Obituaries of JULY 1990 Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, La.
Source: The Lafourche Daily Comet
Submitted by: Chris Tidwell
Last modified 5 October, 2014
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Note: This file has been divided into sections representing DATE OF DEATH
Because of the method of reporting at that time, only the DAY of burial is
given, not the DATE.
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AUG 30 1990

Thibodaux store owner dies at 76
Thibodaux merchant Jake Bourgeios died at 4:45 this morning at Thibodaux
Hospital and Health Centers as a result of cancer. He was 76.
A funeral is planned Saturday morning at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in
Thibodaux. Visitation will be 6-10 p.m. Friday at Landry Funeral Home in
Thibodaux and at
the church from 8 a.m. until funeral time.
Funeral time had not been set by press time today.
Bourgeois was the husband of Alma Canceinne Bourgeois, father of Marie
Bourgeois Ward of New Orleans, Chris Bourgeois Credeur of Opelousas, Claire
Bourgeois Hernandez of Thibodaux, Richard Bourgeois and Martin Bourgeois of
Thibodaux; and brother of Eloise Bienvenue of St. Martinville, Lillian Myers
of
Schriever, Lester and Harold Bourgeois of Schriever.
He is also survived by three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Valery Bourgeois and Julia
Thibodaux Bourgeois; sister, Julia Bourgeois Carver of Lafayette; and two
brothers,
Valery Bourgeois Jr. and Lawrence Bourgeois of Schriever.
Bourgeois was born on Nov. 3, 1914. A native of Schriever, he came to
Thibodaux in 1934 on a bicycle and got his first job as a sweeper at
Richards Variety
store. In one year, he became manager of the store and worked there until
joining the U.S. Army in 1941. He served in the Pacific theatre campaign
during
World War II as a lieutenant colonel.
After coming home from the war in 1945, Bourgeois returned to his job at
Richards, working there until four years later when he realized that he was
ready to go into business for himself. He opened his first store on Green
Street on his birthday, Nov. 3, 1950.
He came to live in Thibodaux in 1946.
Assisted by his children, Bourgeois eventually opened several other stores
in
local shopping malls, including the recent move of his store Jakes into the
Nicholls Shopping Center, He achieved his goal of opening a store for each
of
his five children.
Bourgeois was a former president of the Thibodaux Lions Club and president
of the Downtown Merchants Association for more than 20 years.
He was a recipient of several awards including the Veterans' of Foreign Wars
Francis M. Durel Award in 1949 for outstanding service to the community and
the Femmes Natales Award in 1982 for outstanding citizenship. In 1983, he
reigned
as King of Fete Champetre. In 1985, he was awarded the Frank Kennnedy Award
by the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce.
According to friends, Bourgeois philosophy in life was: "There is joy in
giving, and it is in giving that one receives."

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