Helen and I made sure to attend our good friend David Stiel’s wake in Franklin. It was not an easy trip for me as I have leg problems. David’s dynamic daughter-in-law, Tonya Marxsen Stiel, spotted me and assisted me into the Episcopal Church while Helen parked the car. I learned Tonya was scheduled to address a big Republican convention in New York.
Lovely Alice Foster greeted us with a beautiful smile – she’s a wonderful lady. I asked her husband, former Gov. Mike Foster, if the rumor he may run for the U.S. Senate were true. His answer was, “I am definitely not running for the Senate!” – that puts the rumor to rest. A slew of old friends came by and chatted with us.
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We ran into many of our friends from New Iberia and Jeanerette. I had a nice chat with Barbara Delahoussaye, former Franklinite and past State Regent for the LSDAR, who now lives in Crowley. The Church was loaded with David’s friends from far and near. What caught my eye were three greeters elegantly dressed in Marine uniforms. They were members of the United States Marine Corps League. These included: Mrs. Dan (Alice) Allain of New Iberia, who is Adjutant of the McIlhenny Detachment; Lawrence Gauthier of St. Martinville, Department Chaplain; and Charles Norman of New Iberia, Department Commandant. (I understood a large detachment of Marines later gathered at the gravesite. David was a proud, decorated Marine.)
And, as I was leaving, dear Tonya came to my assistance again. The Stiels are wonderful people.
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Thanks to Alfred Ackal, I had the pleasure of meeting Larry Strunk, a very interesting person who has been General Manager of Columbian Chemicals North Bend plant since January, 2008. Columbian is located south of Centerville. He and his wife, Janis, live in New Iberia. He said they love it here – they like the people, the town and the food.
Mr. Strunk is 54, and has been with Columbian for 20 years. He’s been highly involved in running company plants across the U.S. and abroad, and was President of Columbian Chemicals of South Korea from 1999 until 2006. He’s also managed other company plants as well. He is a native of Kentucky, was raised in Toledo, Ohio, and is very athletic. Larry was captain and quarterback of his Toledo High School football team, and is quite a tennis player.
He married his high school sweetheart, Janis Schenkel, who was head cheerleader at her school’s athletic activities. Larry says she is an excellent tennis player and is employed locally as a nurse. The Strunks are the parents of three adult children, and grandparents of three. Larry has caught on to Cajun cooking. I understand he is a whiz at cooking gumbos, etouffees and other Bayou Country concoctions. The Strunks enjoy traveling here and abroad.
Alfred Ackal, who knew I was project engineer of a Columbian carbon black plant in Brazil, arranged the luncheon for the three of us at Boughton’s new Landing restaurant. We all engaged in very interesting conversation. Ackal’s good deed really paid off – I enjoyed it immensely.
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Cheryl and Rennie Renfroe, who are now living in Hawaii, came by and we had a delightful visit. We knew them when they were teenagers, and now they’re grandparents – my, how time flies. Cheryl is the daughter of our good friends, Clay and the late Kay Harrison, and Rennie’s parents are also our good friends Red and Joan Renfroe. Rennie is 56 and retired at the age of 49 – how about that!
Rennie is a mechanical expert and a clever entrepreneur. He bought out his father-in-law’s small agricultural oriented business in Hawaii, and developed a firm which served major oil industries. He sold out at an amazing profit.
He keeps busy on small projects, and, he and Cheryl enjoy making their rounds around the world. They are the parents of four adult girls. Cheryl, incidentally, has developed the art of jewelry making which is catching on. She is still very pretty. They’re a great couple.
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I know when Spring has arrived when I look out of our window and spot our neighbor’s rose bushes in full bloom. David and Paulette Graugnard are proficient gardeners and roses are their specialty – big, beautiful, red, yellow, white, pink, orange, and multi-colored roses. I venture to say the Graugnards have the prettiest front lawn in town.
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“In Spain they say ‘si-si’”, and right here in New Iberia at the Sliman Theatre they were saying “si-si”. It so happened that our town and the City of Alhaurin De La Torre, Spain, celebrated a twinning program, wherein cultural and educational dignitaries were welcomed.
This ceremony was meant to celebrate the many opportunities that this program will offer. Congratulations to all who were involved.
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Most Cajun men are good cooks, and Ti-Coon LeBlanc was no exception. His food was so good his friends talked him into opening a little cafe along Bayou Teche. Although Ti-Coon hung several signs outside his place, there was one which aroused tourists’ attention. It read, “I SERV DIRTY RICE AT DIS PLACE.’
Two men from the state department board of health came by and jumped Ti-Coon about the sign saying it was giving the community a black eye in that his place was serving dirty food. They advised him to change it, and he said he would. The next day, the sign read, “I SERV CLEAN DIRTY RICE AT DIS PLACE.”
Bye, bye.
MORRIS RAPHAEL is a local author and a retired engineer.
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