Freida Nassar Broussard
December 30, 1918 ~ December 3, 2018
ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church honoring the life of Freida Nassar Broussard, 99, who died Monday, December 3, 2018 at her residence. She will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Fr. François Sainte-Marie officiating the services. Pallbearers will be Gene Hensgens, Steve Dyson, James King Jr., Christian Hensgens. Gregory Hensgens, and John O’Niell.
Mrs. Freida Nassar Broussard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and reared in Convent, Louisiana, St. James Parish.
Mrs. Broussard is a graduate of Romeville High School, Convent, Louisiana. She graduated from Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in New Orleans. Her specialty was Public Health Nursing (State of Louisiana.)
Mrs. Broussard taught Red Cross Home Heath Nursing during World War II and was in the Navy Nurse Reserve Corps from 1939-1942. Mrs. Broussard was also a Red Cross Nurse, was employed at Hotel Dieu Hospital as Supervisor of Medical Surgical Service, and was employed at Vermilion Parish Health Unit from 1940-1968. She arrived in Abbeville as an emergency nurse during the 1940 flood, traveling from New Iberia to Abbeville by tractor. She attended flood victims in the Kaplan and Gueydan area. After the flood, she returned to Abbeville permanently as Parish Public Health Nurse, the third in the history of Vermilion Parish. She was responsible for the entire parish for several years, having to travel on gravel and dirt roads and through floods. Her tenure at Vermilion Parish Health Unit was from 1940-1968.
Mrs. Freida has always been a kind, petite lady who looks at life with bright eyes, a smile on her face and youth in her heart. She has been an asset to nursing in Vermilion Parish and possesses a compassion for the people of this area who respect and admire her.
She is survived by her three daughters, Paulette King of Lafayette, Christine Hensgens and her husband Gene Hensgens of Crowley, and Kathy Dyson and her husband Steve Dyson of Abbeville; ten grandchildren, James King, Jr., Michelle May, Melissa King, Margaret Greene, Julie Reed, Dianne Graham, Christian Hensgens, Gregory Hensgens, Stephanie Dyson, and Aimee O’Niell; twenty great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; and a brother, Michael Nassar, Sr. of New Orleans.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Paul Broussard; her parents, Namatala Nassar and her mother the former Rosalie Fererra; son-in-law, James King, Sr.; infant great granddaughter, Laura Frances Hensgens; an infant sister, Marie Grace Nassar; a sister, Antionette Rose Nassar; and brothers, Nassar N. Nassar, Naheem George Nassar, and Joseph Stanley Nassar.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 from 9:00 AM until 12:45 PM when the procession will depart for the church.
The family would like to thank, Verian Broussard, Penny Coleman, Nakeila Lewis, and Bianca Comeaux for their loving care and support during their mother’s/ grandmother’s time of need. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the wonderful staff of Hospice of Acadiana for their loving and compassionate care of Mrs. Freida and thank you to Concepts of Care Home Health of Vermilion.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Freida Nassar Broussard’s memory to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70503-3240.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.