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At Jack’s Bar on Barrow Street, Melvin Hebert celebrated his 101st birthday with a couple of hundred friends Friday night. Some of them were pupils at the schools where he was a principal over his long career as an educator. Blowing out his candles on the dazzling three-tier cake from Cairos was an effort, but with the assistance of his daughter, Jackie LeBoeuf and his grandson Joshua Lottinger, Melvin was able to stand and demonstrate that he still had true Cajun grit.
All evening people danced and ate potluck as Melvin reigned supreme, surrounded by family and his krewe of friends with folks approaching to show respect, shake his hand, share a memory or grab a photo with one of Houma’s oldest icons.
Born poor in French-speaking Kaplan, Louisiana in September 2017 Melvin has witnessed a century of dramatic changes in America. Oyster shell pathways gave way to paved roads, traiteurs changed to an acceptance of doctors and western medicine and a penniless young man with a dream could get a college education if he just worked hard enough. By applying himself and accepting the kindnesses of mentors who believed in him, Melvin was able to parlay that hard work and good luck into a Bachelor of Education degree in 1939 from Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette. He went straight into a teaching post on Pecan Island.
It was World War II that brought him to Terrebonne Parish. As a member of the Coast Guard who could speak French he was assigned to this heavily French Catholic bayou community to help the government communicate with the locals. It was here he met his wife Mae Ellender and stayed to become principal of Boudreaux Canal Elementary, Bourg Elementary and finally, Oaklawn Junior High School. All three of Melvin’s children attended Bourg Elementary as well as his grandchildren. His great granddaughter, Lexi Lottinger, graduated from there last year.
It was while at Oaklawn he obtained his masters degree in education, and he remembers integration there as being a tremendous undertaking yet a peaceful transition overall.
When his wife died after a long illness in 2006 Melvin found companionship among a collection of friends at Jack’s Bar. He calls them his posse. They clearly cherish him and throw a big birthday bash for him every year. Many of them attended last year’s 100th birthday event that was so huge it had to be held at Woodmen of the World Hall. District Judge David Arceneaux, one of Melvin’s former pupils, dropped by, and Parish President Gordon Dove gave him a key to the city.
Jack’s Bar claims Melvin’s annual birthday bash is always among their most profitable nights of the year and were eager to welcome him back in 2018. And Melvin was glad to be back. At 101 he’s come a long way from his hard scrabble beginnings. He credits his longevity to his eternal optimism and ability to adapt to circumstances, go with the flow. As a longtime parishioner of St. Ann Catholic Church he is grateful to God for his long and colorful life. He is grateful for his family and especially daughter Jackie “for taking such good care of me now.” And he is grateful to that posse of truly dear friends who have given him over a decade of love and support. What does he look forward to now? Birthday 102.
