Germaine Guzardo Bodin

NEW IBERIA – A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted for Mrs. Wesley Bodin, Sr., the former Germaine Guzardo, age 100, at 10:00 am on Thursday, August 19, 2010 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Fr. Paul Onuegbe will be the celebrant. Interment will follow at Holy Family Mausoleum.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm on Wednesday with a Rosary at 7:00 pm. The funeral home will reopen at 8:00 am on Thursday until service time.

A native of Abbeville and resident of New Iberia, Mrs. Bodin passed away at 2:14 pm on Monday, August 19, 2010 at Iberia Medical Center.

Mrs. Bodin recently celebrated her 100th birthday in her home in New Iberia. Mrs. Bodin lived a very active and productive life. Prior to 96 years of age, she was seldom found at home. Her grandchildren joked with her that an appointment was needed to visit her at home. Mrs. Bodin devoted her time to volunteering with church and community outreach. In 1991, at 83 years of age, Mrs. Bodin was spotlighted in the local newspaper as the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer of the month. The article described her as “a ray of light to all contacts furnished to her”. Mrs. Bodin’s outreach efforts initially were focused on residents at Heritage South and Azalea Villa Nursing homes. It could be a drink of water, something out of reach, a helpful arm of support to walk to the day room or even just a voice that says, ‘I care”.

Prior to her “retirement” from assisting the homebound, Mrs. Bodin’s outreach consisted of caring for those who had no one else to care for them. Often her recipients were years and even decades younger than she. Mrs. Bodin provided them with daily telephone calls, personal visits, meals and treats. She even drove them to Dr. and other necessary appointments. The 1991 article concluded with Mrs. Bodin’s statement, “Helping others makes you feel better. Helping others gets your mind off self.”

Not only was Mrs. Bodin active with the homebound, she was always very active in her church. In the early years, Mr. and Mrs. Bodin were both active with Coteau Church Parish. When their residence became part of St. Peter’s Parish, the Bodin’s served on the finance committee. The Bodin’s again served as finance committee members for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. In this parish, Mrs. Bodin was also a member of the Saint Ann Society, member of a prayer group, religion teacher and served as one of the first female Eucharistic Ministers of that parish. As a Eucharistic minister, Mrs. Bodin served communion in the church as well as providing communion to homebound and nursing home residents. She also assisted the priest during masses at the nursing home. Mrs. Bodin was well known to the nursing home residents and staff as the “old lady”.

Mrs. Bodin believed in the value of physical exercise at an early age. She played on the school basketball team in high school and was also very active on the family farm, where she worked alongside her husband. Mrs. Bodin was employed for a short time in the packing of salt in the Avery Island Mine. In the winter months, she managed the cane derrick, weighing and tagging the loads, keeping each farmer’s records and operating the truck used for lifting each load of cane. This often involved getting up in the middle of the cold winter nights and walking about ¼ of a mile to the derrick when a truck arrived.

During World War II Mrs. Bodin worked for the LSU extension service. Her mission was to go into the homes and teach people how to preserve by canning milk, meat, vegetables and fruits. She continued working with LSU until they opened what is known as the canning center in New Iberia City Park Community Center. When Mrs. Bodin was not at the canning center in the winter months, she would drive her husband’s school bus while he worked to harvest the sugarcane crop.

She is survived by her children, Mary Ann B. Scalisi of Abbeville; Wesley Bodin, Jr. of Chester, Maryland; Daniel Bodin and his wife Agnes; Larry Bodin and his wife Jeanette and Merlin Bodin all of New Iberia; twenty one grandchildren; thirty two great grandchildren and twenty four great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley Bodin, Sr.; parents, Simon and Virginia Broussard Guzardo; son-in- law, Bernard Scalisi; daughter- in-law, Carol Bodin and three grandchildren, David, Kenny and Mike Bodin.

Pallbearers will be members of the family.

Memorial donations may be made in her name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105-1905

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

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