Betty B. Briggs

Betty Barousse Briggs, age 92 and a lifelong resident of Jennings, passed away peacefully Thursday evening, December 5, in the SW Louisiana Veterans Home after battling advanced dementia for several years. She was a resident of the VA Home for nearly 5 years and her family is extremely grateful to the attentive and loving care provided by its entire staff and that of the private sitters in the last year of her life.

Born October 14, 1927 to George and Gladys Gardiner Barousse, Betty graduated from Jennings High School and began nurse training at Touro Infirmary until WWII ended, when she married her childhood sweetheart, Norman Briggs, in 1947. They were married for 71 years and raised six children. Norman died in 2018.

In addition to being an exceptional homemaker, seamstress, square dancer, outstanding cook and baker, a Cub Scout den mother and a Boy Scout pack mother, Betty also worked part-time for a few years at the Jennings Daily News as a copy editor. As her children all left the nest, and in her late 40’s, Betty resumed her nursing education by commuting to LSU-Eunice, graduating with a 4.0 GPA at age 49 as a Registered Nurse. She then worked at the Jennings hospital and both Jennings nursing homes before retiring in as Director of Nursing at Jeff Davis Living Center.

Betty and Norman drove through their retirement years in a series of fixer-upper motorhomes, crisscrossing the U.S. and Canada, visiting their grandchildren in far away cities and making new friends at every thrift shop and flea market along the highways. They also navigated trips to Europe and Hawaii, despite their advanced ages. But, their home in Jennings was always the center for huge family gatherings for holidays and all birthdays, where MawMaw was at her happiest surrounded by grandkids and great-grandkids, and with a slice of cake on her plate. Betty was a bargain shopper, a devout Catholic, loved all babies, a good story teller, a slow eater, was quick with her serene smile and numerous facial expressions, loved her blue recliner and was a great teacher and trainer to her nursing employees.

Betty is survived by her six children; daughter, Cherie Earles and husband Dana in New Braunfels, TX, son Kirk and wife Karen in Lafayette, son Tim and wife Janice in Arnaudville, son Monte and wife Sue of Crowley, son Kevin and wife Susan of Lafayette and daughter Kathy Briggs of Jennings; 14 grandchildren scattered in Louisiana, Texas, California, Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama and Italy; 18 great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and 1 great great-grandson; she is predeceased by 1 great-grandson. Betty is also survived by one brother, Fr. Raphael Barousse, a Benedictine monk and priest at St. Joseph Abbey in Covington. The Abbey monks have handcrafted Betty’s custom cypress casket. Betty’s only other sibling, Jimmy Barousse, husband of Arlene Kennedy of Rayne, died in 1973.

Visitation will be at Miguez Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a rosary at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, with a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church at 2:00 p.m. with Fr. Charles McMillin officiating. Entombment at Calvary Cemetery in Jennings under the direction of Miguez Funeral Home.

Words of comfort may be expressed to the family at www.miguezfuneralhome.com