Mercedes “Bodd” Blanchard Girouard

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018, in the Chapel at David’s Funeral Home in New Iberia with Father Ed Degeyter officiating, for Mrs John Girouard, the former Mercedes “Bodd” Blanchard Girouard, 97. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Broussard. Mercedes passed on Monday, January 23, 2018, in New Iberia. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. until time of services on Thursday, January 25, 2018. A Rosary will be prayed in the funeral home on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

A longtime resident of New Iberia, Mercedes was born in Loreauville on January 21, 1921. She was the daughter of Lezin and Felicia Berard Blanchard. She worked for Laughlin Grocery Store and was a highly skilled seamstress, who enjoyed her profession, for Wormsers department store for many years. Some of her hobbies included bowling, playing accordion and keyboards, oil painting and dancing. Her biggest joy in life was being around her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her siblings, especially around the holidays. She lived a blessed life and will be missed by all who knew her.

As a child during the depression, her family lived in many towns. Some of the places the family lived in were Biloxi, Mississippi, Loreauville, Lydia, Broussard and New Iberia. In 1941 at the age of 24, she married the love of her life, John Girouard. After their marriage John went to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon his return they moved back to New Iberia to seek employment. Two years later they had their first child, a daughter, Johnnie. Six years later they had their second child, a son, Lynn. In the last 10 years of John’s career, in 1966, his company transferred him to Houston. John, Mercedes and Lynn moved to Houston where they lived for 10 years, with Mercedes and John moving back to New Iberia in 1975. John passed away in 1995 after 54 years of marriage.

She is survived by her daughter Johnnie Gail Verret (Lloyd); son Lynn Errol Girouard (Betty); grandchildren Pat Verret (Cheri), Craig Verret (Dayna), Jason Verret (Sam), Ned Girouard and Julie DeVries (Sebastian Boncy); grandchildren Seth (Cyndil), Tori, Wyatt, Morgan and Sydney Verret, Ned Girouard; step-grandchild Julie DeVries; great-grandchild Bailey Verret; and step-grandchild Louise Boncy.

Mercedes was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 54 years, John Girouard; her parents, Lezin and Felicia Berard Blanchard; her brothers, Adley Blanchard and Kelly Blanchard; and her sisters, Anastasia (Ze Ze) Hollier, Edith Malagarie and Aureline Olivier.

Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons and great-grandsons Pat, Craig, Jason, Seth,Wyatt, Morgan Verret and Ned Girouard. 

Honorary pallbearers will be Lynn Girouard and Lloyd, Tori and Sydney Verret and Louise Poncy.

The family would like to give thanks for the excellent care given to Mercedes to the staff at Consolata and Bridgeway Hospice and also a special friend Earline Breaux.

You can sign the guest register book and or send condolences at www.davidfuneralhome.org. 

David Funeral Home of New Iberia, 1101 Trotter St., 369-6336, is in charge of arrangements.