TERREBONNE and LAFOURCHE Parishes, La.

OBITUARIY for OLIVIER, ELLZE "CHICKIE" (BROWN)   

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan

Published in Houma Today & The Daily Comet from March 19 to March 20, 2013

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OLIVIER, ELLZE "CHICKIE" (BROWN) 

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Ellze "Chickie" Brown Olivier, was born on July 17, 1932, and died Tuesday, 
March 19, 2013.

A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church 
in Houma.

She is survived by her husband, of 63 years, Beryl "B.J." Olivier; children, 
Frank Daniel (Suzette) of Douglasville, Ga., Farley of Kentucky, Laura Beth 
(David) Olivier Dupree of Houma, and Kevin "Kip" of Houma; grandchildren, 
Trisha Ponville and companion, Andrew Stump, David, Joshua (Kim) Ponville, 
Staci (Michael) Parker, Tim Olivier, Marissa and Quinn; great-grandchildren, 
Emily, Dilan, Gabriel and Sadi; step-grandchildren, Kelsey, Jason and Merle.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ervin and Ellze Brunet Brown; son, 
William Jeffrey Olivier; and infant daughter, Darlene.

Chickie was born in New York, N.Y., to Ervin Floyd Brown and Ellze Brunet Brown 
of Houma. Her family moved back to Houma when she was 10 years old, and she 
attended St. Francis de Sales School. She later attended Terrebonne High 
School, was in the band and was a majorette and a flag bearer. 
She was married to Beryl "B.J." Olivier at age 17, and five months later 
contracted polio. The rest of her life was spent in a wheelchair, though she 
did not consider herself disabled. She belonged to many organizations over the 
years and was appointed by Gov. Edwin Edwards to head the Terrebonne Parish 
Bicentennial Committee from 1972 to 1976. She was the only person in Louisiana 
to serve on two boards simultaneously at that time. She chaired the Mayor's 
Committee for the Handicapped as well as Terrebonne Parish Committee for the 
Disabled. She was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for Terrebonne 
Parish Criminal Justice Complex, the Crime Victim's Board and the Juvenile 
Justice Committee. She was very involved in the parent-teacher organization of 
the schools her children attended, Honduras Elementary, East Houma Elementary, 
Oaklawn Middle School and Oaklawn Band Club. 
She participated in all of these activities in spite of her disability and 
being wheel-chair bound. 
She raised her five children while Beryl was off-shore with no help. She was 
such an inspiration in the lives of her children that her oldest son, at the 
age of 18, ran for the Terrebonne Parish School Board and won, being the 
youngest elected official in the state and the youngest ever to serve in 
Terrebonne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her name to the Shriner 
Hospital for Children, 3100 Samford Ave., Shreveport, La. 71103.

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