in which she took pride.
She was a Catholic, French speaking native who prayed the rosary like many good Cajun women. Her faith in God was steadfast and simple. She believed in keeping a clean house and in more ways than one, a clean conscious. She followed the Golden Rule and aimed to treat people fairly. She loved coffee and friendly conversation. She was an admirer of jewelry, stylish clothing, and good movies with sizeable collections of each. Her freezers were full of seafood, bags of chopped vegetables and meat. Her cupboards overflowed with food, dishes, pots, and pans. Some might say that she tended to overdo things; exhibited a taste for abundance. But she was also generous, caring, thoughtful to those she loved and with whom she shared both her time and good fortune.
She leaves behind a loving family, several fond friendships, a legacy of passionate pursuits, and zest for life which seldom faltered. May God have mercy on her soul. Rest in peace Lou Ella.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan (337) 643-7276.

One of the oldest and longest-running businesses in Abbeville is closing after 70-plus years of operation. 
Toups Propeller Service, located on South State Street, is no longer accepting new orders for repairing marine propellers or ordering new propellers.
Over the next few weeks, Jerry Terpening will keep the door open Monday through Friday to sell as much inventory as possible before permanently closing the business.
Terpening, along with his son Bill and welder Lawson Girouard, were the final three employees. Lawson had been with Toups Propellers for more than 55 years. 
The propeller business did not begin as a propeller business in the early 1950s. Emery “Bijon” Toups began tinkering with marine propellers in his garage on his off time while working offshore in the oil and gas industry.
Eventually, his hobby evolved into a thriving business in South Louisiana that lasted for seven decades. 
“We are immensely grateful for the legacy built by Mr. Emery ‘Bichon’ Toups, whose vision and dedication, along with our loyal and skilled team, drove our success,” said Jerry Terpening. “Most importantly, we thank our loyal customers for the enduring relationships and trust you’ve placed in us over the decades.”
 Terpening joined his father-in-law, Toups, in 1975, and over time, he has witnessed the business peak in 1996, as well as its decline over the last three years.
Over the past 18 months, the prices of materials, along with high insurance costs, have increased. Coupled with the decline in business, this situation has made it impossible to remain open.
“The bank said no more loans,” said Terpening on Monday. “The oil field and shrimping businesses are down. Imported shrimp are hurting the industry.  Sports fishing is also down. It is a combination of things.”
For 70-plus years, Toups Propeller Service has been selling and repairing marine propellers for tugboats, shrimp boats, and recreational fishermen. In addition to sales, a significant focus of Toups Propellers was the repair of marine propellers for these industries.
With Toups Propeller Service closing, Terpening was unsure where boat owners would repair or purchase their propellers.  He heard there were a couple of propeller businesses in Houma and Morgan City, but he wasn’t 100 percent sure, he said. 
There will come a day in the next few weeks or months when Terpening will no longer have to get up and go to work because he has been able to sell most of the store’s merchandise. What will he do after the business closes?
“My wife and I want to travel,” he said. 
Toups Propellers still has a large inventory of outboard and inboard propellers, marine hardware, water-lubricated shaft bearings, hubs, and miscellaneous parts available for purchase. For inquiries, please get in touch with Jerry or Bill at (337) 893-5785.

Last July an article explained my new favorite French term, “mise en place.”
It means putting in place or gathering, which is exactly the point I wanted to get across. Multitasking has always been a characteristic of mine. Maybe being younger and staying at home with three children allowed me to get away with letting this become a major habit.
But long ago, trying to do more than one thing at a time caught up with me.
I’ve become scattered. Mise en place is the rule I need for my whole life. Repeating to myself the rules of getting things done quickly and professionally doesn’t work for me any more. I have to see it written down in proper order. I am not an auditory learner. That’s why I ask Boo to put trips and appointments on the calendar - again and again.

CHEESEBURGER WITH A FORK

Bisquick stands in for the bun. The burger patty is left in its loose form, the cheese is sprinkled on top.

INGREDIENTS

-Cooking spray
-1 lb lean ground beef
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 cup milk
-1/2 cup Bisquick mix
-2 large eggs
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup shredded cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

-Mise en place.
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
-Cook beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
-Stir occasionally until beef is browned and fairly crumbled, 8 to 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, whisk milk, Bisquick, and eggs together in a small bowl.
-Transfer beef and onions to the prepared pie pan.
-Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
-Pour Bisquick mixture on top.
-Bake until knife inserted in middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Discovering this recipe made me wonder, “Why not just make a hamburger?” Because young children can eat this casserole without the disintegration of a hamburger. This recipe is good without mayo, which lowers the fat content. The eggs add protein. My main reason for using this method is the non-disintegrating of a hand held hamburger. This is the equivalent of Billie’s Hot Dog Salad. Add a goodly amount of chopped romaine in a deep salad bowl, cover with a ladle of this cheeseburger, and use your fork. Let me tell you that the slightly wilted romaine is delicious. No bread crumbs on the table. No mayo stains on your tablecloth. No dribbles down your chin. Nobody complaining “Not sandwiches again!”
This is one recipe I would like someone to share their thoughts with me. Eating with a fork makes eating more like a real meal. Serve a salad as your side dish, because I know my hamburger salad idea is not for everyone. My cousin mentioned pasta, but it changes the whole chemistry of Cheeseburger with a Fork.

MISE EN PLACE, AGAIN

Not only do I love the term and that it’s French, there are rules for mise en place that help home cooks and chefs. These rules are what I’ve been gathering for years and sharing with you. This is necessary to have a quality product every time. Professional kitchens use these basic rules.

Rule 1 - Read your recipe ahead of time.
Read it carefully, and then read it again.

Rule 2 - Make sure oven is on and preheating.

Rule 3 -Gather your ingredients all in place and measured into small bowls.

Rule 4 - Have all pots, pans, baking dishes in place and prepared to use.

Rule 5 - Read your recipe again.
I added Rule 5 because I love you all.

Sunday I ignored the “mise en place rules” and experienced a misadventure.
Sunday morning at 7:30 we headed to Mississippi with Nikky and Gerrod knowing we would have a good day. Our neighbors were coming over for Treager Treats. Boo and Gerrod gathered meats of all kinds. Ribeyes to be cut in strips, chicken wings, a calf tongue (one of my favorites), bacon-wrapped chicken breast, and bacon-wrapped asparagus, to name the ones I remember.
Appetizers included hummus, fresh garden tomatoes, a fresh fruit tray prepared by Nicky, handheld watermelon wedges cut by Steve, cheese tray with crackers, and more.
I had everything ready for desserts, NOT “mise en place” but “in the house.”The strawberry cake that was introduced to you a few weeks ago, Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix and a can of Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Strawberry Frosting with fresh strawberries between layers, was appealing. All went wrong when I started the crockpot chocolate cake, a cake I have made more than a dozen times. The Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate cake mix with ingredients is the first layer. Instant chocolate pudding made with milk is the middle. Chocolate chips sprinkled across is the top layer. When I opened my phone to look at the recipe AGAIN, I realized the cake mix and pudding mix were in the same bowl. What now? I put all ingredients except the chocolate chips into the crockpot and topped the mixture with the chocolate chips. The strawberry cake was only slightly dry after being in the oven a few minutes too long because I was struggling with the crockpot disaster. Following mise en place rules would have avoided that.
All appetizers and the strawberry cake were brought to the downstairs screen porch and the feasting began. The crockpot cake, forgotten upstairs, was overdone as well as over mixed. After the neighbors went home and the clean up was finished, we tried the very solid chocolate cake with ice cream. It was certainly not a success. The dessert is meant to finish still slightly in layers. It’s not a pudding and not a cake.
It was a great afternoon. My neighbors were not introduced to the crockpot catastrophe.
I’m adding another rule to the long “Mise en place” list.

Rule 6 - Compose a menu. Write it on paper and have it available until dessert has been eaten.

P.S. That easy-to-make strawberry cake is a real keeper, especially with fresh strawberries.

Jusqu’a la semaine prochaine!

billielandry@iosinces.com

ABBEVILLE — Graveside Services will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Cemetery in Abbeville for Shirley Mae Mouton Pate, age 89, who passed away at her residence in Mouton Cove on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Msgr. Keith DeRouen will Officiate.
Shirley left Mouton Cove to live in Houston, Texas at the age of 18. She met her husband, Buel, and they lived South of Houston for several years. The family lived in East Texas for a few years. In 1974, the family moved to Mouton Cove. She was delighted to be back amongst her family (her mom, MoMo, especially) and friends. Her dearest friend was Jo Ann Broussard. She and Buel operated Mouton’s Grocery for many years. She adored her grand, great grand, and great-great-grandchild, Oasis Pate. She retired to live in her mom’s home where she died peacefully surrounded by her children and Gary’s husband, Petey.
Shirley is survived by her children, Kim Pate of Mouton Cove,
Tyson Ray Pate, Sr. of Mouton Cove, and Gary Pate of Chicago and husband, Petey G Phichayut; her grandchildren, Christopher Franks (Zip)
Holly Franks Boffy, Karla Raine Garczynski, Tyson Ray Pate, Jr., and Elizabeth Pate; her great grandchildren, Pierce Boffy, Claire Boffy, Ocean Pate, Sophia LeBlanc, Beaux Garczynski, and Paxton Garczynski; as well as her siblings, Emma Jane Koehler of Houston, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Buel Ray Pate.
In Lieu of Flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.
The family wishes to offer a special thank you to the Doctors, Nurses and Staff of Heart of Hospice, for the loving care they offered Shirley in her time of need.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory, 206 W. Lafayette St., Maurice, LA 70555.