Butte La Rose

Bonjour!
Eulogy for Eula Mae Courville Champagne (June 9, 1936 – Sept. 13, 2015): It’s said life is not about the number of breaths you take, but of the moments that take your breath away. On this day, I am proud to say that my grandmother, Eula Champagne, had both in her 79 years of life.
She was one, I know, having a truly good life living it to its fullest. She may have gotten very sick at the end, and yet she never lost her strength even as she grew older. Hers was the voice that never failed giving us comfort and love we needed.
Her mom and dad were Joseph & Yola (Theriot) Courville from Catahoula. She was one of 13 children. Eula’s family were farmers. They farmed vegetables and raised their own animals to provide food for their family.
She was a strong little girl battling rheumatic fever, which affected her walking for a time until she was able to learn to walk again. Her courage and strength came when a young child.
On Jan. 28, 1952, she married Rufus Champagne. They had six children before he was tragically taken from their lives in an automobile accident – Rachel C. Thouchet, Pearlle C. Colbert, Linda C. Theriot, Priscilla C. Bulliard, Elizabeth C. Knight, and Lonnie Champagne. She went on to have two more children Willis Courville, and Tammy Martin.
Eula lived 24 years with a defibrillator. She was a strong willed Cajun woman. Hardship was a challenging time in her life, but with family by her side she was a strong cookie. One month before her passing her defibrillator was upgraded. She firmly told the doctor she wanted the old machine to show her family what kept her alive for 24 years.
Eula Mae Champagne was a family woman. She loved spending time with her eight children, 25 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren, one great-great grandson, her siblings, and her friends. Her love for her family was beyond anyone’s expectations. I sat many visits with her talking memories, family and friends who came visit that day for coffee and chat.
She was a traiteuse. When people called her, she said special prayers to help the healing process. This was a gift she had. She treated for all sorts of ailments like sinus, headache, sun stroke, rashes, burns and much more. This gift takes a special kind of dedication.
She loved decorating for every holiday. Several of us helped making this special. We made special visits to take part in each phase of decorating that someone else left off. This made her so happy. Pokeno was played once a month with family and friends, her favorite pass time. She looked forward to having a full house.
As much as I would love to go on speaking about all the little things we love about her, I’m afraid there’s only so much that my emotions can handle. I believe that it would be suffice to say that having her as my grandmother was one of the best things in my life.
While our family stands deeply grieved by the loss of one of the pillars in our lives, we are also thankful for the honor that she was “our mom.” After all, not too many have had the privilege of knowing someone so remarkable. We may have lost her physically for now, but we firmly believe, as she also does, that one day the Grand Maker will reunite us again. And as we eagerly wait for that day, we keep her in our minds and hearts, where her memory will live on for as long as we do. Amen!
Cousine Hélène. Eula and I grew up together. I appreciate her family.

Cousine Hélène
337-280-1988.
helenboudreaux@juno.com