Marie Therese Bienvenu

St. Martinville - A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m., on Monday, June 7, 2010, at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Marie Therese Poulain Bienvenu, 90, who passed away on Thursday, June 3, 2010, at her residence. She is now resting peacefully in the arms of her Heavenly Father and her loving husband, Charles. Interment will follow at St. Michael Cemetery in St. Martinville. Msgr. J. Douglas Courville will officiate at the Funeral Mass. Scriptures will be read by Christine McArdle and Camille Copeland. Mrs. Bienvenu was born and raised in LaHaye du Puis, France (Normandy). It was there that she survived the D-Day invasion at her home, 8 miles from the beaches of Normandy. There she met her husband, Charles Bienvenu, Jr., who was serving as an American soldier during World War II. They were married for over 60 years. She was a teacher at Mt. Carmel High School in New Iberia for 11 years, where she taught French and Latin. During her retirement, she volunteered at the church museum, enjoyed giving tours at the church, and meeting the many tourists. Therese was a very devout Catholic and faithful parishioner of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church. In her free time she enjoyed working crossword puzzles, studying world history, and writing poetry for her children and grandchildren. Survivors include her son, Charles Bienvenu, III and his wife, Patsy Lantier Bienvenu, of The Woodlands, TX; two daughters, Annette Bienvenu Lucas and her husband, Wayne, of Richmond, VA, and Michele Bienvenu Coulon and her husband, Dennis, of Gretna; seven grandchildren, Danielle Lucas Mitchell, Wayne Edward Lucas, Jr., Matthew Lucas, Christopher Coulon, Charles Bienvenu, IV, Christine Bienvenu McArdle, and Stephen Bienvenu; and seven great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Bienvenu, Jr.; her parents, George and Madeleine Blondell Poulain; her sister, Anne Marie Poulain; and her brother, Joseph Poulain. The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Monday. A rosary will be recited at 11 a.m. on Monday morning. Pallbearers will be Christopher Coulon, Charles Bienvenu, IV, Stephen Bienvenu, Matthew Lucas, Charles Halphen, Gerald Halphen, and Michael Hamner. Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.