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December 8, 1958 ~ September 10, 2023

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so!

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Paula Claire Durke, 64, who passed away on Sunday, September 10, 2023, surrounded by family.   
Paula was a 1976 graduate of Meaux High School.  An Abbeville native who was a longtime server having worked at Dupuy's Seafood and Steak and also Shuck’s Restaurant for over 40 years. She took pride in serving her customers and was good at what she did.     Throughout her life she was many things, an excellent baker, sister, mom, and grandmother.  She enjoyed spending time with family; particularly making memories on family vacations.  In her spare time, you could often find her shopping or working in her yard.
She is survived by her three children, Leah LeBlanc and her husband, Paul of Abbeville, Heather Gavin of Abbeville, and Joshua Baldock and his wife, Michelle of Maurice; grandchildren, Lindsay Frederick and her husband, Austin, Emily Lormand, Jared Derouen, Donald Gavin, Jr., Lily-Ann Claire Gavin, Cole LeBlanc, Ahnagrace Claire Baldock, and Hunter Baldock; great grandsons, Hudson Lormand and Luke Frederick; siblings, David Durke and his wife, April of Abbeville, Francis Durke and his girlfriend, Gina of Abbeville, Frankie Durke and his girlfriend, Yvette of Abbeville, and baby sister, Carla Richard and her husband Ricky of Abbeville; Godchildren, Ross Durke and Cagney Goulette; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl James Durke and the former Lillian LeBlanc; paternal grandparents, Rodalph "Shine" Durke and the former Paula Neugebaur; maternal grandparents, Uranie Trahan and Zenon LeBlanc; brother, Michael James Durke; grandson, Eli Baldock; and nephew, Damian Michael Durke.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. until time of services.
The Durke family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Hospice of Acadiana; especially nurse, Coleen for the care and compassion they offered to our mother during her time of need.
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.

I am really confused about what’s going on in this country today. At one time, the conventional wisdom was that the Democrats were for the blue-collar workingman, and the Republicans were for upper crust elites. Now country music songs have entered the philosophical fray, and it’s hard to tell who is for what.
I wrote a column a few weeks ago about country music star Jason Aldean’s smash hit, “Try That in a Small Town.” The reaction from city dwelling columnists, particularly on the East Coast, was simply farcical and ridiculous. Now a new country hit that has also stirred up both widespread support as well and criticism has created another political divide.
Until a few weeks ago, Oliver Anthony was just a high school dropout who was living in his camper with a tarp over the roof. But his self-written song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” has come out of nowhere to be the number one song on the Billboard hot 100 chart. This song has a pretty simple message. The average working guy is getting screwed over by the system, while corporate heads are making off like bandits with huge salary packages.

I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullsh– pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away
It’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you

Sounds like the long-standing mantra of the Democratic Party going back to FDR who spoke about “the forgotten man,” or Robert Kennedy’s lament for “the shattered dreams of others.” But wait! Democratic publications are labeling the song right wing propaganda and “racist trash,” while Republicans are calling the song the “anthem of forgotten Americans.” Fox News even began their recent presidential debate with the song and asked all the candidates to weigh in on it.
Anthony may be on to something when he talks about the lousy pay that average blue-collar workers are receiving. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that blue-collar earnings were higher in 1969, adjusted for inflation, then they are today. We talk a lot in this country today about race, but few politicians seem upset about class. In fact, many in the more liberal press label the white working class, particularly in the south, as little more than bigots. Harvard professor Michael Sandel, in his book “What’s Become of the Common Good?” argues that we live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favor of the already fortunate. The American credo that “you can make it if you try,” just doesn’t seem to work anymore.
Anthony rejects any political labels and considers himself “just some idiot and his guitar.” He says that his song is meant to blast politicians on both sides of the political spectrum. He’s very vocal in lamenting that “people talk about epidemics in this country, and the homelessness, and the drug use and the lack of skilled labor and the suicide rates. Those aren’t problems; those are symptoms of a bigger, universal problem…. We don’t talk about it enough.”
He picks up on a theme I wrote about some weeks back about the fact that fentanyl imported from Mexico kills over 70,000 Americans a year, yet we just don’t get that excited about such a crisis. Losing hope and self-medicating has created a social great depression. Columnist Nicholas Kristof points out that we lose more Americans to “deaths of despair” every 10 days than the total of all the service members killed in two decades of war in Afghanistan in Iraq.
The singer is apparently hitting a responsive note. Internet sales of “Anthony for President” T-shirts are booming. His simple premise makes a lot of sense. Quit scorning our workers and give them a little respect. Seems to make a lot of common sense for politicians in both parties to latch on to.

Peace and Justice
Jim Brown

ERATH — A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 11 a.m. in St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville for John Douglas Richard, age 75, who passed away at Baton Rouge General on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 10 a.m. until the time of service in St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church.
John Douglas Richard was born on April 1, 1948, in Abbeville, where he was a lifelong resident. He was a staple in the city of Abbeville with his beloved Johnny’s Pizza Restaurant. John was known for his food, and Sunday uncle Johnny’s dinners. He took great pride in his daughters and his grandsons. John will be dearly missed.
John is survived by his two daughters, Eve and Ada Richard; his two grandchildren, Dominic Seaux and Ethan Leger; his sister, Patricia Paternostro; along with a host of nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Remus Richard, Sr. and Verta Mae LeBlanc Richard; as well as his brother, Remus Richard, Jr.
The family wishes to offer a heartfelt thank you to all the friends, family, and medical workers for helping throughout his journey.
Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory, 206 W. Lafayette St., Maurice, LA 70555, (337) 740-3123, is in charge of arrangements.

Hi, I’m Jude Savoie and am running for Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court.
I am married to Abby Schexnider from Kaplan, LA, and have three beautiful daughters. We reside in Erath, La. I am running to bring back Vermilion Parish values to the Clerk of Courts office.
As the only lifelong Conservative Republican in this race, I have a comprehensive plan to advance, protect, and sustain this office for the next generation.
Under my leadership I will run your clerk’s office like a successful business, to ensure the office will not ask the people of Vermilion Parish for a tax.
We will modernize every department and streamline all of the public’s services. We will strongly focus on protecting our records and your personal information by using the latest and most advanced software and practices available.
Also, I will ensure that your right to fair, honest, and transparent elections is protected at all times. I will be a full-time clerk who shows up and works for the people, not for the politics.
It is time for Vermilion Parish and its people to come first. I humbly ask for your support and your vote to change our parish for the next generation.

Paid for by
Jude Savoie