Wiletta Thibodeaux was born Wiletta
Jackson in Thibodaux, Louisiana on September 4, 1918. Her parents were Mary
Peltier Jackson and Courtland Jackson. She had eight siblings, Evelyn,
Courtland, Jr. Eunice, Myrtle, Kathleen, Bernard, Sylvester and Louis. She
lived in Donaldsonville with her mother’s sister, Aunt Gertrude and her husband
Uncle Nolan, who was Pullman Porter from age 10 to 14. After graduating from
8th grade at St. Catherine in Donaldsonville, she returned to Thibodaux for
high school and to help her Mom with the younger siblings.
She left Thibodaux in 1948 to
start a better life with more economic opportunities. She worked at Woolworth’s
on Canal Street and later at the Carver House in Lincoln Beach before moving
into Pontchartrain Park. Her husband, John Thibodeaux, was born and raised in
Thibodaux, LA and was a close friend to Wiletta’s brother, Courtland; they were
altar boys together at St. Luke’s Catholic Church. When he came to New Orleans
, he worked as a chef at many restaurants in the city among them was
Commander’s Palace. He later became the manager for the Carver House at Lincoln
Beach.
Wiletta and John Thibodeaux brought
the house at 5001 Columbia Street in 1957. It was the model home for
Pontchartrain Park located on the corner of Congress and Columbia. Wiletta and John moved in with their three
children, Marielise, Wiletta and Tracey. The house was originally occupied by Edward
Bocage, also known as, Eddie Bo, a local entertainer. He had a hit song, “Check
your buckets”, in 1956 and he was going on a tour. John and Wiletta knew him
because he performed regularly at the
Carver House. He sold the house to them.
At this time, with a new mortgage, Wiletta started thinking about opening a
nursery in her house. However, Pontchartrain Park was strictly residential. She
had a good business sense because she felt with a new subdivision, many young
families would need day care and with Southern University opening in the
neighborhood, the staff would need daycare as well. Keeping a few children grew so popular that
she had to get a petition signed by the residents of Pontchartrain Park to
start a licensed day care. She had to return to school at
Delgado and take courses and workshops in early childhood education and in
nutrition. In 1963 she officially opened as a state
certified day care. Her business flourished and Thibodeaux’s Nursery began a
cornerstone in the community. However, this license day care center came with
many restrictions. There were to be no signs or displays that indicated this
was a business; no visible advertisement. The facade of the business must
remain strictly residential. Off street parking was an issue also even though
it was on a corner, another drive was necessary for the other side of the
house. The Thibodeaux’s affectionately known as Teacher and Honey devoted all
their time and energy to the success of the nursery. Mother Dear, as her children affectionally
called her, became the administrator and Honey because the cook. Several
employees were hired and Mrs. Thibodeaux’s daughter, Marielise Payton, remained
an employee the entire time the nursery was operating. There were also many
part-time employees from the neighborhood. Several ‘stay-home ‘moms because
part-time workers at the nursery; especially during the holidays the ladies
would make their holiday money by working at the nursery. Some of the veteran
workers at the nursery were Mrs. Delores Blue, Mrs. Valerie Ross, Mrs. Verna
Brock, Mrs. Marie Roberts, Mrs. Dabon, Mrs. Sharon Lewis, and Ms. Wanda
Washington.
The
most memorable events at the nursery were the annual Christmas Parties for students
and parents, the culminating play at St. Mary’s Academy every May and the buttered
biscuits and buttered grits for morning breakfast
The
nursery business provided a necessary service for the community and the
business thrived. In 1970 the business had grown so much, the Thibodeaux’s
turned the entire house into a nursery and brought another house on Mithra
Street.
My
mother worked hard to give her children the kind of lifestyle she felt they
deserved. Marielise and Wiletta attended St. Mary’s Academy and Tracey attended
St. Augustine High School. Marielise
attended Dillard University and became a housewife. Wiletta graduated from
Xavier University in education and went to graduate school at Howard
University. She is a retired high school English teacher. Tracey graduated from
Dillard University and went on to become an administrator in the RSD school
system. He married Ellen Schexnayder who also grew-up in Pontchartrain Park.
The Thibodeaux’s social status had grown as
well over the years. Some of the most influential people in the Pontchartrain
Park community had their children attend the nursery and thus their
appreciation showed in their embracing the Thibodeaux’s into their social
circles. Dr. Proctor introduced them as
members of the Young Men of Illinois Club. The Thibodeaux’s also operated
Shelter #4 on the lakefront for many years and a restaurant in the Park called
Teacher’s Pet.
Some
of the students who attended Thibodeaux’s Nursery and Pre-School were:
Jamal
and Jacova Williams, Karen and Patricia Thomas, Donald and Denise
Williams, Linda and Louis Douglas, Kevin
McClain, Vernon Haynes, Nicole Armour and later her daughter, Samantha Fleury,
Kyle Fleury, Gina Brown, Dana and Kathy Le Beouf, Ayanna Jahan, Jamell and Romell Patterson,
Miranda and Garret Lewis, Margaret Ventress, Shandrika, Dawn and Kim Reed, Jaida Blackwell, Holly Francis, Sybil and Derrick Humphrey, Gregory and Robert
Hobbs, Jeffery Rubin, Ricky and Kevin Lewis , Gilbert and Donald Lainnez, Dana
and Danielle Atkins ( and their mother, Michelle Atkins)… Kenneth Jones, Gerald
Page, Gay and Guy Stephens, Derrick Dean, Ronnie Smith, Deanna Proctor…
Carmelita and Tina Darensburg, Ranata and Floyd Raphael, Mignon and Danny,
The Gill’s, Janey and Ambrose, Desiree and her sister, Christy and Tricia, Addison and Michael Carey, Ronald and Laure
Davenport, Malik and Malcolm Austin, Somesha, Khalil, Ponya and Kenya
Ferdinand, Raymond and Barry Payton, John
and Jamal Williams, Ayanna and Tracey Thibodeaux, Anthony Thibodeaux, Jonas Laurent,
Angela Brickham, John and Jamal Williams, Roger Dickerson, Veatrice and
Ventrell Payton, and so many more.
Thibodeaux’s Nursery and Pre-School closed in
1993 and the Thibodeaux’s moved down the street at 5815 Congress Drive and
lived the remainder of their years with their daughter, Wiletta Ferdinand. Mrs.
Thibodeaux died in 1999 and Mr. Thibodeaux died in 2004
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