Courrege | Blue Eyes and Bluebonnets

Sunday’s Obituary: Gus Courrege – Town Blacksmith

Gustave "Gus" Courrege stands in front of his blacksmith shop

VINTON — Funeral services for Gustave Jean Courrege, 80, of 1133 Horridge St., longtime Vinton fire chief, were at 2 p.m. today, April 10, from St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Entombment was in the mausoleum at Sulphur under direction of Hixson Funeral Home.

Mr. Courrege died at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday in a Lake Charles hospital.

He was a native of New Iberia and was a retired blacksmith.

He was the first fire chief in Vinton, a post he held for 38 years. He was named fire marshal for the town in 1962.

Mr. Courrege was a past commander of John C. Bowden American Legion Post 208 of Vinton. He had served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War I.

He was a member of Vinton council 6103, Knights of Columbus, and of Msgr. Cramers General Assembly of the Fourth Degree. Mr. Courrege was a trustee of St. Joseph Church.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. May Breaux Courrege; one son, G. J. Courrege Jr. of Jennings; one daughter, Mrs. W. Howard Nutter of Houston; two sisters, Mrs. James Hoiby of Beaumont. Tex., and Mrs. J. S. Dement of Vinton; 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Relation to Me

Gus Courrege was my 1st cousin, two times removed.

More about Gus Courrege on WeRelate.org.

Newspaper Clippings

Vinton Fire Chief Given New Post

Sunday’s Obituary

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Bill and Lucy Courrege Benoit, New Car, 1926

Bill and Lucy Benoit (c. 1926)

This photo is of my grandparents in front of their new car. My grandfather is holding my mother, who was born in 1926, so this photo was probably taken in 1926 or 1927. They must have been going someplace special because they are all dressed up.

Willie “Bill” Benoit (1894-1985) was born in Vinton, Louisiana, to Michel Maran and Marie Domathile Duhon. Domathile was the second of three wives of Michel. As a soldier in WWI, he served in France as a guard at a German prison camp.

Lucy Pauline Courrege (1899-1990) was born in New Iberia, Louisiana, to Jean Courrege and Emerantia Rodrigue.

My grandmother was working in a mercantile store in Vinton and staying with her cousin Gus Courrege’s family when she met my grandfather. They married on 30 Apr 1923 and were married for over 50 years. They owned Benoit’s Variety in Vinton for 22 years.