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November 4, 1941 — May 25, 2023

Mergie Bergeron Miller, 81, a long-time resident of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away peacefully while surrounded by her loving family, on May 25, 2023.

She was born November 4, 1941 in Arnaudville, Louisiana to Aurelie and Mable Bergeron. She was married for 56 years to her loving husband, Wilson (Jay) Miller. Before his passing in 2014, they formed a singing group with two friends called “The Four Seniors”. They volunteered their time performing at retirement homes throughout the city, and enjoyed spending time with the elderly residents.

In addition to her beautiful singing voice, Mergie had many passions, including her delicious Cajun cooking. She also enjoyed hobbies of sewing and crafting. Above all, she provided a loving home for her husband and four children.

Loving mother of Karen, Glenn, Wayne (Carol) Miller, and the late Randall Miller. Devoted grandmother of Lillian, Lucas and Brandon (Vindhya) Miller, and two great-grandchildren, Naomi and Nolan Miller. Cherished sister of Authurine Adams (Roger), Peggy Besse (Ferdnand), James Bergeron (Jeannette) and Brenda Cordova, and the late Iris Stelly, Lucille Stelly, Gurvis Bergeron (Patricia) and Russell Bergeron (Sandra).

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the visitation at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie LA on Thursday, June 1 beginning at 6:00 PM with a funeral service to follow at 8:30 PM in Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home’s chapel. Another visitation will be held on Friday, June 2 at Hargrave Funeral Home, 1031 Victor II Blvd., Morgan City, LA from 9-11 a.m., followed by a funeral service. Interment will be in Morgan City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/louisiana. Our heartfelt thanks to The Blake Retirement Community/Memory Care Unit and Passages Hospice, for the wonderful care and love she received.

The online guestbook is available at www.LeitzEaganFuneralHome.com and www.hargravefuneralhome.com.

New Orleans — A study conducted by LSU Health New Orleans’ Schools of Public Health and Medicine faculty reports that diet contributes to HPV infection leading to cervical cancer. Results are published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
“This study showed that women who did not eat fruits, dark-green vegetables, and beans had a significantly higher risk of genital high-risk-HPV infection,” notes Hui-Yi Lin, PhD, Professor of Biostatistics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health and lead author of the study. “In addition, intake of whole grains and dairy was inversely associated with low-risk-HPV infection.”
The study included de-identified data from 10,543 women from the 2003–16 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The women were 18-59 years old, with valid genital HPV infection data and Healthy Eating Index diet information. Women with any dose of HPV vaccination or cancer history were excluded.
For US women aged 15-59, the prevalence of any HPV infection is 40.7%, and high-risk-HPV infection is 19.2%. Low-risk-HPV prevalence was 21.5% and HPV-negative, 59.3%.
Generally, US women have low Healthy Eating Index scores in greens and beans and fruits, with less than half of the optimal score of 5.
Their greens-and-beans category score was 2.02. The score for whole fruits was 2.48 and for total fruits (whole fruits plus juice) was 2.41. About 43% of women did not eat any greens and beans, 27.5% did not eat any whole fruits, and 15.8% did not eat any total fruits.
These results are consistent with the authors’ previous antioxidant study, which indicates the four dietary antioxidants (vitamins A, B2, E, and folate) were inversely associated with high-risk-HPV infection.
These dietary antioxidants can be found in dark-green vegetables (such as spinach, kale and broccoli), beans (such as lima beans, peas, soybeans and black beans), and fruits (such as oranges, grapes, blueberry and mango).
The authors suggest that the potential biological mechanism of fruits, dark-green vegetables, and beans to inhibit HPV infection may be through enhancing immune response and decreasing inflammation.
The research team also observed that women who ate healthily tended to practice other health behaviors. For example, women with a maximum score of 5 in total fruits had a lower chance of being current smokers, frequent alcohol drinkers and illegal substances user in their lifetime. They were also less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.
Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women aged 20-39 in the United States. The primary cause of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Almost all cervical cancers (99.7%) are directly linked to the previous infection of oncogenic or high-risk HPVs. HPV infection is common in US women — approximately 80% are estimated to have at least one type of HPV infection in their lifetime. Although most HPV infections are asymptotic and resolve within two years, some persist and progress to cervical cancer.
LSU Health New Orleans authors also include Drs. Tung-sung Tseng, Krzysztof Reiss and Michael E. Hagensee, Qiufan Fu, Xiaodan Zhu, along with Dr. L. Joseph Su from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
This study was supported by the Center for Translational Viral Oncology, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana’s health care professionals. The state’s flagship health sciences university, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state’s only School of Dentistry, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, Graduate Studies and Public Health. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals, and clinics throughout the region. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment, or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSU HealthNO.

DEAR ABBY: A guy at work, “Leon,” is my age, very friendly and down-to-earth. When we’ve worked together, we have had great conversations, and he has told me a lot about his girlfriend who he’s been with for years. I feel guilty knowing this because Leon is having an affair with a girl here at work who’s almost a decade his junior, and they’ve started getting very brazen about it.
He tells people he’s tempted by her but would not cross the line. The girl, however, tells very different, detailed and personal stories about their rendezvous. I’m not friends with Leon on Facebook, but I looked at his profile to read a tribute to his recently lost friend and saw his girlfriend’s name, and I’m tempted to reach out.
This woman doesn’t know me, but I know that at my age, if my boyfriend of three years was messing around at work and everybody knew but me, I’d be livid at them almost as much as I would be at him. As someone who has been cheated on before, I feel I have a duty to his girlfriend because I wouldn’t want to waste another second in the dark or with a cheater.
Then again, since Leon and his plaything aren’t subtle, do you think I should approach him instead and ask if he’s still with his girlfriend or if she knows about the mistress? I’ve always thought honesty was the best policy and straightforwardness got the most honest answers. Any advice would be much appreciated.
WITNESS IN VIRGINIA

DEAR WITNESS: I understand your impulse to intervene on behalf of Leon’s wronged girlfriend, but for your own sake, please resist the urge.
If you start a firestorm, your workplace could become unbearable. So, with the understanding that Leon is a cheater and a liar, stay out of it.

DEAR ABBY: My son is preparing to go to basic training. I have been making travel plans to see him graduate, and it is stressing me out. My parents, who have very little money, said they want to go. I rented a house for myself and other family members, but because my parents are bringing their dog, they cannot stay there. (There’s a no-animals rule.) So I rented another place for them.
When I suggested they bring a crate to keep their dog in while we’re away during the events, my mother said she will remain with the dog. My father says he is interested only in the events in the morning and refuses to participate in the town pass with my son because of the expected walking. So now I’ll have to make additional plans to take my son to visit them during the few hours he’s available during his pass.
Furthermore, when I mentioned leaving a few days earlier so we can arrive and not be rushed, my father said he doesn’t want to leave any earlier than he has to. I’m at my wits’ end. This trip is expensive, and I’m paying most of the expenses for two people who aren’t even going to be part of the activities. This trip should be about my son, but I’ll need to tend to my parents as well. I don’t know what to do.
PROUD DAD IN OHIO

DEAR DAD: Your parents’ attitude is regrettable. Cancel the reservation for the dog-friendly accommodations and tell them the trip is off.
Then go and celebrate your son’s graduation with him and suggest your parents have a belated party for your son when he returns home. If you do, you will save yourself a bundle of aggravation and frustration, not to mention money.
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Yvonne Verret Norris, 93, of Labadieville, died Thursday, May 25, 2023, at her residence.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, three sisters and a stepson.

She is survived by three daughters, Connie Ellis, Judith Morrison and Lisa Ellis; two sisters, Patricia Coffman and Jennie Mire; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation and services were Monday at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Amelia with burial in the church cemetery.

Twin City Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.