Edith G. Fontenot

Edith (Maw Maw) Fontenot passed away just 15 days short of her 99th Birthday. She will be missed not only by her family, but also by the hundreds of people from the south Lake Charles community who would drop in if they were in the neighborhood around noon to share one of her famous ‘Two-Kinds-of-Meat-in-case-someone-doesn’t-like-pork’ dinners.

She is preceded in death by her father, Fernes Andrus; her mother, Geneva Andrus; her sister, Thelma Seamons; her brother, Freddie Andrus; her husband, Lucien Fontenot; her son, Curtis Fontenot; and her grandson Jacob Potts.

She is survived by her brother, Leonard Andrus and his wife Rita; her daughter, Peggy Coffey; her son, Ronnie Fontenot and his wife Dean; seven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and fourteen great-great-grandchildren; and loving daughter in law,  Margie Hayes Fontenot.

Her early life was spent helping out on the family farm until she met and married Lucien ‘Frenchy’ Fontenot who eventually became a plumber with Local Union 106. In the 50’s when Lucien went into the plumbing business, she coupled her household duties with bookkeeping for the small firm and working part time at the old Muller’s store.

When the SAC Air Base closure killed the construction industry in 1959, the Fontenots closed the shop and Lucien traveled to various parts of the country to make a living; Edith followed him, in between school semesters, to such places as Biloxi, MS; Las Vegas, NV and Westminster, CA.

In the mid 60’s, the plumbing shop was reopened right across the street from her home, and she began the open-to-all noon meals that she was famous for. The guest list was comprised of plumbing supply salespeople, workers who happened to have a job nearby, all of the office people, neighbors and one particular mail deliverer whose route coincidently delivered her mail around 11:00 every day.

She was a kind and generous soul and she will be missed.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 AM Monday, August 8, 2016 at Johnson Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a 6:00 PM rosary Sunday, August 7, 2016 at Johnson Funeral Home. Visitation will resume on Monday, August 8, 2016 at Johnson Funeral Home from 8:00 AM until time of service. Burial will be at Consolata Cemetery. Father Wayne LeBleu will officiate services.