Our Home of Albany, Livingston Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue



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From the book entitled "The Free State - A History and Place-Names Study
of Livingston Parish" by the members of the Livingston Parish American
Revolution Bicentennial Committee in cooperation with the Livingston 
Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana American Revolution Bicentennial
Commission, 1976.  Reprinted by permission.  Dedicated to the memory of
Reuben Cooper and Raymond Riggs.

OUR HOME OF ALBANY began its operation as the first Livingston Parish

nursing home in 1944.  Thought to be the second oldest facility of its

kind in the stae, the home for the elderly and invalid closed its doors

in April, 1976.

     Realizing the need for such a facility, the Rev. and Mrs. Alexander

Bartus obtained the use of the former Hungarian Elementary School on La.

Hwy. 43 wouth of Albany, which had been consolidated with Albany High 

School.  The wood frame building consisted of six classrooms and an

auditorium.

     A governing body was organized to administer the home, including the

local school boardman and a member each from the Hungarian Presbyterian,

Bethelehem Baptist, and St. Margaret Catholic churches.  The first board

included Rev. Bartus, chairman; school board member Ivy Kinchen, secretary-

treasurer; Alex Prokop, and Clinton Threeton.  Ivy Kinchen's son, C.W.

Kinchen, later served as a member of the board.

     With generous help from the local people, the home was appropriately 

named Our Home of Albany, Louisiana.  Later it was incorporated and until

recently, because of its non-profit structure, the home had been receiving

contributions from the United Givers Fund.

     As requirements for nursing homes became more rigid, the governing body

made every effort to comply with regulations.  With the help of the community,

an overhead water sprinkler system was installed, and a portable electric

generator and other equipment was provided.  The one requirement that could

not be remedied is the type of material of which the building was constructed,

and this requirement ultimately led to its closure.

     However, the Bartus family has plans to construct a 100-bed facility on 

the family estate near the Interstate 12 - La. Hwy. 43 intersection.  If 

their dream becomes a reality, the facility will be named the Bartus-Szekely

Memorial Nursing Home to commemorate the part that Rev. and Mrs. Bartus 

played in the establishment of a nursing home in the Albany area.  Mrs. Bartus'

maiden name is Szekely. -- Louis C. Bartus

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