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June 23, 1950 — July 23, 2019
Geraldine Marie Jagneaux LaFleur, 69, a resident of Berwick, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at her home.
Geraldine was born on June 23, 1950, in Chataignier, Louisiana, the daughter of John Jagneaux and Lour Vasseur Jagneaux.
“Gerr Bear” as she was affectionately known to her family, was a one of a kind woman, who was tough as bricks with a beautiful soul and dedicated to her family. She was always a hard worker, working as a meat cutter for Krogers, retiring after 20 years of service. After retiring she loved what she did and was very proud to be a meat cutter so she went back to work at Cannata’s for a few years. When she wasn’t working, spending time with her family was important to her, but spending time with her grandchildren was what she really looked forward to. She would cook Sunday dinner for her family each week and everyone loved it when she made her famous gumbo. When not working or spending time with her family, she enjoyed playing bingo, sewing and listening to her Cajun French music.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by four children, JoAnn Fryou and husband Joseph “Joby” Sr., Judy Giroir and husband Randy Sr., Carroll “Junior” LaFleur Jr. of Berwick, and Melinda Burton and husband Richard Burton of Morgan City; 10 grandchildren, Joseph “Joby” Fryou Jr. and wife Betty Jo, Ryan Fryou and fiancé Lauren Aucoin, Randy Giroir Jr. and wife Sarah, Thomas “T-Tom” Giroir and wife Beckie Jo, Connie Giroir and significant other Matthew Gober, Brittany Ballance Kyle and husband Justin, Carley Ballance Alleman and husband Ryan, Kristian Ballance and significant other Brandt Askew, Courtney Burton and Emma LaFleur; and 15 great-grandchildren, Kaeden Thomas, Collin Duval, Adalee Giroir, Kynzli Jo Rivere, Aubrie Giroir, Kamila Giroir, Katalaya Giroir, Gage Giroir, Tallulah Giroir, Reese Kyle, Eli Kyle, Paisley Kyle, Bentley Alleman, Acesen Alleman and Gracelyn White. Geraldine is also survived by one sister, Norma Jean Jagneaux of Bayou Chicot; one brother, Buren Jagneaux of Reddell; sister-in-law, Diana Dinger and husband Marvin of Patterson; loving caretaker, Candice Bird of Berwick; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers: Joseph “Joby” Fryou Sr., Randy Giroir Sr., Richard Burton, Joseph “Joby” Fryou Jr., Ryan Fryou, Randy Giroir Jr., Thomas “T-Tom” Giroir and Ryan Alleman.
Geraldine was preceded in death by parents, John and Lour Vasseur Jagneaux; husband, Carroll LaFleur Sr.; one brother, Rodney Jagneaux; two sisters, LeeAnna Fontenot and Shona Jagneaux; mother-in-law and father-in-law, John and Mary LaFleur; brother-in-law, Ferral Glen LaFleur Sr.; and nephew, Ferral Glen LaFleur Jr.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with Monsignor J. Douglas Courville officiating. A visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with a rosary being prayed at 7 p.m. The visitation will continue from 9 a.m. until the service time on Friday at the funeral home. Following the services, Geraldine will be laid to rest next to her husband in the Morgan City Cemetery.

Jerwin Paul Briggs, 29, a native of Morgan City, died July 9, 2019, in Sour Lake, Texas.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Briggs; son, Jamari Briggs; stepdaughter, Layla Briggs; father, Anthony Briggs of Alexandria; mother, Jada (Lonnie) Gray of Morgan City; brothers, Bregan Gray of San Diego, Anthony Briggs II of New York, Antonio Briggs of Dallas, Quantaevios Harris and Koryian Sadler of Alexandria; sisters, Quiana Briggs, Antwaneisha Williams, Coryanna Harris, Katori Sadler of Alexandria, Marie Briggs of Houston, Briana Gray of Morgan City and Monica Privett; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by a sister, maternal and paternal grandparents and a step-grandmother.

In recent internal House elections, at least, the job of speaker has been filled by a few unlikely contenders, or rather the guy no one saw coming.
That’s why the decision by Rep. Johnny Berthelot, R-Gonzales, a quiet and unassuming maybe-candidate for speaker, to not run for re-election helps solidify the developing field perhaps a little better than when the summer started.
To be certain, House Natural Resources Chairman Stuart Bishop, R-Lafayette, continues to raise money aggressively heading into the peak of election season.
The chairman held a fundraiser in Lafayette last week that was attended by roughly 250 people, including a few government relations pros who made the drive over from Baton Rouge.
Sources close to Bishop’s bid say more than $100,000 was for his re-election campaign, but the event served as a venue for the chairman to discuss his real goals.
“There was some heavy speaker campaigning in his message,” one attendee told LaPolitics. “And there were quite a few House members there to support him.”
Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Albany, is said to be making some inroads in his quest for the big gavel. A handful of prominent business leaders have taken an interest in his candidacy and some of those boosters are beginning to meet with lawmakers on Mack’s behalf.
The real factor to watch for is when the leading candidates and their backers start merging with the interests and intentions of the gubernatorial candidates, which may already be happening at least on some level.
Also said to be looking at the top post are GOP Reps. Lance Harris of Alexandria, Alan Seabaugh of Shreveport, Barry Ivey of Central and a host of others.

Open seat in Cajun country
In an unexpected twist of legislative politics, a state House seat based in Lafayette will not have an incumbent in place by the time this fall’s elections roll around.
Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette, has resigned from her post and is now the new chief of staff for Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin.
Already there are three contenders eyeing the seat, including former candidate and businessman Gus Rantz, energy executive Jim Dore and Jonathan Goudeau, a former law enforcement official and entrepreneur.
Rantz has decent name recognition from being on the ballot previously, but Dore is said to be wearing out his shoe leather. This could be a heated contest, with Goudeau serving as the wild card.

Political History: When Boggs
ran afoul of J. Edgar Hoover
In the spring of 1971, Congressman Hale Boggs of New Orleans, then the House Majority Leader, was making moves on Capitol Hill. A well respected member of Congress, Boggs had served in the Democratic leadership since 1962. Notably, he had helped guide President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs through the House and even served on the Warren Commission.
But on April 5 of that year, Boggs rose and gave a floor speech denouncing the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its powerful director, J. Edgar Hoover.
]A New York Times report on the speech noted that he compared the FBI’s methods to “the tactics of the Soviet Union and Hitler’s Gestapo,” and Boggs called upon Attorney General John Mitchell to demand Hoover’s resignation. In his remarks, Boggs specifically charged that the FBI had wiretapped congressional offices and stationed agents on college campuses to spy on students.
According to media reports, political observers were shocked that the majority leader had chosen to publicly attack Hoover, long considered to be the most powerful man in Washington. In a recorded phone call with President Richard Nixon, House Minority Leader Gerald Ford’s only explanation was that perhaps Boggs was “either drinking too much, or he’s taking some pills that are upsetting him mentally.”
Back in Louisiana, then-Gov. John McKeithen personally called Hoover and assured him that the state government did not share the views of the majority leader. Meanwhile, Congressman John Rarick of St. Francisville told reporters that he thought Boggs’ remarks were part of an organized, left-wing conspiracy against the FBI.
Boggs, for his part, doubled down on his charges against Hoover in press interviews and statements. Days after his floor speech, Boggs told CBS News, “The country cannot survive under a man who in his declining years has violated the Bill of Rights of the United States.”
While Boggs never backed away from the charges, the controversy eventually ended when he mysteriously disappeared in October 1972 while campaigning for a Democratic congressional candidate in Alaska.
Documents declassified since Hoover’s death have since proven that Boggs’ accusations against the FBI were, in fact, true.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter via @LaPoliticsNow.

Danos has promoted Mark King to sales manager. In this role he will be responsible for leading sales initiatives to maintain and expand the company’s customer base and will oversee the activities of the sales team.
“In his seven years with Danos, Mark has demonstrated strong leadership skills and a dedication to excellence. We are confident that he will continue this exceptional performance and lead our team in the right direction,” said owner Paul Danos.
King joined Danos in 2012 as senior account manager, serving as the single point of contact and overseeing all aspects related to British Petroleum Gulf of Mexico and Land Operations. Before joining Danos, King was an account manager with Moody Price, LLC, an industrial equipment supplier. Before his career in the oil and gas industry, King worked as a teacher and coach in secondary education.
“I am extremely humbled and excited to begin this next chapter with Danos,” said King. “I look forward to the new challenge and continuing to build on the success of our company.”
A graduate of LSU, King earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 1996 and was also a four-year varsity letterman for the football team. He and his wife Michelle live in Houma, and have two daughters. King is an avid triathlete and an active supporter of