Everson Joseph "Butch" Poirier

COTEAU- A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted for Mr. Everson Joseph “Butch” Poirier, 85, at 11:00 am Saturday, April 21, 2012 at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church with Fr. Barry Crochet officiating. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery with Military Honors conducted by Louisiana National Guard Honor Guard.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home in New Iberia on Friday, April 20, from 12:00 noon until 10:00 pm. A French rosary will be recited at 7:00 pm Friday. The funeral home will reopen on Saturday at 8:00 am until service time.

A native of Youngsville and a resident of New Iberia, Butch passed away at 7:30 PM April 17, 2012 at Regions Hospital.

He was survived by his children Linda Kropp of Cascade, Montana, Sheila Poirier, John “JP” Poirier both from Coteau, his sisters Willa Poirier Romero and Iris Poirier, and step-brother, Albert Touchet all of New Iberia, and his companion and friend, Ruth Hebert of Abbeville. His grandchildren include Cody Derouen of Ponchatoula, Amber Darlington of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Autumn Bogart of Spokane, Washington. He had two great grandchildren Nina Darlington and Karson Bogart.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dot Comeaux Poirier; seven brothers, Eddie, Edison “Shute”, Whitney, Harrington “Bee”, Ernest “Boone”, Larres, and Dallas; two sisters, Edia “Lalulle” Viator and Enez “Latutt” Duteuil; his parents, Adam Ulysse and Anita Touchet Poirier.

As corporal in the U. S. Army, he served from 1950 to 1952. While in Germany, he purchased his first fiddle. A self-taught musician, he was the original Cajun/French fiddle player in The Louisiana Aces. He played on weekends with legends like D. L. Menard, Shute Badeaux, Ulysse Poirier, Ridge Poirier, and Stanley Benoit. He was a very hard-working man who worked at Jefferson Island Salt Mine in the 60’s, and then he was a rigger foreman at the Port of Iberia until he retired. In the same year of his retirement, he fell off a ladder in 1992 and broke his neck causing paralysis from the chest down. He remained in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But his determination to be self-sufficient was forced upon him after the death of his wife less than a year later.

Butch was a devout Catholic and was true to his church. His disability never prevented him from attending church on Sunday and funerals of his family and friends. He always took the time out to recite at least two rosaries a day. He read the bible daily and knew faith was his strongest asset.

He was able to conjure up and fabricate devices that could help him in his daily schedule. He rarely asked for help and maintained his independence up to the end. He loved his gardening and grew vegetables on a yearly basis. Most of the time he worked in his yard and was determined to transfer himself in and out of his wheelchair.

Butch was always willing to lend a helping hand and would try to do anything for anyone. His patience was abundant – to the point of a fault and never had a bad word towards anyone. He was dearly loved by all of his family and friends.

Pallbearers include Gordy Romero, Calvin Bourque, Larry Theriot, Cody Derouen, Skip Kropp, and Josh Lanclos.

To view on-line obituary, and sign the guest register, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.

Evangeline Funeral Homes, Inc. of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.