Yvonne Rodrigue

Yvonne F. Rodrigue, age 94 years, went to her eternal home April 8, 2013. She was born Yvonne Claire Fletcher in Kaplan, Louisiana on March 14, 1919. Yvonne was the only daughter of John Edward Fletcher and Pauline Leontine Eleazar Fletcher who died ten years apart on January 4, 1962 and January 4, 1972, respectively. Yvonne is also predeceased by her husband Henry Cieutat Rodrigue who died June 15, 1959 and their son Kyle Steven Rodrigue who died October 7, 1955.
Yvonne is survived by her three daughters Kay M. Rodrigue, Nancy R. Cook, and Ellen R. LaBauve and husband James. She is survived by her grandchildren Christine Marie Cook and great-grandson Anthony Cook, Joanne Frances Cook Ortega and husband Jordi, Yvonne Claudia Cook, Grant Raymond and Mona Cook and son Austin, Nancy Irene Cook, and August Henry Rodrigue Cook, proudly serving in the US Navy on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis.
Yvonne is also survived by nieces Sharon Thurston, Karen Dickman, Jane Stuart, Becky Stuart Warren and husband Dan; nephews George Fletcher and wife Barbara, Paul Stuart and wife Chung, Kevin LeBlanc, Robert Thomas Stuart and wife Lisa, Marvin LeBlanc and wife Patty, and Daniel LeBlanc and wife Melodee.
Yvonne is survived by special cousins Paul Roy Eleazar and wife Dot, and Rene Adams and her children Debbie Duhon, Madeleine Michel, and Wayne. Yvonne also leaves behind fellow teacher and lifetime friend Therese LaBry, former students Winnie Trahan, Lloyd Dartez and wife Dee, Margaret and Jerry Bourque, and Robert Comeaux whose friendships she cherished. Yvonne always found comfort in her pet cats over the years, especially her cat Jackie-Boy, who travelled with her between her daughters' homes during the last year of her life.
Yvonne graduated from Kaplan High School in May, 1935 at the age of 16. She graduated from Northwestern State College (State Normal College) located in Natchitoches, Louisiana in the summer of 1938 and began teaching at Kaplan High School. Yvonne had students who were older than she was and her principal told her to "get along to class" on her first day of teaching. In response, Yvonne put her hair up in a severe knot, to make herself appear older to her students and fellow teachers.
Yvonne taught French, English, and various other subjects until she married on December 27, 1952 and moved to Houston with her husband to Garden Villas subdivision near Hobby Airport. Yvonne and Henry happily settled into married life, she a homemaker and he a crew chief at TransTexas Airways. Yvonne and Henry were married seven years when Henry was killed in an electrical accident at their home leaving Yvonne to raise alone a five year old (Kay), a two year old (Nancy), and a yet to be born child (Ellen).
Yvonne accepted the challenge and raised her family without complaint and without showing her deep loss and sorrow to her children. She was proud of each of her girls attending Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Grade School and graduating from college. Always a teacher, Yvonne also helped raise her grandchildren Christine and Joanne when they were young. She also extended her love to neighborhood children Steve, Jane, and Annie Littleton, Dellene Ellis Hornsby, and George Hueni.
Yvonne enjoyed history and was an avid genealogist. She spent her time researching the Rodrigue and Fletcher family lines as a hobby throughout her life. Yvonne also enjoyed traveling in the Gloria Mundi Travel Club out of New Iberia, Louisiana with her brother George and sister-in-law Willa Fletcher, friends Therese LaBry, Ethel Douglas, Winnie Trahan, and with her daughter Kay. She traveled many places including Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and Nova Scotia. As Yvonne got older she enjoyed feeding the wildlife around her including the red birds, finches, doves and squirrels.
Yvonne was able to mow her own half acre yard until the age of eighty-eight and lived on her own until ninety-three. Yvonne cherished her phone calls from her nephew Kevin LeBlanc, and the yearly Christmas wreath he would send her. For Christmas 2012, when unsure where his Aunt Yvonne would be for Christmas, Kevin sent a wreath to each of her daughter's homes to ensure she would have her cherished Christmas wreath. Thank you, Kevin for treating our mom with such love for so many years.
Near the end of her life Yvonne would tell people she would have been nothing without her children. We disagree and acknowledge that we would have been nothing without her! Yvonne was an independent, strong woman who showed her daughters how to live through her example. She loved her family with all her heart, and did not want to leave us as her goal was to live to the age of 100.
Yvonne is with God and is reuniting with well-loved family members who went before including her parents, her husband Henry, her two brothers George and John Albert, son Kyle Steven Rodrigue, her mother and father-in-law Henrietta and August Paul Rodrigue, sisters-in-laws Gladys Fletcher, Marian LeBlanc, Kathryn Stuart, and Willa Fletcher, brother-in laws Fred LeBlanc and Robert Stuart, son-in-law Grant Cook, special cousins Lorraine Shrum and Evelyn Uhler, and special neighbors Lucille and Frank Hueni and Donna and Jack Herrmann.
Yvonne taught us that life can change in a day. With all her lessons through life, the last lesson she taught was how to accept stage four cancer and how to die with dignity. In the end, all we take with us is the love.
Yvonne was a founding member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Houston TX. Visitation with family and friends is from 5 to 9 PM Wednesday April 10, 2013 at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale, Houston, Texas 77023. A rosary will begin at 7:30 PM. A celebration of Yvonne's life will be held Thursday April 11, 2013 at a 10 AM mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 6723 Reed Road, Houston TX 77087, with Father Abelardo Cobos Gomez officiating.
Pallbearers are Kevin LeBlanc, George Fletcher, Grant Cook, James LaBauve, Robert Thomas Stuart, and Reynold Busch. Honorary pallbearers are August Cook and George Hueni. After the burial, friends and family are invited to gather for a luncheon in Yvonne's memory.
A special thank you goes to Tennitra Newsom and Erica Jones of Synergy Home Health for their loving care of Yvonne in the last days of her life, and to Houston Hospice for their careful attention and care. Thank you to neighbors Jerry and Caroline Gilcrease for their friendship and helping Yvonne so much over the years.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to a charity of your choice or to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Houston Texas.