Francis Touchet has been a resident of New Iberia his whole life and in that time, has created memories with his family and friends that he still enjoys talking to this day.

Touchet, 74, is a retired delivery driver and has worked for various companies in the city like Dole Food Service for 19 years, and drove for The Coca-Cola Company for many years.

Touchet decided to subscribe to The Daily Iberian over 40 years ago and still reads the paper when he can.

Why did you decide to subscribe to the paper?

We just decided to take the paper and kept reading it. We stayed with the paper. We had no problems with that, you know?

Why did you get into truck driving?

My daddy was a truck driver and I just picked it up from there.

What are some of the things you like to read in the paper?

I kinda go slow, you know, and kind of just look in there and see what’s going on. The whole thing, really. When people pass away, they have the obituaries that you can read.. Especially with people I haven’t seen in years. There are people you went to school with, you know? You don’t see them for a while and then all of sudden, they are in the paper. That kinda brings some memories back that you used to know them.

Why do you think The Daily Iberian connects so well with the people of New Iberia?

It kinda lets you know what’s going on, you know, and it’s something that comes up that doesn’t come up on TV, the paper’s got. I read it whenever we get it.

What are your favorite memories living here?

As a childhood, just growing up, you know, things were good back then. Right now it’s difficult, you know, way back then things were nice now things are expensive.

What are some things you like to do now that you are retired?

Just staying home, that’s all I can do. I enjoy staying home with my family. It’s time.

What’s it like living in New Iberia today?

Well, it’s not like it was years ago, you know? We didn’t have all this crime that we got now. Way back when I was growing up, it was nice. Now you have all this crime going on. You have to expect that. Times change.

What are you excited for in the next few months?

I’ll be glad when football starts. I like the NFL. I’m a Dallas man, but I like my Saints, too now. But I have been a Dallas fan for years ever since Tom Landry was there. I stayed with them, you know, but I still like my Saints. I’m a Dallas nut.