Royal Order of Eden

The Cyr-Gates Community Center turned into a spooky fun house of scares and merriment Feb. 1 as the Sistas of the Royal Order of Eden celebrated its seventh annual costumed Bal Masque set to the theme, “Things That Go Bump in the Night.”

Guests wore a variety of costumes representing historical figures such as Cleopatra and Marc Antony, fun-loving flappers from the Roaring ’20s, the upper echelon of The Great Gatsby and television favorites, The Addams Family. There were a few zombies and Saints fans in the mix.

Opening the evening’s festivities were Captains Roxie Perez Castille and Corleen Aucoin Rouly, representing Professor Minerva McGonagall and The Gray Lady, Helena, of Ravenclaw House (respectively), as they led members of the Eden Counsel depicting various characters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Reigning over the membership and guests as the King and Queen of the Night were Eden’s seventh King Adam and Queen Eve.

King Adam VII was Lewis Henry Pitman Jr. Pitman, a practicing attorney since 1982, is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, Inns of the Court and Knights of Columbus. In his spare time, he is an avid bird hunter. He and his wife, Laurette Williams Pitman, are the parents of one daughter Kay Pitman Clark and two grandsons Kyle and Lane.

Queen Eve VII was Nathalie Neuner Leroux. A native New Iberian, she is an avid Mardi Gras fan who loves voodoo and juju and can make anything she dreams of out of duct tape. Spider webs don’t frighten her and things that crawl delight her. She is wife of Steven Leroux, mother of Amelia and Phillip. She was one of the first ladies to become a member of Eden.

Maids for the evening represented the “Witches Three.” Representing the Witch of the Stars was Lori Williams. She is an accomplished artist who teaches art at Patterson High School where she is also the cheerleading coach and dance team sponsor. Representing the Witch of the Earth was Chrissy Perez Buford. She has worked in the health care field for many years. She is an avid LSU Football and Denver Broncos fan. Representing the Witch of the Moon was Erin Boatman Brady, a licensed esthetician who works in the banking industry. She loves spending time with her family and is a diehard Disney fan.

Reilly Malone Wyche-Perkins was presented to the membership as the evening’s Lady-in-Waiting. Wyche-Perkins is the 16-year-old daughter of Mandy Wyche Viator and her husband, Gerald. A 10th-grade student at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, she excels in math and science and plans to attend Louisiana State University and study equine veterinary science.

She loves horseback riding and is a member of the U.S. Pony Club. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and caring for her large menagerie of pets. She was sponsored by her aunt, Eden member Molly LeBlanc Blanchard.

Her majesties’ pages represented Candy Corn Witches and were a delight to the crowd. They were Amelie Claire Boatman, daughter of Sarah Boatman and her husband, Dustin; McKenzie Ann Buford, daughter of Chrissy Perez Buford and the late Heath Buford; Amelia Theresa Leroux, daughter of Queen Eve VII, Nathalie Neuner Leroux and her husband, Steve; and Kynleigh Claire Vaughn, daughter of Kylie Vaughn and her husband, Cody.

The Royal Order of Eden is the longest running women’s krewe in Iberia Parish.