Vergie Marie Abate Briggs

Vergie Marie Abate Briggs, 91, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2016 in Austin, Texas, with her loved ones at her side.

Born in Kinder, Louisiana to Raymond Cecil and Addie Rougeau Riley, Mrs. Briggs grew up in the Orange and Deweyville, Texas area. In 1942 she graduated from Deweyville High School, where she was a member of the girls’ basketball team. With her first husband, she opened Abate’s Grocery on East School Street, always willing to help those in need with food from the store. Following his death, Mrs. Abate later named the store The Food Center, as she and her second husband, J.D. Briggs continued to operate the business until it closed in 1965. She was a realtor for some twenty-five years for various Lake Charles real estate agencies. She was a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and later of St. Margaret Catholic Church. Mrs. Briggs was a wonderful homemaker, enjoying fishing with her husband and delighting in sharing time with her beloved grandchildren.

Mrs. Briggs is survived by three sons, Frank Abate and wife Sally, Jay Briggs and wife Alice, and Pat Briggs and wife Kathy, all of Lake Charles; and two daughters, Mary Abate Patin of Austin, Texas and Janelle Brahm and husband Armin, also of Lake Charles. She was “Nanny” to her fifteen grandchildren and twenty-four wonderful great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Frank Raymond Abate and Joseph D. Briggs, and two sisters, Sally Hebert and Billie Bourgeois.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home. Monsignor Jace Eskind will officiate. Interment will be at Prien Memorial Park. Visitation Monday will be from 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary beginning at 6:00 PM. Visitation Tuesday will be from 10:00 AM until 1:30 PM in the funeral home.

Donations may be made in the memory of Mrs. Briggs to the Return to the Lord Priest Retirement Fund of the Diocese of Lake Charles at 414 Iris Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601 or www.dioceseoflakecharles.org.