La Vergne, Remi

Submitted by Mike Miller

Remi La Vergne, principal of the high school in the Village and River Port of Brusly, West Baton Rouge Parish, is doing his share of effective service in advancing educational standards and work in his native commonwealth, and he is a scion of one of the fine old French families of Louisiana. He was born at Shuteston, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana May 19, 1891, his grandfather, Eubum LaVergne, having there passed his entire life and having been one of the extensive planters of his native parish.

Eugene U. LaVergne, father of him whose name initiates this review, was born in St. Landry Parish in the year 1854, has there continuously maintained his home, and is now a successful exponent of progressive farm enterprise in the proximity of Shuteston, that parish, he is aligned in the ranks of the democratic party, and is a communicant of the Catholic Church, as was also his wife, whose death occurred in 1918, her maiden name having been Armanthe Richard and her entire life having been passed in her native parish of St. Landry. Herbert, eldest of the children, died at the age of twenty years; Lucious is a prosperous farmer near Opelousas, St. Landry Parish; Coralie died at the age of eighteen years; Moses L. is assistant to the auditor of the United States Treasury Department Washington, District of Columbia; Luke is a aggressive farmer, near Sunset, St. Landry Parish; Clement is a successful farmer near Shuteston, that Parish; Miss Celiman remains at the paternal home; Remi, of this review, was the next in order of birth; and Florence is a sister in the Sacred Heart Convent at Convent, St. James Parish.

In his native parish Remi LaVergne continued studies in the public schools at Sunset until he completed the curriculum of the tenth grade, and in 1914 he was graduated from the Louisiana Industrial Institute at Lafayette. For the ensuing three years he was principal of the Central School at Erwinville, West Baton Rouge Parish, and the succeeding year found him in effective service as principal of the graded school at Millers, in St. Landry parish. He was retired temporarily from pedagogic service when he initiated the higher service of patriotism in connection with the nation's participation m the great World war. He entered military service. April 1, 1918, and at Camp Pike, Arkansas, he was assigned to the infantry. He remained there two weeks, next passed twenty days at Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Georgia, and thence was transferred to ramp McClellan, Alabama. Twelve days later he embarked for overseas service, and as a member of the twenty-ninth Division of the American Expeditionary Forces he arrived in the Port of Brest, France. May 20, 1918. After a period of service in Alsace-Lorraine he took part in the great Argonne Forest offensive, and as a result of being severely gassed while in this action he was confined to hospital one month. He then rejoined his command in the Vosges Mountains, and after the armistice brought the war to a close he returned to his native land. He landed in Virginia and at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in May, 1919, he received his honorable discharge. He served as a private of the first class, and his thorough knowledge of the French, as well as the English, language led to his being retained as an interpreter while he was in active service in France, the land of his forefathers.

After the close of his military career Mr. LaVergne held for one year the position of principal of the graded school at Bristol, St. Landry Parish, and he then, in 1920, became assistant principal of the high school at Brusly, where two years later there came appreciate estimate of his efficiency in his being advanced to his present position, that of principal of the high school, which has an enrollment of 245 students and in which is retained under his supervision a corps of eight efficient teachers. In 1925 he received the degree of Bachelor of Science from the Louisiana State University.

Mr. LaVergne has had no desire to deviate from the line of strict allegiance to the democratic party. In their home village he and his wife are communicants of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. He is an active member of the Louisiana State Teachers Association.

On the 27th of December, 1921, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. LaVergne and Miss Eliska Hurst, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hurst, reside at New Roads, Mr. Hurst being one of the representative farmers of Pointe Coupee Parish.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 86-87, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.