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July 23, 1953 – July 16, 2019

ABBEVILLE — Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 12:00PM, at Mt. Triumph Baptist Church in Abbeville for Reverend E.I. Sullivan Sr. who passed away on, Tuesday, July 16, 2019.
Reverend E.I. Sullivan Sr. was born July 23, 1953 to Will Clark Sr. and Bernice Washington Sullivan in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He was baptized in a Baptist church at an early age. He graduated from Linear High School in 1971. After relocating, he became a member of St. Luke C.M.E. Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Pastor Sullivan furthered his education and attended Southern University in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he remained on the President’s List throughout his tenure. Reverend E.I. Sullivan Sr. transferred to Grambling State University, due to the start of his ministry in the C.M.E. Church.
He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Grambling State University in Kinesiology and Biology in 1987. During his tenure at Grambling State University, he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
He received his Certificate of Education and began his teaching career at Booker T. Washington High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. He continued to teach throughout his career, and ended his journey of teaching at N.P. Moss in Lafayette, Louisiana. Reverend E. I. Sullivan was named Teacher of the Year at N.P. Moss for the 2018-2019 school year.
Pastor Sullivan was also a Professor at The Baptist Theological Seminary at Progressive Baptist Church in Lafayette, Louisiana.
During his tenure with the C.M.E. Church he traveled and pastored in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas receiving numerous accolades and awards. Reverend E.I. Sullivan dedicated 48 years in the ministry. Pastor Sullivan continued his ministry by pastoring at the following churches; St. Mary C.M.E., St. Duty C.M.E., Lane Tabernacle C.M.E., Calvary C.M.E., Newell Chapel C.M.E., Glenn Chapel C.M.E., Long Chapel C.M.E., Hopewell Temple C.M.E., Cunningham C.M.E., Trinity C.M.E., and ending his ministry as the Pastor of Mt. Triumph Baptist Church in Abbeville, Louisiana.
Pastor Sullivan leaves to cherish his memories with his loving wife of 26 years, First Lady Jarina H. Sullivan.
Together they raised six handsome sons, Jamar (Ann), Joseph (Deshawn), Jarvis, Ennis Jr., Elijah, and Elisha. Twelve grandchildren; Jamaree, Janae, Janie, Jalisha, Jaylen, Jayden, Jamani, Janiah, Justus, Joseph Jr., Genesis, and Jace. One great grandchild, Addison. Two brothers; Norman (Cindy) and Sammy Joe. Three sisters-in-law; Shirley, Jane (Anthony), and Josie (Darrel).
Five brothers-in-law; Joseph (Contessa), Jonas (Delores), Jacob (Lateshia), Jason (Tina), and Jarvis (Marion). His loving and devoted church family at Mt. Triumph Baptist Church, his sons and daughters in the ministry, and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Pastor Sullivan is preceded in death by his parents; Will Clark Sr. and Bernice Sullivan Washington, his mother and father-in-law, Joseph and Willie Houston one daughter, Janie Claire, one brother Will Clark Jr., and one sister; Charlotte Clark O’Neal.
The family asks that viewing be observed between the hours of 8 AM until time of service at noon at Mt. Triumph Baptist Church in Abbeville.
Kinchen Funeral Home Inc., 1011 North Saint Antoine Street, Lafayette LA 70501 is in charge of arrangements. Additionally, condolences can be expressed on our website at www.kinchenfuneralhome.com.

COW ISLAND – At approximately 12:30 p.m. on July 18, Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a single vehicle fatal crash involving a motorcycle that occurred on LA Hwy. 35 near Lull Road in Vermilion Parish.
The crash took the life of 50-year-old Kendall Meyers of Kaplan.
The initial investigation revealed that the crash occurred as Meyers was riding a 2007 Yamaha V Star motorcycle southbound on LA Hwy 35. As Meyers entered a left hand curve, his motorcycle ran off the roadway to the right for unknown reasons. Upon doing so, Meyers was ejected from the motorcycle.
Despite the fact that he was wearing a DOT approved safety helmet, Meyers received fatal injuries as a result of the crash. Impairment is unknown; however, a toxicology sample was taken from Meyers and submitted for analysis.
Troopers would like to take this opportunity to urge drivers to always be aware of motorcyclists around them, and likewise urge motorcyclists to engage in safe riding practices when on our roadways. Motorcyclists should practice safe and responsible operator behavior such as obeying speed limits, wearing a helmet, and never operating their motorcycle under any form of impairment. Motorcyclists who wish to enhance their skills can find more information on rider safety courses by visiting http://lsp.org/motorcycle.html.

The Worldwide Congress of Acadians, CMA 2019, opens in Canada in three weeks and Cajuns are well represented in the programming.
Le Congrès Mondial Acadien 2019 will feature grand opening and closing concerts in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Special concerts and presentations will be held throughout the 14-day event, especially on August 15, la Fête Nationale des Acadiens. There will be conferences at l’Université de Moncton, more conferences in Dieppe at the Economic Forum and the Women’s Summit in PEI. The Aberdeen Cultural Center in Moncton will feature Louisiana art and music. From August 16 through August 23, the Louisiana Pavilion will showcase Cajun and Louisiana culture including music, food, history, genealogy and film. Family reunions also have rich programming for all participants. Sister cities will renew their accords. Here are a few of the Cajuns who will represent Louisiana and Acadiana.
Ray and Brenda Trahan, will continue to organize and supervise all activities sponsored by Louisiane-Acadie and the Louisiana State Office of Tourism. At le Pavillon Louisiane in downtown Moncton, from 3:00 to 5:00 every day, two Louisiana speakers will make presentations for visitors. De 5:00 à 7:00 every day in the Louisiana Pavilion, great Cajun food will be served while musicians get the crowd dancing.
Bruneaux and Blake Miller, black pot chefs, will be responsible for the rich aroma of fresh-cooked Cajun fare in downtown Moncton. Their Cajun food will be served de 5 à 7:00. Blake will also play Cajun music at the Louisiana Pavilion.
Melissa Bonin opens an exhibit of her recent works of art, l’Ombre Dorée, at the Aberdeen Cultural Center in Moncton on August 20. Une Soirée Louisianaise promises an exceptional evening of poetry, song and musical improvisation. Melissa will read her poetry along with poets Zachary Richard and Jean Arceneaux.
Zachary Richard will participate in every CMA 2019 concert and will be at le Pavillon Louisiane on August 18.
Sam Broussard, guitarist, will accompany Zachary Richard and Dr. Barry Ancelet at various venues.
Choupique and Chère Mom are two Cajun bands, along with fiddler, Terry Huval, who will provide dance music at le Pavillon Louisiane.
Gayle Breaux Smith will take part in a flag raising ceremony to honor the Breaux family at Riverside-Albert, New Brunswick, on August 16. There will be an unveiling of a monument dedicated to the Acadians of the Chipoudie community who were deported from there. On August 17, she will speak about the genealogy of the Breau families at the Louisiana Pavilion.
Abbeville Councilman Brady Broussard, Jr. will meet with the mayor of Tracadie-Sheila, Dennis Losier. They will renew their Sister Cities agreement and discuss their proposed meeting in Louisiana during the 2020 Grand Réveil.
Viola Fontenot, author of the LEH book of the year, A Cajun Girl’s Sharecropping Years, will greet visitors and sign her books at the Louisiana Pavilion. In her book, Fontenot describes her life as the daughter of a sharecropper in Church Point, including details of field work, domestic arts and Cajun culture. The account begins with stories when her family lived off a gravel road near the woods without electricity, running water, or bathrooms, and a mule-drawn wagon was the only means of transportation. Fontenot explains rural holiday traditions, courting customs, children’s games and the Saturday night fais do-do.
Mayor Ray Bourque of Broussard will be meeting with his counterpart in Broussard’s Sister City, Cap-Pelé, to confirm their commitments to continued exchanges.
Dr. Moriah Istre Hargrave and Dr. Elista Istre announce the Canadian premier of their film, First Cousins: Cajun and Creole Music in South Louisiana at the Louisiana Pavilion. This film explores the rich musical heritage of Cajuns and Creoles, French speakers who have shared tunes, swapped instruments and danced in each other’s arms for generations. Vermilion Parish’s own D.L. Menard is one of many musicians featured in this documentary.
Warren and Mary Perrin have a full schedule of participation at CMA 2019. On August 17, Warren will speak at the Daigle Family Reunion in Richibucto about the birth of Cajun culture. On the same day at 3:00 at the Moncton Library, Mary and Warren will launch their latest book, Seeking an Acadian Nation: The 1930 Diary of an Evangeline Girl. Corinne Broussard kept a detailed journal of the 17-day, 3,000 mile train trip, of the first official Louisiana Acadian pilgrimage to Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, by Sen. Dudley J. LeBlanc. Both Mary and Warren will speak at the Louisiana Pavilion on August 18. On August 20 from 1:00 to 5:00, they will participate at the Judge Allen Babineaux International Civil Law Symposium. The Francophone Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association program addresses the Acadian diaspora. Warren will speak about the New Acadia Project that hopes to find the first settlement of the Acadians along the Bayou Têche. Mary will speak about the healing traditions of the Acadians. Warren Perrin remembers fondly the beginning of the collaboration with the University of Moncton law school. “Forty years ago, Judge Babineaux invited me to accompany him to visit the Law School in Moncton. We have been collaborating ever since,” said Perrin.
Andy Perrin, representing the Acadian Museum of Erath, will record many events and send them to Louisiana for airing on local television stations.
Alison Miller, director of the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission and Abbeville Cultural Center, will join other Louisiana tourism boards who will promote their areas at the Louisiana Pavilion. Miller says, “Promoting Vermilion Parish is serious business and I’m proud to be from the most Cajun place on Earth.”
Dr. Barry Ancelet will be featured at the Louisiana Pavilion on August 19. He will also present a paper, “Dikes and dialects, songs and stories, legends, possessions and processions: shared identities between Acadie du Nord and Acadie Tropicale,” at the Judge Babineaux International Civil Law Symposium on August 20 at 3:00.
Earlene Broussard will attend le Sommet des Femmes on August 11 and 12 at the Mills River Resort, Prince Edward Island.
Youngsville Councilman Gary Williams will meet with officials from Cocagne, New Brunswick, to consider a friendship agreement.
Judge Byron and Meg Hebert of Abbeville will attend the Hebert family reunion on August 14 in Cocagne.

There are still two months until the peak of hurricane season and the season doesn’t officially end until Nov. 30.
Being prepared remains important.
People in Vermilion Parish were definitely prepared prior to Hurricane Barry hitting the area this past weekend. A big part of that preparation included gathering sandbags.
“We did give out more sandbags for this event than we have ever done since I have been here,” Abbeville Public Works Director Clay Menard said during Tuesday night’s Abbeville City Council meeting. “We gave out close to 3,000 sandbags ahead of the storm.”
The City of Kaplan also provided a large number of sandbags, and as Kaplan Mayor Mike Kloesel suggested, keeping the bags for next time is a good idea.
“PLEASE keep your sandbags and store them in a dry location for future use,” Kloesel said. “We gave out a record number of sandbags for the city so please store your sandbags in a dry location and they will remain in good shape. They will be ready for a storm for years to come. Please do not store them outside or along the side of a building. The bag will rot and you will not be able to use them again. Again, always store them in a dry location.”
In Abbeville, city workers did their part to make sure citizens had sandbags.
“Every available city worker was bagging,” Menard said.
Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza commended the workers’ effort, adding that the city will be looking into funds, including Louisiana Government Assistant Program grant that the city receives from the state, to purchase some equipment that could help with the bagging process.
“We probably need to look at getting a sandbagger or two,” Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said. “Those guys worked for two straight days. We had crews helping. We finally got to a point that we couldn’t keep up. We had to tell people they had to bag their own sand, which I hate to do, but we didn’t have a choice. Our guys just couldn’t go anymore.
“All of our workers did exceptional jobs.”