A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Mary Jane Gates Romero, 69, today at 11 a.m. St. Pius X Catholic Church with the Rev. Paul Patin, SJ, of Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House officiating. Interment will follow in the Oakdale Catholic Cemetery in Oakdale at 4 p.m. today.

Visiting hours  will be held today from 9:30 a.m. until time of service the church.

Mrs. Romero died Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, at her residence. 

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A native of Oakdale and resident of Lafayette, Mrs. Romero was the daughter of the late Stanley Wycliff Gates and the former Mary Osterland.  She was a 1956 graduate of Academy of the Sacred Heart, then enrolled in L.S.U. where she earned a degree in Marketing.  While attending L.S.U. she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority and served as the Kappa Sigma Fraternity dream girl. 

After graduating from LSU, she became an assistant buyer for DH Holmes, then went on to teach at elementary and middle school in Crowley. After raising her family, Mary Jane worked in Job Link services at U.L., then opened and operated a business as a wedding and special events consultant for the remaining twenty-five years of her life.

Mary Jane was a civic-minded individual who was instrumental in the leadership founding for City Club Assembly, and served at St. Mary’s Church in Stewardship.  For many years, she served as a member of the U.L. Foundation, the Les Deux Douzaines women’s organization, and the Grand Coteau Academy of the Sacred Heart Alumnae Association. 

In 2007, she was awarded the Tres Bien Award by the Academy of The Sacred Heart Alumni to honor her commitment throughout life the values of a Sacred Heart education.

Besides the loving devotion to her family, church and community, Mary Jane enjoyed china painting, fine arts and cooking whenever possible. She graduated from the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris.

Survivors include her mother, Mary Osterland Gates of Oakdale; two daughters, Michelle Jane Broadharst Andrus and husband, David, of Lafayette and Alison Elise Broadharst Mouton and husband, Joseph, of Lafayette; seven grandchildren, Whitney Kathryn Andrus, Tyler Elizabeth Andrus, Layne Whitcomb Andrus, Avery Elise Andrus, William Joseph Mouton, Mason Gates Mouton and Brittney Layne Mouton; two sisters, Sarah Katherine Ahrens and husband Edward of Natchitoches and Elizabeth Ann Gates of Dallas and one brother, Stanley Osterland Gates and wife Jane of Rayne.

She was preceded in death by her father, Stanley W. Gates and her husband, Wilfred Anthony Romero.

Pallbearers are Edward Ahrens, Dan Ahrens, G. Andrew Ahrens, David Andrus, Joseph Mouton, Robert C. Broadharst III and Charles Sonnier.

The family would like to thank the following individuals for their loving care of Mary Jane: Betty Bernard, Betty Living, Anna Jones, Mary Narcisse, Jeanelle Celestine and Carlene Seamon.

Memorial contributions may be sent in the name of Mary Jane Gates Romero to ALS Association, P.O. Box 66825, Baton Rouge, La. 70896, or Academy of Sacred Heart, P.O. Box 310, Grand Coteau, LA 70541

Personal condolences may be sent to the Romero family at   www.delhommefuneralhome.com.

Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, will be in charge of the arrangements.