Estelle Barrilleaux Westmoreland

Jeanerette- Funeral services will be held for Estelle Marie Barrilleaux Westmoreland, 92, on Saturday April 29, 2017 at 3:00 pm at Evangeline Funeral Home with Jodi Blanchard, Chaplain of Amedysis Hospice, to conduct the funeral service. Estelle passed away on Thursday April 27, 2017 at her residence in Jeanerette.

Visitation will take place at Evangeline Funeral Home in New Iberia on Saturday April 29, 2017 from 10:00 am until the time of service.

Burial will take place at St. John Cemetery in Jeanerette.

A native and life long resident of Jeanerette, Estelle was the daughter of the late Adam Barrilleaux and Edolia Nolan Barrilleaux.

Mrs. Westmoreland was a graduate of Spencer Business College in Lafayette. She was later graduated as a registered nurse from Hotel Dieu in Beaumont, Tx. She worked as a nurse at Iberia General Hospital and later for Dr. L. O. Broussard and Dr. Weeks Dauterive. In her earlier years, Estelle enjoyed sewing and made much of her children’s clothing. She enjoyed casinos, fishing, reading, puzzles, watching Jeopardy, gardening, and cooking and baking. It was often said that she made the best desserts around. Her green thumb was nothing short of amazing. At one point in her life her vegetable garden, which she worked with her brothers, was a quarter acre in size filled with an extraordinary array of vegetables.

Left to cherish her memory are her three children, David Westmoreland and wife Corinne of New Iberia, Karen Leah Afshar of Santa Fe, NM, Dione “Dede” David of Lake Charles; grandchildren, Ramin Afshar and wife Angela of Boca Raton, FL; Leila Afshar and fiancé Jane Hjellum of North Hollywood, CA; Kelly Perkins and husband Chris of New Iberia; Lance David and wife Lulu of Youngsville; step granddaughter, Noel Migues of New Iberia; great grandchildren, Dylan and Hannah Afshar, and Maddox David; brother, Perry Barrilleaux and wife Hertha of Franklin.

She was preceded in death by her former husband and father of her children Reon J. Westmoreland, and her parents, and siblings, Bernette “B.G.” Barrilleaux, Darel Barrilleaux, Armance “A.B.” Barrilleaux, and Shelby Barrilleaux.

Upholding the honor of pallbearers will be Ramin Afshar, Lance David, Chris Perkins, Oran Broussard, Bernie Barrilleaux, and Jimmy Credeur.

The family would like to thank Amedisys Hospice for their care and compassion.

Memorial contributions may be made in Estelle’s honor to the American Cancer Society or Amedisys Hospice Care.

To view Mrs. Westmoreland’s online obituary, video tribute, or to share your memories of her, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com

Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia (337) 364-1881 is in charge of arrangements.

The following is a beautiful tribute written for Estelle and has some wonderful memories from each one of her children.

So who was Estelle---

A good friend.

An advisor.

A practical individual.

A very professional, no nonsense woman at work.

She persevered.

She had a great attitude.

She was never afraid to speak her mind.

She was smart, but always learning.

She had many happy memories--

Dancing in the kitchen, doing what she loved; cooking and baking.

Music sometimes, Lawrence Welk.

Fishing with our Dad, or Grandpa, or Uncle “Pill”—even though she was always afraid of water.

Going out dancing.

Going to the Casino. Free breakfast after you made your points, with a Mimosa.

Reading big, fat novels.

Traveling in her earlier years.

Many, many BBQs.

Football, especially the Saints and LSU. Never the Cowboys or Alabama.

Pointing out wildlife in her beautiful back yard.

Thanksgivings with the family, toasting with Cold Duck.

New Years dinner, at which time we were told we had to eat black-eye peas and cabbage.

And when we left those gatherings it was always “take some of this” or “don’t you want some of that for so-and-so back home”.

A Marguerita on Saturdays, very potent.

Gardening and eating her own home-grown vegetables, always reminding us the they were better than store-bought, often complaining about how much you had to pay for a head of lettuce at the store.

Crossword puzzles, always near her chair, never wanting the internet to look up answers she could no get on her own.

Jigsaw puzzles always on the dining room table.

At 3:30 it was time for Jeopardy, telling us on our next visit how she knew the Final Jeopardy answer when none of the contestants did, or that she had “never heard of that”, when it came to the ones she didn’t know.

Speaking French with her parents and siblings.

The family would like everyone to know that she was the best mother ever, remarkable in so many ways. Even though she had some disappointments in her life, she persevered with a good attitude. Maybe it was because of the era in which she was raised or maybe it was just mom.

Her son, David, kept up the house and yard, under strict supervision, of course, often unwanted, but tolerated, and he was always reminded the he needed a dry shirt when he was done. She didn’t know about Dri-Fit, and didn’t want to know about it.

When her daughter, Karen came to visit, mom remarked about how she couldn’t sit still and was always doing something. Like Mother, Like Daughter.

In conversations with her youngest daughter, Deda, she talked about her childhood and noted that she had a good life. Maybe she knew we needed to hear that. Thanks mom.

We still marvel at her accomplishments, her many talents, and learned skills. She was our anchor, our rock, truly the matriarch of the family, and she always made us feel loved. It was a standing joke in the family that her children were perfect. She provided us with a lifetime of love.

We will miss you, mom.