Mae Mae’s legacy lives on in the hearts of the Chauvin community

In every tight-knit community, there are figures who leave an impact on those around them just by being themselves. For the Chauvin community, that person was Bertha “Mae Mae” Pellegrin, owner of the beloved Ms. Mae Mae’s Snowball Stand.

On Sunday, Ms. Mae Mae passed away at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that won’t be forgotten by frequenters of her snowball stand.

Ms. Mae Mae opened her stand to the Chauvin community over 40 years ago at her husband’s suggestion. Though she had no knowledge at the time of how to make a snowball, her husband purchased a machine, and the rest was history.

Along the way, she became known to the community as Mae Mae, as people heard her nieces and nephews refer to her as such. 

What followed were decades of memorizing customers’ snowball flavors, being a constant in Chauvin residents’ lives and making them feel at home.

Now, the tributes are pouring in for Ms. Mae Mae from those whose lives she touched.

“I can tell you that with the craziness of this current world we live in…despite the loss of a very special lady…I have been re-energized with seeing all of the posts of this sweet lady’s life. There’s many things to life, but seeing how YOU have impacted so many brings such inspiration to me. There’s so much negativity in the world, and then there is you. You have brought so much joy to so many,” Facebook user Laci Melancon said in a group dedicated to Ms. Mae Mae’s Snowball Stand.

Jonathan Foret, a native of Chauvin, said that everyone in the community knew Ms. Mae Mae and was served a snowball by her at some point in their lives. However, her stand represented something bigger than just snowballs.

“Whenever I would have a down day…I would go down the bayou and get a snowball from Ms. Mae Mae,” Foret said. “We all knew that she greeted us with love and a snowball, and if you were feeling bad you could get the snowball to make yourself feel a little bit better, but I honestly think it was her at that window smiling at you and giving off the love that she gave to everybody that also made you feel a little bit better.”

For many Chauvin residents, getting a snowball from Ms. Mae Mae was a longstanding childhood tradition that grew with people into adulthood. 

“As I grew up in Chauvin, going to Ms. Mae Mae’s stand was one of my greatest blessings. After having kids of my own, it was a go-to place for them,” Facebook user Shawn Billiot posted to the group.

Now, Ms. Mae Mae’s legacy is one that will live on through the memories made for Chauvin residents that loved visiting her stand. 

“I can only hope that you know what an impact you have made. You have surely left a legacy that we can only hope to live up to,” Melancon said. 

Mrs. Pellegrin’s obituary can be viewed here: https://www.houmatimes.com/obituaries/bertha-mae-pellegrin/