Laura “Lou” Duplechain

October 7, 1931 - January 24, 2020

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 31, 2020 at St. Mary Mother of the Church for Laura Lou Duplechain, 88, who passed away on January 24, 2020. Father Cedric Sonnier, Pastor of St. Mary Mother of the Church, will serve as celebrant. Burial will take place in Calvary Cemetery. Lou, a resident of Lafayette, was the daughter of the late Alex Soileau and the former Amy Reed of Evangeline Parish. She is survived by son, Michael T. Duplechain and wife Marcia of Hendersonville, NC; daughter, Virginia D. (Kelly) Riley and husband Carl of Lafayette, LA; daughter, Christine E. Kimmel and husband Gary of Spring, TX; daughter, Sandra D. West and husband Troy of Alexandria, LA; her elder brother, Huey P. Soileau of Angleton, TX; grandchildren, Tiffany Grace (Kelly) Chiarulli and husband Eugene, Amanda Kimmel Chance and husband Tyler, Marlin Kimmel and wife Sammy, Chris West and wife Kristy, Luke Kimmel and wife Catherine, Zachary West and wife Ashley, Spencer West and fianceé Midori, David West, 6 great-grandchildren and 2 expected. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Chris Duplechain; infant daughter, Marie Elaine Duplechain; parents, Alex and Amy Soileau; and her elder siblings, Hester Soileau Stagg, George Soileau, Cliff Soileau, Harry Soileau, and Carrie Soileau Singleton. Lou, as she was commonly known by family and friends, was a beautiful woman inside and out, independent minded and strong until the end. She was born and raised in the Whiteville/Ville Platte area in the 1930’s. At age 13, she began the journey of primary caregiver for her widowed mother who suffered from manic depression. She graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic School, working to pay her own tuition. Following graduation, she worked as a practical nurse, which she loved, but left it to join Chris Duplechain as secretary at KVPI and later married him. Later they relocated to Franklin, LA where the opened KFRA and raised their 4 children. Her main hobbies included sewing and flower arranging. She was a member of the Garden Club, and the Home Demonstration Club where she served as a 2-term president. She won numerous awards for her skills as a seamstress. She was also a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Catholic Daughters, Ladies Altar Society at St. Mary, the Little Lilies of the Eucharist, and several other prayer groups through the years. In her early 50’s, while still caring for her 90-year-old mother, her husband, Chris, became disabled. This forced her to find a way to become the primary bread-winner. The hardships faced when her father died uninsured, leaving their family without income, ended her dream to be an RN, but fueled her passion and drove her to succeed in her new career as a New York Life Insurance Agent. A rigorous training program required grueling trips to New Orleans weekly for several years. She overcame the challenges of the business and became one of the few females at that time to beat the odds of success in the insurance industry, qualifying for Million Dollar Round Table and achieving the New York Life Council annually. She also earned various certifications and awards. In 1988, the family relocated to Lafayette where she continued her career. Lou was raised Catholic. As an adult, she made a Cursillo (retreat) and found a deep and true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Later, she became involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. This encounter with the Holy Spirit was life changing. It opened the door to emotional healing and freedom in Christ. She was a living witness to the fullness, power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, which was evident in her countenance, words, and actions. She taught her family the power of praying in the name of Jesus, trusting God, and expecting miracles. For years her home was a gathering place for people from numerous denominations to connect, pray, and grow in their faith. Miracles happened and lives were transformed. She never tired of sharing her faith and offered to pray with anyone who was interested. Chris, her children, and many family members and friends came into a stronger faith as a result. Near the end of Chris’ life, she developed dementia and macular degeneration. Following his death, her loss of vision and memory made it increasingly challenging to live independently. Having been a caregiver since 13, it was very difficult for her to reverse roles and become the recipient of care. Family members rotated in and out of her home for 3 years to assist her. For the next 7 years, she moved around between assisted living communities and her daughter, Sandra’s home in Alexandria, finally returning to her beloved home in Lafayette. Her life’s mantra was, “Choose joy and be thankful in the midst of your trials. You might even have to sing for it.” Her favorite scripture was, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 We gratefully acknowledge those who lovingly contributed to her care: The Hospice of Acadiana team, especially nurses Jonathan Bourque and previously, Bonnie Whatley, as well as Kent Zeringue, who provided many delicious meals. Also, special thanks to Lou’s personal caregivers, including but not limited to April Gobert – her primary caregiver, Delores Babineaux, Roberta Wilkerson, Eunice Pitre, Rebecca Senegal, Esther Broussard, and others, as well as the many past caregivers including Bertha Noel, Diane Alexander, Royal Broussard and Right at Home Agency. Your love and patience was greatly appreciated. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home – Bertrand on Friday, January 31, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. A Rosary will be prayed at 1:00 PM on Friday afternoon by the Catholic Daughters. Pallbearers will be David West, Zach West, Luke Kimmel, Tyler Chance, Eugene Chiarulli, and Gary Kimmel. Honorary Pallbearer is Marlin Kimmel. Music at Mass will be provided by Spencer West, Chris and Kristy West. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Family Missions Company in Abbeville, LA at www.familymissionscompany.com or Hospice of Acadiana at www.hospiceacadiana.com . Personal condolences may be sent to the Duplechain family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA is in charge of funeral arrangements.