Eulogy for Kelsie

Jim Bolner, Sr. 

    Kelsie as the oldest child and I as the youngest child had a special relationship. By the time I was born Kelsie had already left our home in rural Avoyelles parish to work for Cliff and Wavy Mayeux in their store in Abbeville. Kelsie alongwith my brothers Henry and Ollie and my sisters Verdie and Zulie--he was a member of the family who had moved away before or shortly after I was born. Only my brothers Dale, Richard, and Daniel remained at home. Kelsie's visits to our home, like the visits of the other older brothers and sisters, was always associated with more abundant food and with presents and with a taste of the life outside in the world. As you can tell from what is left of my hair, I was born during the Depression, when we had little resources. One of the remarkable things about Kelsie was that he was able to work his way up from being a clerk for Cliff and Wavy Mayeux to owning his own quite profitable grocery store of his own.

    I have such vivid memories of Kelsie and Lillian, accompanied--depending on their ages--by Dolores, Catherine, and Susan--Mark was too young. They would drive up in the long black swayback Chevrolet. There would always be a large box of groceries. And there would be fruit. It was Lillian's specialty. She would invariably take fruit and she would create a lucious fruit salad which would be the dessert treat. This was before the age of television and Sunday afternoon sports, and Kelsie, for his part, would always take a nap. Kelsie's nap often lasted from right after dinner to the time of their departure--a fact which upset both Lillian and Mama and Lillian.

    Kelsie was keenly sensitive of his responsibilities toward me and toward our parents. When I became a teenager, he invited me to spend two or three weeks each summer here in Erath. This was a special time. In theory I was supposed to work in the store (first in the little red store and then in the superette and the feed store). Kelsie and Lillian took extremely good care of me. I was thrilled to receive spending money and I recall with special fondness the fantastic dinners prepared by Lillian during the week and by her mother on Sundays. Those Sundays at Grosse Isle at the Chaissons stand will always be with me.

    As he declined in energy and strength, Kelsie's mind remained alert and sharp. He kept well informed on the fortunes of college and professional sports and, of course, he kept up with the ups and downs of the stock market. He never lost his interest in gardening. It was inspiring to see him only a few months ago navigating around his planters, riding around in his yard on his riding mower, and talking excitedly about his plans for planting next year's crop. He was always cheerful. He was always curious about how everyone in the family was doing, and he was always interested in talking politics.

    Kelsie's later years were marked by his loving care of Lillian. His gentleness and his affection toward her has uplifted us all.