Cecilia - A devout Catholic, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and dedicated educator, she died at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2008, at Lakewood Quarters. She was 103 and a native and lifelong resident of Cecilia (St. Martin Parish) where she was an active member and held numerous offices in both the St. Joseph's Ladies Altar Society and the Catholic Daughters of America. She was a loving homemaker, retired school teacher, and principal. An inspiration to many, "Ms. Agnes" as her students respectfully called her, was a graduate of Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and along with her sister, Edith, drove a horse and buggy eight miles daily for her first two years of teaching in the mid 1920s. In her later years, she often reminisced about her years of teaching, recollecting proudly that she often had up to sixty students in her classroom, and was visited by Superintendents T. H. Harris and Shelby Jackson. Her heart was filled with love for her chosen profession and she instilled the love of education in her children and grandchildren. Her teaching instincts have lived on, for her three children and four grandchildren all have university degrees and have studied at the The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Harvard University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, Loyola University of New Orleans School of Law, Northeast Louisiana University, and the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

She and her late husband spent three wonderful years as residents of the St. Agnes Nursing Home in Breaux Bridge which was named in her honor. To be closer to her late husband and her children, she spent her last years at Lakewood Quarters in Baton Rouge. Both nursing home facilities were especially courteous to her, and the family is grateful for the care and concern of their administration and staff. Life Source Hospice staff were supportive and a blessing.

Visitation will be held at Pellerin Funeral Home in Cecilia from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 13 with the recitation of the rosary at 7:00 p.m. led by sister-in-law Sister Rita Hardy, MSC. Visitation will continue on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until funeral services.

Religious services at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cecilia at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 14 to be celebrated by her grand nephew, Monsignor Douglas R. Courville. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in law, Mary Agnes and Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau, Baton Rouge; two sons and a daughter-in-law, former Lieutenant Governor Paul Jude and Sandra Gayle Gatlin Hardy, Baton Rouge; and Louisiana State Archivist Florent Hardy, Jr., Ph.D., Baton Rouge; grandsons, Dr. A. J. (Mrs. Melissa) delaHoussaye, IV, Houma; Gregory Paul (Mrs. Dede) Hardy, Lafayette; granddaughters, Monique Angelle delaHoussaye (Mrs. Timothy Jude) Breaux, Lafayette; and Yvette Rachal Hardy (Mrs. Darrell) Gross, Baton Rouge; one great grandson, Jacques Timothe Breaux, and two great granddaughters, Heather Gayle Hardy and Jessica Yvette Gross.

She is preceded in death by her devoted husband of 64 years, Florent Hardy, Sr.; father and mother, Drauzin and Agnes Guidry Dupuis Angelle; one brother, former Louisiana Speaker of the House of Representatives, Robert "Bob" Angelle; sisters, Laurence A. Hamilton, Anna A. Dupuis, Rose A. LeBlanc, Aminthe A. Calais, Edith A. Calais, and Alice A. DeVillier; step sisters, Marie Dupuis Courville, Amelie Dupuis Guidry, and Mozella A. Willis; one step brother, Boone Dupuis; son-in-law, Captain Arthur Joseph delaHoussaye III, USMC; one sister in law, Madge Begnaud Angelle; and numerous brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Pallbearers will be Timothy Jude Breaux, Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau, Dr. A. J. delaHoussaye IV, Florent Hardy, Jr., Gregory Paul Hardy and Paul Jude Hardy. Honorary pallbearer will be Jacques Timothe Breaux.

Memorial donations may be made to the Hardy family's church parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church, P. O. Box 279, Cecilia, LA 70521.

Pellerin Funeral Home of Cecilia, 2238 Bushville Hwy., Arnaudville, LA 70512, (337.667.6464) is in charge of arrangements.