With aging parents and my dad’s declining health, I’ve been spending more time back in my hometown of Des Allemands, LA. “Making groceries” and running errands to retrieve day-to-day essentials today offers few shopping options in town. There’s Frank’s, a regional supermarket with down-home charm and local brands. Or Family Dollar, a modern chain with limited choices and all the customer-unfriendly hassles associated with computerized inventory and price management.
to Des Allemands stores were a big deal.
Probably because I spent the last 25+ years working with restaurants and grocery stores, that got me to thinking about what shopping was like while growing up in Des Allemands. My trip down rural retail memory lane is the product of unaided, selective and fading memory, prioritized by the frequency of our own shopping trips, and perhaps confused by a John Mellencamp romanticizing of the past in small towns.
Labatt’s
During the summer, my mom would let me ride my bike to Labatt’s, which meant trekking along “the old road” next to the railroad tracks, and then up Maloney Road to where it intersected with Highway 90. Along the way, I passed homes owned by families named Matherne, Autin, Frickey, Naquin, Oubre, Dufrene and others of French and German descent. I would park my bike next to the wooden crates filled with empty, returned Coke bottles stacked outside the store. Of course, this was long before I knew Coke was a registered trademark and not a generic description for all soft drinks. When you wanted a cold carbonated beverage, you were getting a Coke, even if it was a Pepsi or Dr. Pepper. Only root beer wasn’t a Coke, and root beer was only Barq’s, and some Barq’s was Crème Soda.
When making groceries, my order was always the same. One half-gallon of milk, one loaf of bred, and one pound of ham. I ordered the ham directly from Mr. Cleve, who always wore a white apron when slicing the fresh ham from his display cooler. When the transaction was done, Mrs. Cleve – whose name I only learned recently was Bessie – would ring it up on credit and put the credit slip into the register.
The IGA
Depending on your age, this store might have been known as Dufrene’s, Sevin’s or both. In our family, it was referred to as “The Supermarket” or “The IGA.” The store originally was owned by Maloney Dufrene, then became Sevin’s IGA when it changed ownership sometime in the late 1960s. My good friends and fellow scouts Donald Allen and Kevin Fambrough worked as stock boys during our high school years, as did many others who got their first real jobs there. Mr. Luquette was one of the butchers, a small man who cut the huge sides of beef down to the individual packages sold to local shoppers. Mr. Joe Fambrough, Kevin’s dad, a Navy veteran of World War 2, and one of our scout leaders, joined the store later as a butcher and remained until the store was sold again in the 1980s.
DeJean’s
Operated by Mr. Breeze – but not the Mr. Breeze known to us Lynryd Skynryd fans — DeJean’s stood next to the railroad tracks and the Up-the-Bayou road underpass. The fish house built over the bayou was the waterside neighbor. The Post Office was in the same building as Dejean’s, before a new brick version was constructed on higher ground next to Sevin’s sometimes after Hurricane Betsy ripped through St. Charles Parish in 1965. There was a screen door in front, which slammed loudly behind you on entering and exiting. Since we lived far down “The Old Road” on Martin Lane, once the Post Office was relocated, our most frequent shopping at DeJean’s was limited to fresh-cut deli meats when we visited next door at the small barber shop for haircuts by Mr. Tat Tregle or Mr. Philip Cortez.
Touchard’s
The long, one-story white building that housed the original Touchard’s was located at the intersection of Touchard Lane and the Down-the-Bayou road, almost directly across from the Touchard’s family home with its always-immaculate small lawn and front garden. As they say in the area, the store “ain’t dere no mo.” While we knew the Touchard family from St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church, I probably can count on two hands the number of times I was in that original Touchard store, likely because we just didn’t have a reason to go “Down-the-Bayou.” Later, the family built a large new supermarket-style store on Highway 90 in what is now Frank’s Supermarket.
It ain’t dere no mo.
The Hill Store
If there was another name for this retail business, I never knew it. A long, narrow building on tall brick pilings, the main store entrance was on “the hill” that led to the Old Bridge. A tall set of stairs led down toward Easy Street. Admitting to fuzzy memory earlier, my best description for this store was general merchandise, including a mix of groceries, hardware, clothing. And I seem to recall that the Greyhound bus stopped here, as I visited here occasionally with my dad to pick up tractor parts or other items that were shipped as freight on the bus for local delivery.
And Any Others
My recollection here only covers my formative years, mostly from 1961-1974. I know there were a few more retail outlets in Des Allemands during that time. One building still stands between the Old IGA and the fire station. Originally, it was a mixed merchandise retail store, carrying goods like shoes and clothes, but not with the broader inventory of Ben Franklin or TG&Y in Luling.
If you remember others, feel free to post comments with your memories here.
CANDIES CAFE WAS NEXT TO THE MOVIE HOUSE AND THE BUS STOP WAS THERE AT ONE TIME.MY MOTHER WORKED IN THE CAFE.THE POST OFFICE WAS NEAR DEJEAN’S STORE.MAIL CAME BY TRAIN BACK THEN.THE STORE ON THE HILL WAS CALLED COMARDELLES.
Ms. Pansy’s Fabric Shop ( I think it was officially called Brown’s Fabric Shop), was located just across the bridge on the Lafourche side. Most of us gals sewed back in those days, particularly prom and bridesmaid’s dresses . She would special order anything you needed. Later Ms. Pansy opened a daycare at that same location. My daughter went to daycare there as a toddler.
shopped in every one of them as a child. had family member working in a IGA. thanks for sharing.
Percy’s clothing store was right next to the IGA Supermarket . Across the street was the picture store run and owned by the Touchards . Right next to the show was The Pool Hall !
Picture show not store . Messed up
Picture show not store . Messed up
My Grandfather owned and built the Hill Store . He was a rock for the community of DesAllemands . Helped anyone and everyone . He gave people credit to buy groceries and eventually had to sell the store because lots of the people couldn’t afford to pay him back . He was a very good kind hearted person . The kind of man that would give you the shirt off his back. He genuinely loved people and was a World War II. Veteran His name was Willie Schaubhut .