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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sister Jeanne Marie Bernhardt at the age of 90. She passed away peacefully on Monday, June 22, 2020 at Vermilion Healthcare in Nunez. She was born on August 31, 1929. As was Sister’s wish, her body was donated to science. A memorial mass will be held at a later date at Our Lady of the Bayous, 1318 South Henry Street, Abbeville, Louisiana, the place that she so loved and shared with countless others through the years.
She was preceded in death by her parents Lucien Bernhardt and Suzanne Vanoly Bernhardt and her siblings, Therese Bernhardt, Genevieve Bernhardt Laine, Jean Bernhardt, Louis Bernhardt, Madeline Bernhardt Frelastre, Suzanne Bernardt Lespart, Andre Bernhardt, and Jacques Bernhardt. She is survived by three siblings, Michel Bernardt, Anne-Marie Gasnier, Monique Dessaigne, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Sister Jeanette was born in Algiers, Algeria. Her family made France their permanent home. She joined Sisters of the Dominican Rural Missionaries in 1952 at the age of 22 in Flavigny, France. In 1955, Sister Jeanette came to Louisiana after the tragic death of four nuns in a train accident. They are buried in St. Mary Magdalen cemetery. The remaining nuns continued their mission to serve the community through acts of faith and love. Sister graduated from Southwest Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana Lafayette) School of Nursing in 1960. She was a registered nurse and served at no charge. Sister would often tell of how she and her fellow sisters went door-to-door asking for donations for each sink, toilet, bed, and other supplies to erect what we all knew as the Dominican Convent. The convent is now owned and operated by Family Missions Company who, to Sister’s great joy, are continuing to spread the love of Christ through ministry and service.
The family and friends would like to thank Vermilion Healthcare Center and Hospice of Acadiana for their kindness, compassion, and care over the past six years.
Donations may be made to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503 or Family Missions Company, 12611 Everglade Road, Abbeville, Louisiana 70510 in Sister Jeanette’s name.

November 15, 1941 ~ June 23, 2020

KAPLAN — Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, June 26, 2020 at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan honoring the life of Bert Guillot, 78, who died Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at his residence. He will be laid to rest at Abshire Cemetery.
He is survived by his four sons, Leon Maitre and his wife, Christine of Dallas, TX, Farryl Guillot and his wife, Lisa of Kaplan, Tony Collins and his wife, Jean of Church Ponit, and Darwin Guillot and his wife, Charlene of Iowa; his two daughters, Monica Lormand of Ebenezer and Joyce Wnight of Bennet, CO; his 20 grandchildren; his 26 great grandchildren; and his brother, John Guillot and his wife, Alma of Bryant, MS.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria “Glo” Guillot; his son, Darryl Collins; his daughter, Britt “Buzz” Roberson; his son-in-law, Neal Lormand; his parents, Calise Guillot and the former Joyce Dominque; and his two sisters, Gloria Menard and Cheryl Richard.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Friday, June 26, 2020 from 8:00 AM until the time of the services at 1:00 PM.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276 [Service Information 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Guillot family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.

By Catherine Hunt
LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE — A Senate committee on Wednesday passed a version of the state’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year and several other bills that could impact the state’s finances, including freezing pay raises for state employees.
The bill, approved by the Senate Finance Committee, would use $90 million from the state’s rainy-day fund to fill budget shortfalls caused by nearly $1 billion in lost revenues estimated by state economists.
The Legislature is expected to use more than $1 billion in federal coronavirus aid to fill budget gaps. About half of those funds were used in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and the rest will be used in the fiscal year starting July 1.
The committee also passed three other bills Wednesday that would give about $9.6 million in tax breaks next year to hotels, retailers and restaurants trying to recover from the shutdown from the virus, which has caused more than 300,000 Louisianans to file for unemployment.
Meanwhile, the House gave final legislative approval to a tax break for the gambling industry which could cost the state $11 million next year and $83 million over five years.
Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, the chairman of the finance committee, said the various business tax breaks could total between $20 million and $25 million next year.
The Senate committee also included language in the budget bill that would temporarily freeze pay raises for state employees. That would save the state about $60 million.
The money would be set aside in a separate fund, and the Legislature would consider whether to issue the pay raises later if the economy improved. If not, the money would be used to fill budget holes.
Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, supported the freeze, saying layoffs could be prevented “if we make wise decisions now as a Legislature.”
The committee unanimously approved the plan. But Gov. John Bel Edwards, who also would have to sign off on the bill if it makes it out of the Legislature, opposed the move.
“I know there’s some talk about not doing it or maybe delaying them for some period of time in order to achieve some savings that could be put in the budget,” Edwards said. “I don’t believe that is necessary and that we should do that at this time.”
The State Civil Service Commission, a seven-member body with final authority over the central human resources agency for the state, said it would have to approve the move. Individual agencies would have to go to the commission to seek exceptions to the rule, said Byron Decoteau, the commission’s director.
“In all likelihood, the most appropriate route… would be some type of emergency rule process,” Decoteau said.
Despite the federal money and the savings on salaries, the Legislature plans to cut spending on higher education by $22 million even as members push for the tax breaks for businesses.
Also Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards and state Treasurer John Schroder reached a deal to end a fight over what to do with the money that the state has from unclaimed property. Schroder’s office holds money from unclaimed savings accounts and insurance proceeds on behalf of residents.
Under the deal, the Legislature will be able to spend $57.5 million of this money. White said it would use some of this money to cover the cost of the business tax breaks.
The state will create a trust fund next year to hold other unclaimed property and prevent its use in future state budgets.

For most of his professional life, you could find Mike Bertrand in the Vermilion Parish Courthouse.
Between his time working for the Vermilion Parish Police Jury and his time as Vermilion Parish Registrar of Voters, he has spent 35 years working in the courthouse. Add his tenure at Sellers & Associates, that total is nearly 50 years he has spent time in that building.
On July 4, Bertrand is set to walk in the courthouse for his last day of work.
Bertrand will retire as Registrar of Voters on the final day of early voting for the presidential primary. Bertrand made the announcement public during the Police Jury’s meeting last week. Bertrand spent 15 years as the Secretary-Treasurer for the Police Jury, before moving to the registrar’s office 20 years ago. The Police Jury is in the process of finding someone to succeed Bertrand.
For Bertrand, this is the right time to move into retirement.
“I think it’s the right time for me,” Bertrand said. “I think it is a good time to making that move.”
One of the first steps in the move will involve family. Bertrand and his wife, Annette, have 11 grandchildren.
“We are following our grandkids around in a lot of their activities,” Bertrand said.
Bertrand’s son, Chris, is a college baseball coach at Northwestern State University. Bertrand said he plans to follow the team a great deal next season.
“I also have some little odds-and-ends projects around the house,” Bertrand said. “I have some woodworking projects. I also have grass to mow, and things like that.
“There are a lot of different things I think I’m going to do.”
Bertrand’s career never completely left him without time to do some of those things.
“My job did fortunately allow me to do a lot of those things after hours,” Bertrand said. “I was able to go watch baseball games. However, when we had elections, I would have to miss some Saturdays. Now, if we want to travel to watch Northwestern on the road, we can do that.
“We can get up and go.”
Bertrand has certainly enjoyed getting up and going to work each day.
“Absolutely,” Bertrand said. “When I was upstairs with the police jury, I dealt with so many different things on a day-to-day basis. Whether it was roads and drainage, solid waste, or fire protection, dealing with local, state and federal officials, it was really good. In my current office, elections are always a big thing.”
Both jobs brought Bertrand in contact with countless people over the years.
“That is something I will definitely miss,” Bertrand said. “You get to see people and visit with so many people.
“I will miss being able to interact with the people who visit the courthouse.”
There are so many that Bertrand will remember fondly.
“The staff I have had here in the registrar’s office,” Bertrand said. “They have been great. There were so many great people involved with the Police Jury. I have worked closely with so many people in the Clerk of Court’s office.”
Duties of his office are keeping Bertrand busy up until his last day. Early voting began yesterday. It will last through Saturday, July 4, Bertrand’s last day.
“We have been doing a lot to set up for that,” Bertrand said. “Right now, it’s been pretty active.”
At the same time, Bertrand has been packing up some of the things he has collected in his office over the years.
“I have papers from basically 35 years,” Bertrand said. “I am pretty much a hoarder when it comes to paper. I have kept a lot of things, like articles about the storms. I have got a lot of things packed up.”
Bertrand added with a laugh that what he’s bringing home from his office is not good news for his wife.
“She keeps asking me what I am going to do with boxes of stuff I have in a room at home,” he said. “I plan to go through that stuff and reorganize.”
As Bertrand goes through 35 years of memories, not many “bad” days show up.
“It’s like anything else,” Bertrand said, “you have those tough ones, but with everything I had to deal with, they were all interesting.”
It all started on his first day.
“The first day I came in with the Police Jury,” Bertrand said, “I was the assistant Secretary-Treasurer. Mr. Jewitt Hulin was still the Secretary-Treasurer. When I came in, I found out that he would not be there that day. They told me I was going to have to handle the meeting later that night. It was an interesting way to get started. It set me up for 35 years.
“It’s been good.”