Tracy Scioneaux-Gaudet
Current Hometown: Brusly St. Martin Scioneaux-Gaudet was born and raised in Grand Bayou. She lived there until 2006 when she was forced to leave and built a home 5 miles down the road. Favorite Thing to Do We had so many good childhood memories, my father was a sugarcane farmer. I’m the youngest of seven children, we spent a lot of time outdoors. We played outside, riding four wheelers, I use to play with my cousin a lot. We built wood boats and we would go up and down the display with our wood boats we would build. Favorite Memory I miss the close knit community and having my family so close by. Everything was in walking distance, all of my memories are good for Grand Bayou because I was young growing up. I had both of my parents, they both were very loving. I cannot pick a favorite because I just have so many memories. My mom passed away right before we moved. She was still living before the evacuation, she had cancer. She was going through chemo and so, one of my favorite memories is just having my parents. Most Missed I miss most the small community, where you did not have to lock doors, where you visited with your neighbors. Before all the technology took over it was a very simple, happy place to grow up. Grand Bayou Traditions No, not really. When we moved from Grand Bayou, I lost a part of my soul. Part of my soul and heart stayed in Grand Bayou because that is where all my great memories were. You know it was unfair that we had to give up our childhood and our childhood memories and now it’s a ghost town. So, now when I pass through there, there’s no good vibes anymore. There is nothing that exists, the community I knew and grew up knowing is diminished and all gone. When we moved from Grand Bayou, I lost a part of my soul. Part of my soul and heart stayed in Grand Bayou because that is where all my great memories were.
Nicki Lirette Boudreaux
Current Hometown: Thibodaux Boudreaux’s mother was born in Grand Bayou and she visited extended family on weekends. Favorite Thing to Do & Favorite Memory I grew up in Paincourtville, about 5 miles away, but my grandmother lived in Grand Bayou my whole life, and I would go there on the weekends. I was a lot younger than all the rest of my cousins. My mom was 15 years younger than her closest sibling, so when I would go to Grand Bayou, I was one of the only kids around. I would go spend weekends wih my grandmother, and we would play a lot of cards. I would sit under the big oak tree and read. I would just sit and swing on her porch, we would visit her and my great aunts and listen to them tell stories, and we would walk across the bridge and go to the store. I would play cooking under the oak tree with a stick and some dirt. We would play a lot of hide-and-seek with some friends if I was able to bring some. I just enjoyed a lot of the simple things. Most Missed Probably just my grandmother in general. I can picture so many things about her she’s been gone now since 1997. My grandmother and Grand Bayou are one in the same. Her house isn’t there anymore, so it’s just…. she was Grand Bayou. Grand Bayou Traditions My grandmother’s cooking. Just like any good Cajun, the thing that lives is food. We talk a lot about things Maw Maw cooked and so that’s how Grand Bayou still lives on for me. It’s cooking the things she cooked or trying to cook the things she cooked. So far, I have her spaghetti and vegetable soup recipe down pat. I would say that’s how Grand Bayou lives on for me, is through my grandmother’s food. I would say that’s how Grand Bayou lives on for me, is through my grandmother’s food.
David Rousseau
Current Hometown: Plattenville Favorite Thing to Do Hunt and fish. Favorite Memory The close knit communities and family lifestyle. Most Missed I miss being so close to the outdoors. Grand Bayou Traditions I’m still best friends with my childhood friend, and we still have breakfast on the weekends near Grand Bayou. I’m still best friends with my childhood friend, and we still have breakfast on the weekends near Grand Bayou.
Jason Blanchard
Current Hometown: Houma Favorite Thing to Do Anything having to do with outside; shooting my pellet gun, crawfishing, playing in the woods. Favorite Memory Watching my grandfather work under an oak tree, washing cars, fixing a lawn mower, building a BBQ pit. All this was done on a Saturday morning. Most Missed I miss the people and families and how close everybody was. Grand Bayou Traditions My treatment of others and compassion and ability to see people for who they really are is something that I learned in Grand Bayou and that shaped me the most. [My favorite thing to do was] anything having to do with outside; shooting my pellet gun, crawfishing, playing in the woods.
Jerry Rousseau
Current Hometown: Paincourtville Rousseau was born in Grand Bayou and lived there for 19 years. Favorite Thing to Do Fish, hunt and swim. Favorite Memory It was a quiet, family-oriented place where you didn’t even have to lock your doors. No one would ever bother you or ever try to steal from you. Most Missed Seeing all the people that lived there and all of the small family owned businesses including his grandfather’s store, moss ginn, dance hall and casino. Grand Bayou Traditions It was the place I grew up in and always loved. It made me a friendly and more family-oriented person. It was a quiet, family-oriented place where you didn’t even have to lock your doors. No one would ever bother you or ever try to steal from you.
Joy Rousseau Banta
Current Hometown: Paincourtville Favorite Thing to Do Ride in a boat and fish. Favorite Memory My house was the go-to house, and my family had a shed that my friends and I would play in all day; as well as riding in a boat and fishing by rowboat. Most Missed I miss the community and the people. In my mind, I cand go down in the street and tell you where everyone stays. Grand Bayou Traditions We still get together as a family on Sundays I miss the community and the people. In my mind, I cand go down in the street and tell you where everyone stays.
Randy “Wop” Rousseau
Current Hometown: Belle River Rousseau was born in Grand Bayou. He moved away at 19, but moved back in 1991 and lived there until he was permanently evacuated in 2011. Favorite Thing to Do Being in the bayous before the alligators — there’s a lot of alligators in the water now that they didn’t have back then. Favorite Memory Probably playing football in the yard with the two other guys that lived there that were my age. That’s about it. There was just three of us and we played football in the yard and rode dirt bikes and stuff like that. We could ride dirt bikes in the yard, go crawling across the little bayou and go into the woods It was pretty cool. Most Missed You had room. You didn’t have any borders, you didn’t have any limits, you could go out and ride bikes and whatever. You could go through a neighbor’s yard. We had acres of land. We just had a lot of room. Grand Bayou Traditions There weren’t any rules or restrictions. You pretty much knew when you had to be home, you knew what you had to do, you knew when you did wrong. It was pretty good. We had good friends, had good neighbors, family all around, and we didn’t get in a lot of trouble because there was not really nothing to get into any trouble about. Evacuation Experience We had been evacuated in 2003 — actually Christmas Day of 2003 — for two months. We were told to leave, not knowing when we’d go back, if we’d go back- and one thing that bothers me particularly about that episode was that it was Christmas day and I had a lot of family at my house because I had a big house and everybody came over there. we had brunch, and the whole day’s events. In 2011 we were out permanently, but that was another incident with Texas Brine- so two completely separate incidents. You had room. You didn’t have any borders; you didn’t have any limits.
Nell Aucoin Naquin
Current Hometown: New Orleans Naquin lived in Grand Bayou until she graduated from Nicholls and got married. Favorite Thing to Do There was a lady everyone called Aunt Lou, but she wasn’t everybody’s aunt. She would always manage to find stuff for the kids to do. My favorite thing to do in Grand Bayou was to spend time at Aunt Lou’s house with all the other kids. Favorite Memory My favorite memory of Grand Bayou came from fishing. As I was in a small boat only five feet off the bayou fishing for catfish, my mother was picking fresh potatoes, green beans and tomatoes from the garden. After preparing it all, she would come in with caught catfish and she would fry them up. That meal came completely from the bayou, and it was as fresh as it could possibly be. Just being able to catch our fish, grow our food and then sitting down and having one of those meals. Most Missed I miss fishing the most and being able to use and explore the bayou every day. Grand Bayou Traditions I keep the mindset and the lifestyle of Grand Bayou. There is something to be said about the simple, slow moving country type of life. I keep the mindset and the lifestyle of Grand Bayou. There is something to be said about the simple, slow-moving country type of life.
Jessica Rousseau Baye
Current Hometown: Labadieville Baye lived in Grand Bayou her whole life until she got married at 23. Favorite Thing to Do Playing with the other kids in the summer, whether we were playing baseball in the front yard or swimming in the bayou. Favorite Memory Learning how to swim in the bayou. Once we learned how to swim, if we were brave enough, we would swim the pocket back and forth before the bayou started. Who knew in those days that that small act would be so important to me. Most Missed I miss that I can never go home. Grand Bayou is Always With Us From Grand Bayou, faith carried over. Everyone still has strong faith and tries to send their children to Catholic school as long as we could. The community taught us how to be compassionate. [Grand Bayou] taught us how to be compassionate.
Heidi Rousseau Mattingly
Current Hometown: Napoleonville Favorite Thing to Do I loved to sing and swing all day long. Favorite Memory Every morning my grandmother would watch me, and my sisters get on the bus and would be waiting on us when we got off the bus. Most Missed I miss the memories of Grand Bayou — riding through Grand Bayou and it not being there, hurts me. Grand Bayou Traditions Grand Bayou is always and will always be a part of me. I still get my family together on Sundays for get togethers like crawfish boils. Grand Bayou is always and will always be a part of me.