Baton Rouge Newspaper Headline: Former Louisiana First Lady is 100 Today
Tallulah, Louisiana - Roses and violets will greet Mrs Henry L Fuqua Sr, former First Lady of Louisiana, as members of her family and friends gather here to celebrate her 100th birthday Saturday. Mrs Fuqua, native daughter of Baton Rouge, who was born less than one year after the end of the War Between the States, was widowed in 1926 by the untimely death of Governor Fuqua, the last Governor of Louisiana to die while in office. They were childhood sweethearts. She was the former Laura Matta and was born next door to the old B'nai B'rith Temple on Fifth Street, just around the corner from her husband. "I knew him all my life but he was 24 before he made enough money to support me," Mrs Fuqua said. After her husband's passing, Mrs Fuqua returned to the home they bought shortly after they married and she lived there at 301 Napoleon St for a number of years with her son, Henry L Fuqua Jr, before moving to Tallulah to make her home with her daughter, Mrs Walter M Scott Sr. They had another child, James, who died at the age of eight.
Helping the first lady of the state to celebrate will be her daughter and son. The son from Baton Rouge arrived here Thursday to be with his mother. Mrs Scott's three grandchildren and two great grandchildren will be there as well as a number of nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews. Some arrived Friday and Mrs Fuqua enjoyed visiting with them, Mrs Scott said. "We were afraid she wouldn't recognize some of them she hadn't seen for a long time, but she did", Mrs Scott said. How's she feeling? "She's feeling pretty good," Mrs Scott said. "She sits up in a chair two or three times a day. When the weather is good, she likes to go out in the garden," the daughter said.
There will be a big birthday cake made specially for the occasion by a Tallulah bakery. Mrs. Fuqua's favorite flowers, roses and violets, will decorate the cake. More relatives are expected Saturday, from LA and MS. "Both my mother and father came from large families," Mrs Scott said. Already in Tallulah from Baton Rouge is a niece, Mrs Waldemar Landry Jr.
Mrs Fuqua was born Feb 26,1866 in the capital city to Adele LaNoue Matta and John H Matta, and her husband was born only a few months earlier, Nov 8, 1865, also in Baton Rouge. He was the son of Confederate Captain and Mrs J.O. Fuqua. She remembers his inauguration day vividly. They built a platform on the old campus with a covering over it. I never saw so many people or shook so many hands in my life. As dean of the living former first ladies of the state - there are seven others - Mrs Fuqua can recall mansion living as none of the others can. She presided over state social life from the 'old old' Governor's mansion or the Knox Mansion which preceded the Old Governor's mansion built by Huey P Long on the same North Boulevard grounds. The old mansion, she recalls, was the hottest house in the summer and the coldest in the winter and it took a regiment to keep clean.
She preferred her Napoleon Street house. She left it after she was stricken gravely ill when she was 91 years old. She recovered amazingly but was left with a weakness in her legs. As a result, she had to give up living at her Napoleon St home and went to live with her daughter in Tallulah. Her friends and her daughter's friends will help the family to bring fresh smiles Saturday to this charming woman as she reaches the century mark.
Tallulah, Louisiana - Roses and violets will greet Mrs Henry L Fuqua Sr, former First Lady of Louisiana, as members of her family and friends gather here to celebrate her 100th birthday Saturday. Mrs Fuqua, native daughter of Baton Rouge, who was born less than one year after the end of the War Between the States, was widowed in 1926 by the untimely death of Governor Fuqua, the last Governor of Louisiana to die while in office. They were childhood sweethearts. She was the former Laura Matta and was born next door to the old B'nai B'rith Temple on Fifth Street, just around the corner from her husband. "I knew him all my life but he was 24 before he made enough money to support me," Mrs Fuqua said. After her husband's passing, Mrs Fuqua returned to the home they bought shortly after they married and she lived there at 301 Napoleon St for a number of years with her son, Henry L Fuqua Jr, before moving to Tallulah to make her home with her daughter, Mrs Walter M Scott Sr. They had another child, James, who died at the age of eight.
Helping the first lady of the state to celebrate will be her daughter and son. The son from Baton Rouge arrived here Thursday to be with his mother. Mrs Scott's three grandchildren and two great grandchildren will be there as well as a number of nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews. Some arrived Friday and Mrs Fuqua enjoyed visiting with them, Mrs Scott said. "We were afraid she wouldn't recognize some of them she hadn't seen for a long time, but she did", Mrs Scott said. How's she feeling? "She's feeling pretty good," Mrs Scott said. "She sits up in a chair two or three times a day. When the weather is good, she likes to go out in the garden," the daughter said.
There will be a big birthday cake made specially for the occasion by a Tallulah bakery. Mrs. Fuqua's favorite flowers, roses and violets, will decorate the cake. More relatives are expected Saturday, from LA and MS. "Both my mother and father came from large families," Mrs Scott said. Already in Tallulah from Baton Rouge is a niece, Mrs Waldemar Landry Jr.
Mrs Fuqua was born Feb 26,1866 in the capital city to Adele LaNoue Matta and John H Matta, and her husband was born only a few months earlier, Nov 8, 1865, also in Baton Rouge. He was the son of Confederate Captain and Mrs J.O. Fuqua. She remembers his inauguration day vividly. They built a platform on the old campus with a covering over it. I never saw so many people or shook so many hands in my life. As dean of the living former first ladies of the state - there are seven others - Mrs Fuqua can recall mansion living as none of the others can. She presided over state social life from the 'old old' Governor's mansion or the Knox Mansion which preceded the Old Governor's mansion built by Huey P Long on the same North Boulevard grounds. The old mansion, she recalls, was the hottest house in the summer and the coldest in the winter and it took a regiment to keep clean.
She preferred her Napoleon Street house. She left it after she was stricken gravely ill when she was 91 years old. She recovered amazingly but was left with a weakness in her legs. As a result, she had to give up living at her Napoleon St home and went to live with her daughter in Tallulah. Her friends and her daughter's friends will help the family to bring fresh smiles Saturday to this charming woman as she reaches the century mark.
Baton Rouge Newspaper Headline: Former Louisiana First Lady is 100 Today
Tallulah, Louisiana - Roses and violets will greet Mrs Henry L Fuqua Sr, former First Lady of Louisiana, as members of her family and friends gather here to celebrate her 100th birthday Saturday. Mrs Fuqua, native daughter of Baton Rouge, who was born less than one year after the end of the War Between the States, was widowed in 1926 by the untimely death of Governor Fuqua, the last Governor of Louisiana to die while in office. They were childhood sweethearts. She was the former Laura Matta and was born next door to the old B'nai B'rith Temple on Fifth Street, just around the corner from her husband. "I knew him all my life but he was 24 before he made enough money to support me," Mrs Fuqua said. After her husband's passing, Mrs Fuqua returned to the home they bought shortly after they married and she lived there at 301 Napoleon St for a number of years with her son, Henry L Fuqua Jr, before moving to Tallulah to make her home with her daughter, Mrs Walter M Scott Sr. They had another child, James, who died at the age of eight.
Helping the first lady of the state to celebrate will be her daughter and son. The son from Baton Rouge arrived here Thursday to be with his mother. Mrs Scott's three grandchildren and two great grandchildren will be there as well as a number of nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews. Some arrived Friday and Mrs Fuqua enjoyed visiting with them, Mrs Scott said. "We were afraid she wouldn't recognize some of them she hadn't seen for a long time, but she did", Mrs Scott said. How's she feeling? "She's feeling pretty good," Mrs Scott said. "She sits up in a chair two or three times a day. When the weather is good, she likes to go out in the garden," the daughter said.
There will be a big birthday cake made specially for the occasion by a Tallulah bakery. Mrs. Fuqua's favorite flowers, roses and violets, will decorate the cake. More relatives are expected Saturday, from LA and MS. "Both my mother and father came from large families," Mrs Scott said. Already in Tallulah from Baton Rouge is a niece, Mrs Waldemar Landry Jr.
Mrs Fuqua was born Feb 26,1866 in the capital city to Adele LaNoue Matta and John H Matta, and her husband was born only a few months earlier, Nov 8, 1865, also in Baton Rouge. He was the son of Confederate Captain and Mrs J.O. Fuqua. She remembers his inauguration day vividly. They built a platform on the old campus with a covering over it. I never saw so many people or shook so many hands in my life. As dean of the living former first ladies of the state - there are seven others - Mrs Fuqua can recall mansion living as none of the others can. She presided over state social life from the 'old old' Governor's mansion or the Knox Mansion which preceded the Old Governor's mansion built by Huey P Long on the same North Boulevard grounds. The old mansion, she recalls, was the hottest house in the summer and the coldest in the winter and it took a regiment to keep clean.
She preferred her Napoleon Street house. She left it after she was stricken gravely ill when she was 91 years old. She recovered amazingly but was left with a weakness in her legs. As a result, she had to give up living at her Napoleon St home and went to live with her daughter in Tallulah. Her friends and her daughter's friends will help the family to bring fresh smiles Saturday to this charming woman as she reaches the century mark.
Tallulah, Louisiana - Roses and violets will greet Mrs Henry L Fuqua Sr, former First Lady of Louisiana, as members of her family and friends gather here to celebrate her 100th birthday Saturday. Mrs Fuqua, native daughter of Baton Rouge, who was born less than one year after the end of the War Between the States, was widowed in 1926 by the untimely death of Governor Fuqua, the last Governor of Louisiana to die while in office. They were childhood sweethearts. She was the former Laura Matta and was born next door to the old B'nai B'rith Temple on Fifth Street, just around the corner from her husband. "I knew him all my life but he was 24 before he made enough money to support me," Mrs Fuqua said. After her husband's passing, Mrs Fuqua returned to the home they bought shortly after they married and she lived there at 301 Napoleon St for a number of years with her son, Henry L Fuqua Jr, before moving to Tallulah to make her home with her daughter, Mrs Walter M Scott Sr. They had another child, James, who died at the age of eight.
Helping the first lady of the state to celebrate will be her daughter and son. The son from Baton Rouge arrived here Thursday to be with his mother. Mrs Scott's three grandchildren and two great grandchildren will be there as well as a number of nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews. Some arrived Friday and Mrs Fuqua enjoyed visiting with them, Mrs Scott said. "We were afraid she wouldn't recognize some of them she hadn't seen for a long time, but she did", Mrs Scott said. How's she feeling? "She's feeling pretty good," Mrs Scott said. "She sits up in a chair two or three times a day. When the weather is good, she likes to go out in the garden," the daughter said.
There will be a big birthday cake made specially for the occasion by a Tallulah bakery. Mrs. Fuqua's favorite flowers, roses and violets, will decorate the cake. More relatives are expected Saturday, from LA and MS. "Both my mother and father came from large families," Mrs Scott said. Already in Tallulah from Baton Rouge is a niece, Mrs Waldemar Landry Jr.
Mrs Fuqua was born Feb 26,1866 in the capital city to Adele LaNoue Matta and John H Matta, and her husband was born only a few months earlier, Nov 8, 1865, also in Baton Rouge. He was the son of Confederate Captain and Mrs J.O. Fuqua. She remembers his inauguration day vividly. They built a platform on the old campus with a covering over it. I never saw so many people or shook so many hands in my life. As dean of the living former first ladies of the state - there are seven others - Mrs Fuqua can recall mansion living as none of the others can. She presided over state social life from the 'old old' Governor's mansion or the Knox Mansion which preceded the Old Governor's mansion built by Huey P Long on the same North Boulevard grounds. The old mansion, she recalls, was the hottest house in the summer and the coldest in the winter and it took a regiment to keep clean.
She preferred her Napoleon Street house. She left it after she was stricken gravely ill when she was 91 years old. She recovered amazingly but was left with a weakness in her legs. As a result, she had to give up living at her Napoleon St home and went to live with her daughter in Tallulah. Her friends and her daughter's friends will help the family to bring fresh smiles Saturday to this charming woman as she reaches the century mark.
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MARIE LAURE MATTA
WIFE OF
HENRY LUSE FUQUA
FEB. 26, 1866 - JUNE 13, 1968
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