Bella Nickerson Chappuis Abramson

Abramson, Mrs. Bella Nickerson Chappuis Funeral service will be held Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at a 2 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Genevieve Catholic Church for Bella Nickerson Chappuis Abramson, age 88, who died Sunday, May 29, at her home in Sterling Grove. Entombment will be in the Calvary Mausoleum. The Rev. Monsignor Glen John Provost, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, will be the celebrant of the funeral Mass and will conduct the funeral service. Con-celebrants will be Monsignor Rev. Harry Benefiel and the Rev. Jody Simoneaux, pastor of St. Genevieve Catholic Church. The readings from the Old and New Testaments will be read by her granddaughters, Elise Chappuis Danner and Elisabeth Kraft Cortez. Prayer of the Faithful will be led by Mrs. Richard Chappuis Jr. and the eulogist will be her daughter, Cherie Chappuis Kraft. Giftbearers are her granddaughters, Sarah Nickerson Chappuis and Amy Louise Chappuis. Musical selections are "Ave Maria," "Psalm 23," "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman," "Panis Angelicus" and "Pie Jesu." Bella Nickerson Chappuis Abramson, a native of Lafayette and a member of one of southwest Louisiana's pioneer families, was born on Nov. 11, 1916, to Isabella Judice Nickerson and John Cameron Nickerson. Isabella Judice Nickerson was the daughter of Alcide and Anais Judice. Alcide Judice was the founder of Scott, La. John Cameron Nickerson's father, John Cameron Nickerson Sr., moved his family to Louisiana from Simcoe, Ontario, in 1878 and built the Nickerson home, where Mrs. Abramson lived, located in Sterling Grove on the corner of Simcoe and Sterling streets. Mrs. Abramson was rooted in a family tradition that always stood for excellence in education. Her grandfather, Alcide Judice, was the first president of the Lafayette Parish School Board, and her uncle, Leo Judice, was president of that same body for more than a quarter of a century. Leo was also the mayor of the Town of Scott. Judice Hall on the ULL campus is named for Alcide and Leo Judice, as is Judice Middle School and L. Leo Judice Elementary School. She shared her father's interest in the cultivation and nurturing of beautiful camellias and azaleas and other flowering plants and trees which abound on the grounds at Sterling Grove. Mrs. Abramson graduated as valedictorian of Lafayette High School and was a cum laude graduate of Southwest Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she obtained a bachelor of arts degree in 1937. While a student at SLI, she was crowned Camellia Queen in 1935. Also, she served as president of the Vermilion Honor Society, which has since merged with Blue Key. After graduation from SLI, Mrs. Abramson was employed as secretary to SLI's Dean of Men, Rexford McCullough. She married Col. Richard D. Chappuis Sr., and after the end of World War II, they established their home in Lafayette. At this time, Mrs. Abramson embarked upon a long and devoted career of service to ULL and the community of Lafayette. After the death of Col. Chappuis, she married Dr. Samuel "Pete" Abramson in 1985. Dr. Abramson was also an alumnus of Lafayette High School and SLI. A longtime member of the ULL Foundation, Mrs. Abramson served on its board of directors and its activities committee for many years. For 17 years, she served on the ULL Arts Center committee and chaired the fund-raising arm of that committee. She was a faithful sustainer of the ULL Foundation's Honor Roll. Because of her generous donations, each year the tuition of a deserving secondary education student is paid. A spirited supporter of ULL athletics, crisp fall afternoons found her cheering the Ragin Cajuns' football team. Over the years, Mrs. Abramson has made numerous contributions to the ULL President's Club, the University Art Museum, the Eminent Scholar Trust Fund, the Dupré Library Fund and the Distinguished Professor awards. In 1984, Mrs. Abramson was requested by Lafayette's mayor to become a member of the board of directors of the Lafayette Centennial Commission. She also served on the Mayor's Welcoming and Reception Committee for the visit of French President and Mrs. Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Mrs. Abramson was a charter member of the Service League of Lafayette, which later became the Junior League of Lafayette. She participated as vice president of that organization and chaired many of its fund-raising events. In 1963, as a member of the Service League, Mrs. Abramson organized and helped write the first televised French education program in the area, "Dites Moi," which ran for two years. Another area of service to which Mrs. Abramson was devoted was the Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association. A charter member of the Ladies Committee of that association, she served as its chairman for a number of years. She also served on the board of directors of the association and was a member of both the sponsor and fund-raising committees. Her love of Mardi Gras emanated from her reign as Queen Evangeline IV in the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association Ball in 1937. Mrs. Abramson was honored for her many contributions to Lafayette's Mardi Gras by being chosen parade marshal of the King Gabriel's parade in 1990. Aided by her strong Catholic faith, Mrs. Abramson was a staunch supporter of the Catholic church and Catholic education. She was a member of St. Genevieve Catholic Church congregation for most of her life, served on the board of trustees of St. Thomas More Catholic High School Foundation, as well as the board of directors of Our Lady Fatima Foundation. Mrs. Abramson was devoted to the Carmelite Monastery, serving as member of the Carmelite Angels. In 1995, she was honored to be chosen as Queen of the Bishop's Charity Ball for her many services to the church and the community. Her further contributions to the Lafayette community are borne out by her membership on the board of directors of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra Association and the board of directors of the Acadiana Arts Council for many years. She was a member of Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, the Lafayette Historical Association, CODOFIL, the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium as well as the Good Neighbor Council. Mrs. Abramson was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and her greatest joy was being surrounded by her family. She is survived by two sons, Richard D. Chappuis Jr. and his wife, Teeta, and John N. Chappuis and his wife, Colleen; a daughter, Cherie Chappuis Kraft and her husband, Ralph; her grandchildren, Richard D. Chappuis III and his wife, Shana, Elise Chappuis Danner and her husband, Dwayne, Cameron C. Chappuis and his wife, Amy, Elisabeth Kraft Cortez and her husband, David, Scott Brantley Chappuis, Sarah Nickerson Chappuis and Amy Louise Chappuis; her stepgrandchildren, Catherine Rose Rountree and her husband, Gordon, and Christine Helen Cook and her husband, Christopher; her great-grandchild, Cecile Cameron Chappuis and her stepgreat-grandchildren, Elliott and Rose Rountree and Catherine and Christopher Cook Jr. She was preceded in death by her husband, Col. Richard D. Chappuis Sr. After Col. Chappuis' death, she married Dr. Samuel "Pete" Abramson, who also predeceased her. She was also preceded in death by a son, Edward Randolph Chappuis; parents, Isabella Judice Nickerson and John Cameron Nickerson; a sister, Lucille Nickerson Vennard; and two brothers, John Cameron Nickerson and Alcide Judice Nickerson. The family wishes to acknowledge the devotion of the longtime caretakers of her home, Gustavia McZeal and Howard Charles; and the loving attention given to her by caregivers, Virginia Broussard, Mary Andrus, Betty Hebert and Goldie Thibodeaux. The family wishes to thank Dr. Ronald Jenkins, Dr. Michael Mounir, Dr. Norman Anseman, Dr. Harold Chastant, Rusty Reed, R.P.T., and the staff of Hospice, especially nurses Donna Vidrine and Kelly Zaunbrecher for the excellent medical services they pro