Hurricane Rita, Cameron Parish, Louisiana The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La Submitted by Kathy Tell Date 25 Jan 2006 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Where are they now? Report on the evacuees By NELL COLLIGAN Page 4, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., November 17, 2005 EDDIE BENOIT KENT BENOIT It took no time at all to fill a column with news coming in by phone and email. By the looks of things, everyone else is an anxious as I am to find out where our friends are. (The Beniot family) Peggy Benoit writes that she and Eddie and their family as well as Kent and Janette Beniot first went to Thibodaux where they were taken in by relatives, 22 in one household. They went from Thibodaux to the KAO campground in Scott, eventually ending up in Rayne where Peggy and Eddie spent 13 days in their camper. The family has finally settled in Lake Charles: Janette and Kent in the home that was Janette’s mother’s, and Eddie and Peggy and their family in a vacant home owned by a cousin who lives in Texas. Janette’s house was totally wiped out. Kent lost his trailer and the house he was moving into (Penelope and Darren Richard’s former home). Peggy and Eddie’s house is still standing but filled with collapsing, moldy ceilings and wet carpets. Peggy said it is such a mess,they don’t know where to start. ELDIE CHERAMIE BETTY SAVOY GIZ GUILBEAUX I finally did locate my neighbors, Eldie Cheramie and her sister, Betty Savoy. They spent the storm at Claude and Vernie Hebert’s in Lacassine, and then went on to stay with relatives in Lake Arthur. Now Eldie is with her daughter, Toni and husband, James Boudreaux in Grand Lake. She’s waiting for a FEMA trailer to put on Toni’s land in Grand Lake. Betty and her daughter Kathy and Giz Guilbeaux are living in a mobile home in Grand Lake. Kevin and Michelle are living in a mobile home next door. JEROME RUTHERFORD RICHARD HEBERT Jerome and Myra Rutherford are in Lake Arthur but will be moving to the LeBleu Settlement. Richard Hebert and Cricket are in Basile, planning to buy a home there. GALTON BOUDREAUX HAZEL DRONET Other news from Eldie: Dale and Galton Boudreaux are in Grand Lake living in a mobile home owned by Dale’s daughter, Genji who is at Fort Polk with her husband who is in the service. Hazel and Pamme Dronet have purchased a home in Lake Charles. ROBERT WHITEMAN DEANNA JORDAN Jane Peshoff Whiteman phoned me from Chesapeake, Va. were she has been staying with her daughter since before the storm. Jane and Robert lost their trailer but plan to get another one. They will probably stay in Lake Charles or somewhere within driving distance of Robert’s job on the Cameron Ferry. Kathy Peshoff Navarre, David Peshoff and Paula Acosta are all with Kathy’s daughter, Teffany Miller in Lake Charles. Deanna Peshoff Jordan is in Opelousas with her son Larry Kiser. She plans to go back to Cameron and put a trailer on her daddy’s land. ELAINE THOMPSON DORI TAYLOR PAT SALTZMAN C-BOB DOXEY JOEY SEDLOCK Elaine Thompson, Dori Taylor and Pat Saltzman and her friend, C-Bob Doxey are in Lake Charles with Joe and Edith Miller. Jane’s son, Joey Sedlock and his wife Dawn are with family members in the Grand Lake area. NEALIE KAY MCDANIEL GLENDA BAILEY Nealie Kay McDaniel and family are in a motel in the Toledo Bend area. Other news from Jane: Glenda Bailey is with her daughter in DeRidder. KENNETH ROUX Kenneth Roux initially evacuated to Winston Salem, N. C. but is now with his son, Kenneth Roux, Jr. (I guess that’s in Lake Charles.) COLLIGAN JOE MCCALL MARY RICHARD The Colligan home across from Cameron Elementary School is totally gutted. Deanne and Madeleine salvaged only a few of their belongings and are living with Joyce and Norman McCall at their farm in Singer. The McCall home was also destroyed as was the old drug store, which was leased by the Seacor company for its Cameron office. Norman is now working at the Seacor office in Lake Charles. The Cameron Drug Store closed in 2002, and the building was being used as a warehouse for Seacor. It is now just a slab with a roof suspended on steel beams. I understand various members of the national press have used it as a makeshift headquarters when they exit their helicopters on Smith field next door. It’s a fair shelter from the sun. Joyce’s daughter, Phyllis and her husband, Billy Johnston, live in the Grand Lake area. Their home sustained damage but they have managed to remain in it. Joe McCall’s home in Grand Chenier sustained some damage but I am not sure how much. Joe and Paula and the family are in their Lake Charles home. Alan McCall had no damage to his home in Lake Charles. The Colligan’s longtime family friend Mary Richard is also staying between the McCall’s farmhouse and her parents’ home in Kaplan. Her home sustained major damage. ANNA BOUDREAUX THERESA MARTINEZ Deanne tells me she saw Anna Boudreaux and Theresa Martinez at the “new Cameron-Creole post office” located at the Chennault Air Base. Anna and Theresa’s home in Creole was totally wiped out. They are buying a home in Moss Bluff. RALPH NEWTON Ralph and Betty Newton are at their son’s home in Houston. Ralph will be going back to work on the “Inez,” TBoy McCall’s party boat. Their tentative plan is to get a trailer and live in Rockport, Tex. near Betty’s sister. Keep the mail coming in folks; 302 Trailwood Lane; Lafayette, La. 70508. Or email me NELL COLLIGAN at nnadc67@aol.com. If you call, please make it between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 988-5395. We’re all waiting to hear from Creole, Grand Chenier and Johnson Bayou/Holly Beach residents. I’m wondering, where’s Mr. Sonny and Janie, where’s Zeek, where’s Sha Sha Styron and her family in Creole, the Touchets in Holly Beach and my friend from school-nursing days, Diane Price in Johnson Bayou. I guess we are assuming everyone in Grand Lake is still in their homes along with many other friends and relatives. The CAMERON PARISH PILOT- Weekly Publication Jerry and Joy Wise, P.O. Drawer 1486, Cameron,La. 70631-8998