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A group of 13 Abbeville High School Civics and US History students spent their Easter break touring Philadelphia and learning about our nation’s history.
Tiffany Fontenot, who teaches the two subjects at AHS, organized the trip. This is the second time her classes have traveled to the city, following the 2024 trip. The idea for the excursion started with a T-shirt in 2023.
“I wear a lot of t-shirts that coincide with the subjects I’m teaching,” Fontenot said. “One day in 2023, Mr. Phillip Freeman asked me where I would get them and if any were from museums. I said some were, and he said, ‘Plan a trip.’ So, I did.”
Fontenot chose Philadelphia over places like New York, Washington DC, and Chicago because of its relevance to her classes. On their first stop in 2024, Fontenot realized she had made the right decision and that they had to come back.
“Philadelphia is important to the foundation of our country,” Fontenot explained. “It’s where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.
“The first place we went in ’24 was Independence Hall. The kids were asking and answering questions. Seeing them engaged like that made me realize how important this is for them to see. As soon as we got back, we decided to do it every other year, and started planning ’26.”
First-year principal Jenni Frick immediately threw her support behind the project. In fact, she added a couple of stops and even went on the trip.
“It was my first trip to Philadelphia, so I was delighted to be asked to be a part of it,” Frick said. “One of our favorite lines from Hamilton is the room where it happens. We were actually in the very room where it happened, and it was amazing.
“For our students, it’s always a great opportunity for them to travel and experience the world outside of Abbeville. I think it’s important that they are exposed to that so they can see what is possible.”
Sophomore Madison Frazier was one of the students on the trip. The thing that stuck out to her the most was just how amazing it was that we defeated the British in the Revolutionary War.
“We totally kicked their butts, and we didn’t even have a country or even an army,” Frazier said. “That was so awesome!”
Frazier and fellow sophomore Madison Peltier both said they enjoyed touring the Battleship New Jersey more than anything else they did.
“I liked the battleship the most,” Peltier said. “We got to go explore on our own without a tour guide.”
“The museums are really fun, but they don’t leave you alone,” Frazier added. “We got to go on a real battleship by ourselves.”
Although she didn’t expect it, junior Alexis Hernandez really liked The Museum of the American Revolution.
“I was surprised it was so interesting,” Hernandez said. “But wars are what I do best in class, so that’s what I know the most about.”
While the three girls laughed as they reminisced about the bland food, airport vending machines, and the tour guide that got away, Frick was most impressed with their behavior.
“Frequently, we were told how well-mannered and respectful our students were,” Frick said. “They really unlocked that next level of excellence, and I cannot say how proud we are.”
Frick, Fontenot, and the 13 students are eternally thankful for those who made the trip possible by supporting their fundraising efforts.
“It’s really nice to see the community support these kids so they can have this experience,” Fontenot said. “A lot of these kids will never fly or visit another state again. They are so grateful that people around them said I’m going to help you do this.”
Now that the trip is behind them and life is back to normal, the students wanted to share with the community a word they learned at the Philadelphia museums that perfectly describes their feelings.
“Huzzah!”

November 18, 1947~ April 20, 2026

Marcelle Richard Trahan, 78, a lifelong resident of Abbeville, passed away peacefully on the morning of Monday, April 20, 2026, following a brief illness. She was surrounded by adoring and heartbroken family and friends.
She passed away nearly 19 years to the day after the death of her husband, Harold George "Sonny" Trahan, Jr., M.D. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Yvonne "Pud" (Sigur) Richard and Elie Richard, and a brother, Michael Richard. She is survived by 3 sons, Christopher George Trahan, M.D. and his wife Britlyn of Mandeville, LA; Gregory George Trahan and his wife Rebecca of Baton Rouge, LA; and Stephen George Trahan, D.D.S. of League City, TX. She is also survived by her greatest joys, her 7 grandchildren Christopher "Beau" George Trahan II, Jack Oneil Trahan, Evelyn "Evie" Elizabeth Trahan, William George Trahan, Andrew "Drew" George Trahan, Caroline Marcelle Trahan, and Ella Grace Trahan.
She is also survived by her "inherited sisters" Donna and husband Richard J. Putnam, Jr., J.D of Abbeville; Lolette and husband Byron Hebert of Abbeville; Bonnie and husband Errol Leblanc of Abbeville; Susan and Thomas Trahan, M.D. of Clinton; and her dear friend Sheryl Prejean of Abbeville. She was preceded in death by Catherine Trahan Miller and Henry Trahan, Au.D.
A 1965 graduate of Mt. Carmel High School, she attended Charity Hospital Nursing School in New Orleans, graduating in 1968. Following graduation, she served as a nurse in New Orleans and then for many years at Abbeville General Hospital, helping and healing a generation of patients.
Her talents and interests were wide and varied. She was an exceptional and generous cook; it was not uncommon for "Marcelle's dish" to be the best of, well, everything, and there was always a spot at the table or tray or pan of something special. Her gumbos and etouffees and bisques became legendary among her sons' friends and grandchildren, and she was always thrilled to make them for her family, or even a football team. She had a relentless sweet tooth and was renowned for her homemade pralines.
As a gifted and self-taught gardener, her backyard was replete with beautiful blooms and bursting color. She kept a beautiful home of her own design, especially around Christmas for her grandchildren - worthy of magazine features. Along with friends and family, she loved Broadway and musicals, word games, TaB and later Coke Zero.
Her greatest pleasure was her grandchildren. Whether it was ensuring their birthdays and holidays were magical, making them a favorite treat, or seeing them perform on the field and stage, her heart was most full being "Grammy."
She was resilient with class, fiercely independent until she could no longer be, and a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.
Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a Rosary at 7 p.m., and on Friday May 1st from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Vincent Funeral Home in Abbeville. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating her life will be held Friday, May 1st, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, officiated by Rev. Msgr. Keith DeRouen. Burial will follow at St. Alphonsus Church in Maurice. Pallbearers will be Andrew Hebert, P.A.; Weston Peter Miller IV, M.D.; Peter O'Konski; Richard Prejean; Richard J. Putnam III, J.D.; and Jeremy Speeg, M.D. Her 4 grandsons will serve as honorary pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name be made to the Dr. and Mrs. Harold G. Trahan, Sr. Scholarship Fund at Vermilion Catholic, a Legacy of Mt. Carmel, 425 Park Avenue, Abbeville, LA 70510.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville (337) 893-4661.

Early in our marriage Boo’s dad would have a calf butchered every few months.
The meat was divided between each of the family. Such a treat! Delicious! Easy in the budget! Convenient! What comes to mind now is how we used brisket and round steaks. I chicken fried the round steaks and made soup with brisket, because these cuts were considered subpar.
Because I did not like round steaks unless my mom cooked them (2 to 3 hours). Boo always loved the chicken fried steaks, but chicken-fried was one of those cooking styles that my mom did not subscribe to. I had eaten chicken fried steak on weekends with my grandparents. I looked in my big red checkered cookbook. I thought about what I would like it to taste like. I pounded my round steaks like recommended in the cookbook. I put a little mustard with salt and pepper before dredging them in flour, no egg wash. They were actually delicious. Boo was impressed, and Jeri was too young to have an opinion. These steaks were in our supper rotation for a very long time.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

A Landry family favorite
Perfect for tough cuts of beef

INGREDIENTS

-1 tsp garlic powder
-4 1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp black pepper
-4 (6 oz) top round or sirloin steak
-2 cups plus 3 tbsp flour
-2 large eggs
-2 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp whole milk
-3 cups frying oil of choice

MISE EN PLACE

-Preheat oven to 200 degrees. (Put each batch of fried steak in the oven to keep warm until serving time). I recommend a flat baking pan covered with paper towels. Don’t stack cooked steaks. Their crispiness will suffer.
-Place a paper towel-lined plate on the counter ready for fried steaks.
-Pound the steaks thin, optional
-Stir together garlic powder, 3 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 pepper in a small bowl.
-Sprinkle seasons over both sides of all steaks.
-Stir together 1 1/2 cups flour and remaining seasoning in a shallow bowl.
-Whisk together eggs and 2 tbsp whole milk in another bowl until well combined.
-Heat oil in large (at least 12”) cast-iron skillet or your favorite frying pan.
-Working with 1 at a time, dredge steaks in flour mixture to coat both sides.
-Shake off excess.
-Dip into egg mixture.
-Let excess drip off.
-Dredge in flour mixture again to coat both steaks completely.
-Carefully place 2 steaks in hot oil until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
-Place cooked steaks on paper-lined pan.
-Sprinkle with salt if desired.
-Place in warm oven.
-Grease should be back to frying temperature.
-Repeat procedure with remaining 2 steaks.
-Drain skillet, reserving 1/4 cup drippings and as much of the solids as possible.
-Return drippings and solids to skillet.
-Heat over medium-low heat.
-Whisk remaining flour into warm drippings mixture in frying pan.
-Stir constantly, until mixture is bubbling and smells toasty, about 1 minute.
-Gradually whisk in remaining 2 1/2 cups milk.
-Bring gravy to a simmer over medium.
-Reduce heat to medium-low.
-Cook, stirring often, until gravy is thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.
-Taste, and add remaining salt and pepper as desired.
-Transfer steaks to a serving platter.
-Serve immediately with warm gravy.

After all the above recipe was typed and proofread, I found my notes. Here they are below.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

-Tenderize: pound the steak thin.
-Dredge: Coat the steak in seasoned flour, dip in an egg/buttermilk wash, then coat in flour again (a double-dip is common).
-Fry: Cook in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.
-Make Gravy: Use the pan drippings to make roux with flour, then whisk in milk until thickened.
-Serve: Smother the fried steak with gravy and serve hot, often with mashed potatoes.
I never made the gravy, and I would never pour gravy over the crispy fried steaks.

STEAK CHILI

Billie’s No-Ground-Meat Chili

INGREDIENTS

-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 lb of chuck roast cut into 1 inch cubes by store meat department
-2 onions, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp chili powder
-1 tsp chili pepper
-1 tbsp cumin
-Cayenne to taste
-2 (29 oz) cans diced tomatoes
-1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained

INSTRUCTIONS

-In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the oil and steak and sauté about 5 minutes, or until steak is browned.
-Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, and chili pepper.
-Sauté another 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
-Add tomatoes and kidney beans.
-Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 1 hour.
-Remover lid, and simmer at least
30 minutes more.
You can control the thickness of your chili with the amount of cooking time and amount of water used if it becomes too thick. Your desired thickness is personal. You are the boss in your kitchen.
Boo and I like spoon food to be thick. Gumbo, soup, and chili at our house is probably a bit thicker than most. With each spoonful, we like to get a bit of all ingredients in the pot.
I looked over my old recipes to find one that matched what I do when cooking chili, never with a recipe. It was interested to look up the differences between chili powder, chili pepper, and cumin.

CHILI POWDER: a blend of seasonings: cayenne, cumin, garlic, onion

CHILI PEPPER: cayenne

CUMIN: earthy flavor that creates chili taste

Obviously you could make do with either the chili powder or cumin. I don’t use cayenne, but always add cumin to create that taste in chili flavored food, such as in sloppy Joe’s.
I’ve mentioned before that my dad didn’t care for ground meat, and there wasn’t much chili at the Rodrigue house. I made steak chili to introduce him to chili, although I think he ate a lot of chili growing up with my grandmother cooking. Also a student would go home hungry often if not eating ground meat food often prepared in the school cafeteria.

SIRLOIN TIPS

Quick cooking, cubed
Real tenderness quicker

INGREDIENTS

-3 tbsp olive oil
-3 cloves garlic*, minced
-1 1/2 lb beef sirloin steak, cut in cubes
-1 (16 oz) can mushrooms, with liquid
-1 (8 oz) tomato sauce
-Seasoning to taste

MISE EN PLACE

-Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high
heat.
-Add beef.
-Sear until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
-Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-Add tomato sauce.
-Stir until sauce is absorbed and slightly thickened, around 5 minutes.
-Add mushrooms.
-Simmer until heated throughout.
*Garlic is low calorie nutritious culinary addition to most savory food known for its pungency and unique flavor.
Available in so many forms that it is always readily available in your kitchen. A supermarket provides fresh garlic pods, garlic powder, minced garlic, garlic butter, and garlic paste. It’s called for in so many recipes, it should be a staple. Garlic is renowned for the pungent sulfur compounds, which provide significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cardiovascular health benefits. Who would think that garlic would be nutritious? The smell can be delicious or unpleasant.
Garlic is in so many recipes, it was good to know it is also nutritious not just delicious.

MUSHROOMS

Steaks need this.

INGREDIENTS

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp unsalted butter
-2 small cans mushrooms that I use,
or 1 cup portobello mushrooms
-1 large onion, sliced optional

MISE EN PLACE

-Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium heat.
-Add mushrooms, onions and seasoning.
-Stir until brown until well coated, about 5 minutes.
Boo always prepares this dish when he grills steaks.
My Aunt Dossie always had mushrooms (no onions) as a side dish when she prepared a beef roast for midday Sunday dinner, absolutely delicious. Boo always adds onions.
Canned mushrooms are always in our pantry, good in omelettes, fried rice, and on pizza. When we had all that frozen beef on hand, I would sometimes add a can of mushrooms to brown gravy. I often added extras to the brown gravy. A can of mushroom soup, a cut up bell pepper, a sliced potato, and even a can of green beans directly in the pot added variety to plain gravy. We like mushrooms in red gravy also.

MOVE OVER COWS!

Good and good for you
Not every steak is beef

SALMON STEAKS

No beef here
Perfect “steak” dinner

INGREDIENT

-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1 tbsp dried basil
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tbsp butter
-4 lemon wedges

-MISE EN PLACE

-Stir garlic powder, basil, and salt together.
-Rub mixture evenly over salmon.
-Melt butter in large skillet.
-Add salmon.
-Cook until browned and flakey, about 5 minutes.
Salmon steaks are easy to prepare at home and always a good alternative if you are cutting carbs or red meat. Garlic is high in protein with properties that support cardiovascular and cognitive health.

Jusqu’a la semaine prochaine.

billielandry@iosinces.com

Tim Moore and his wife, LaShonda Moore, are establishing the Bay City Boxing Gym in Abbeville to support youth in Abbeville and Vermilion Parish.
The Bay City Boxing Gym recently hosted a camp at the Moore residence, introducing boxing to approximately 20 local youths. Activities included walking, jumping jacks, and practicing jabbing, including hitting a punching bag for the first time.
“I want to help the kids,” said Tim. “It is my calling. We are losing a lot of kids to violence.”
Moore aims to provide a facility that helps children avoid trouble and develop life skills through boxing.
Years ago, Tim Moore operated a boxing club in a converted building on Donald Frederick’s Boulevard, across from J.H. Williams Middle School.
He closed the previous club because it lacked 501(c)(3) status, which limited fundraising. After addressing this, the Moores secured nonprofit status for the Bay City Boxing Gym.
While the Bay City Boxing Gym does not yet have a dedicated building, it continues to operate from the Moore home.
Moore has consulted with Abbeville City Judge Rick Putnam and Councilman Brady Broussard to help locate a suitable facility.
“They are on board and willing to help,” said Tim.
Once a building is secured, it will be equipped with a boxing ring, punching bags, gloves, and other essential training equipment.
He knows that getting a boxing gym off the ground will require a step-by-step approach, beginning with securing a facility. Once that is established, the next step will be to raise funds to buy a boxing ring for the new building.
“Boxing also builds up their confidence,” said Tim. “It helps them get off the street. We feel we can do a lot of great things with the boxing gym.”
If you know of an available building or wish to make a donation, please contact LaShonda Moore at (337-224-2319).
“We are trying to make a difference in Abbeville,’ said Tim. “We see the Bay Boxing Gym as a way to do that.”