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April 21, 1948 ~ November 20, 2017

KAPLAN — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church honoring the life of Luddy Paul Herpin, 69, who passed away on Monday, November 20, 2017 at Lafayette General Medical Center. He will be laid to rest at Cossinade Cemetery with Reverend Nicholas DuPre’ officiating the services.
Luddy was a 1966 graduate of Kaplan High School and attended McNeese State University where he received his Masters Degree in Education. He was an educator at Kaplan High School for seven years and Rene Rost Middle School for five years. He was also the assistant principal and later became the principal for Gueydan High School. He participated in the farming industry and served on the Vermilion Parish School Board. Luddy had many accomplishments in life which include, Kaplan Citizen of the Year, Gueydan Duck Festival Honoree, founder and advisor of the Kaplan Key Club and Keyettes, and was voted Principal of the Year for four years.
Luddy never met a stranger, he enjoyed talking with people of all walks of life. Sharing stories and reminiscing of the old days. His greatest joy was spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was so proud of the family that he and his beloved wife Shirley reared.
‘I chose to teach because I feel that we can make a difference in the lives of young people’ is what he did throughout his life by impacting the lives of so many people that he knew and loved. Luddy’s humor and generous heart will be missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Shirley Guidry Herpin of Kaplan; four children, Scott Herpin of Kaplan, Shamayne and her husband, Keith Istre of Maurice, Shay Herpin and his wife, Aimee of Kaplan, and Shana and her husband, Scott Broussard of Kaplan; six grandchildren, Skyla and Mitchell Herpin, Sara Corinne and Kylie Istre, and Gabe and Grayson Broussard; two brothers, Carlton Herpin and his wife, Glenda and Luther Herpin and his wife, Karen “KK”, all of Kaplan.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph T. “Gabie” Herpin and the former Neva Broussard; one sister, Carol Herpin; and one granddaughter, Amelia Broussard.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Wednesday, November 22, 2017 from 8:00 AM until the procession departs for the church.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276 [Service Information 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Herpin family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.

LAFAYETTE - There is the saying, “Live your life like you are writing your eulogy and not your resumé.” Ross Granger of Erath was on this Earth for only 18 years and his eulogy outshines most of us.
Despite leaving this Earth a year ago, Granger’s eulogy also continues to be written.
The Erath High graduate lost his short battle with cancer after being diagnosed a month after graduating high school. His senior year at EHS, he signed a baseball scholarship at LSUE in Eunice.
On Sunday at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette, the first-ever “Dining On the Diamond” fundraiser was held. The fundraiser, which had more than 450 people, was put on to raise money for the newly created “Ross Granger Memorial Fund.”
The four-hour event proved to be a success raising thousands of dollars to fund the memorial fund.
The guess speaker was Houston Astros’ pitching coach Brent Strom. Strom met Ross years earlier when he attended a pitching clinic in Houston. Over time they became friends.
Also on hand to talk baseball were Houston Astros Will Harris, Dallas Keuchel, along with Major Leaguers Paul Bako, Jonathon Lucroy and New York Yankee great Ron Guidry.
Last summer, with Ross knowing his time on Earth was limited, he had things he wanted accomplished. He turned to his parents for help.
His parents, Dana and Nathan, along with his siblings, were instrumental in putting on Sunday’s fundraiser.
Ross’s three wishes for his foundation are: “Help someone go to college with a large scholarship,” “Donate money to charity” and “Help people who are ill and who need financial support.”
“One of the questions I get asked all of the time is, ‘Why are we here?’ and, ‘How did this all get started?’,” Nathan said at the beginning of the program. “This was Ross’ idea. He was very specific by what he wanted as always Ross was.”
Ross explained to his father that his wish was to start a foundation, that will grow larger than the Jimmy V Foundation. Some of the money in the foundation would be used for scholarships to be given to student athletes in Acadiana.
“He specifically stated a student-athlete,” said Nathan. “He wanted to award a student-athlete who works hard, plays sports and keeps their grades up.”
Ross instructed his father he wanted the scholarship to make an impact on the student-athlete’s life. In other words, Ross wanted the scholarship to be more than just a one-time gift.
“He wanted the scholarship to follow the student through college. I told him we could do that.”
Another request from Ross was to use the memorial fund money to help families who have to travel to Houston or Memphis for treatment to battle an illness. Granger explained how Ross met a man who traveled to MD Anderson Hospital three days a week for therapy and he would have to go alone. Ross told his father he wanted his memorial fund to help him and people like him who did not have the financial means for family members to be by their side.
The first-ever Dining On The Diamond raised enough money to begin making Ross’s three wishes come true.
Nathan named the five student athletes who were awarded the scholarship. The scholarship winners on hand to receive their award were Catherine Poché, Bailey Hebert and Gabe LeBouef.

Former Gueydan High School Principal and School Board member Luddy Herpin passed away after a short battle with cancer on Monday.
Services are pending at Vincent Funeral Home in Kaplan.
Herpin, a 1966 Kaplan High graduate, died at the age of 69.
He leaves behind his wife, Shirley, four children Scott Herpin, Shay Herpin, Shana Broussard and Shamayne Istre and grandchildren.
Before becoming a school board member, Herpin was the principal at Gueydan High for 17 years. At the same time, he was the Kaplan Key Club sponsor.
Prior to being a principal, he also taught at Rene Rost Middle School.
He was also a farmer in the Kaplan area.

Miss Challi Kay Romero of Abbeville and Mr. Stephen Anthony Muguira were joined in marriage on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at the Red Barn in Abbeville.
Sheb Callahan officiated the ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Reid and Kay Romero of Abbeville. Her grandparents are Delfred and Lorraine Romero of Henry, the late Katherina Rowley of Lawton, OK and Duane and Doris Rowley, of Chickasha, OK.
The parents of the groom are Benito and Sheryl Muguira of Grosse Tete, LA. His grandparents are the late Julie Angelloz of Grosse Tete, the late Robert Angelloz of Greenwell Springs, LA, Anita Muguira of Morganza, LA and the late Domingo “Sonny” Muguira of Cuba.
Escorted by her father, the bride wore a beautiful floor length sleeveless ivory lace mermaid fit gown with a nude slip underneath. The dress featured a high neckline with a train. For her headpiece, the bride wore a unique silver flower headband with pearls. She carried a unique bouquet made of ivory grey roses with berries and wild grass wrapped in burlap.
The junior bridesmaids, Madison Lange and Julia Maguira, wore beaded copper pink ball gown dresses with a petticoat underneath and brown cowboy boots. They carried smaller versions of the bride’s bouquet with ivory grey roses and berries with wild grass and a halo flower headpiece.
The flower girl was Arabella Leblanc, daughter of Joshua and Natasha Leblanc.
The junior groomsmen were Blaise Muguira and Corbin Muguira. The ring bearer was Dominic Muguira, son of Nick and Michelle Muguira.
The Red Barn had a rustic theme with lanterns, bails of hay, candles, gourds with burlap runners.
The bride’s cake was a beautiful delicate white cake with several different filled flavors which included strawberry, pineapple, chocolate and more. It was decorated with burlap lace.
The groom’s cake was made up of yellow cupcakes with buttercream icing shaped into a clever beer mug.
Upon their return from a wedding cruise to the Caribbean, the couple will reside in Grosse Tete.
A rehearsal dinner, hosted by the groom’s parents, was held at the Rever Front banquet hall on Nove. 17, 2017.
The bride is a 2006 graduate of Abbeville High School. She is employed by Benedetto’s Market in Addis, LA.
The groom is a 2006 graduate of St. John High School and is employed by Stevo’s Pit Stop.