Tales my mother told me as a Cajun-born kid

“My Ma Ma done told me, Whan I was in Knee Pants’1 (song “Hues in the night” Dinah Shore, era 1940 “I always paid attention to everything my Ma Ma said” (sang “My Ma Ma said” Vin Bruce on Columbia records 1952.)

That has always been good advice. When I became old enough to have a memory my mother brought me up to date an things, she wanted me to know. (Note: In 1927 my mother Helen Callais, one of nine children of Paul and Irma Gnidry Callais married Roosevelt Martin, one of nine children of Eugene and Odile Collins Martin) I entered in 1929.

When I was less than 2 years old. they brought me to a trapping camp in Catfish Lake where I would have died from asthma had they rot paddled me to a new doctor in town. Dr. John Gravois. and because of this my Dad gave up trapping and became a trawler until the shrimp strike of 1938.

Her and Dad would go to Reb-stocks dance hall on Saturday night and let me sleep on the bench while they danced.

Once I asked her why we were in a cemetery and I found out my baby sister (also named Helen) was buried there. (She was still born. I only had one other sibling, my sister Betty).

Jefferson Reb-stock built the first movie house in the twenties and Mom told me about a silent movie With saw there and vividly remembered It was “Evangeline” a silent movie with Dolores Del Rio. one of Hollywood’s top stars.

The story was based on Longfellow’s poem-about the Cajuns1 “Grand Derangement” from Canada when Evangeline was separated from bar Gabriel, almost reunited in Louisiana under the Evangeline oak. but it was never meant to be.

The movie, like the poem were fiction but the poem was a literary treasure and the movie was just great entertainment.

The great Cajuns of St. Mar-tinville lay claim to 3 Evangeline oaks in their Parish but sorry Virginia, there were no Evangeline or Gabriel nor Louis and Emmeline Labdche as some claim was their real names. Let it be! It brings in tourists and don’t we claim to have had “Lou Garou’ in oar backwoods?

—

Now a story about the “Interpreter”

Jefferson Rebstock built the first movie house in 1922 and Mom remembered a young man standing by the screen, translating the titles as they appeared Remember, few people could read or speak English than. At times, even when talking movies came, he translated the movies to French so everybody could understand it Everyone knew him well. His name was Marco Picciola.

Marco was born in 1998. received a business degree from Chenet Institute and in 1930 bought his father’s store in Leeville. He married Viola Breaux in 1917 and they had four children, Joseph, Louella. Rodney, and Hewitt who died in infancy.

Marco became the first Postmaster and Fire Chief of Golden Meadow and his clubs, commissions, boards, honors and offices he held are too many to list here. He was also a notary public and his bills of sale alone could fill many cabinets, or gigabits today.

He became State Representation when Harvey Peltier was elected Senator in 1930 and served until 1946 when he retired Several books state that he was one of the few who came out of the Huey Long era untarnished Knowing the man, that s not hard to believe.

Years ago, as Deputy Assessor, my job was to visit businesses and I always set aside an hour just to sit in his cluttered office and listen to his stories of politics and events of his life.

He knew I enjoyed them and he kept me enthralled the whole time. Marco was a good legislator, husband, father; business man and community leader. He died in 1978.

Remembering him reminds me of something the great sports writer Grantland Rice once wrote: “For when the one great scorer comes, to write against your name. He marks-not if you won or lost – but how you played the game”.

Marco Picciola played it well.

Bye now.

Tales my mother told me as a Cajun-born kidTales my mother told me as a Cajun-born kid