Friday, August 20, 2021
Remembering the Late Gov. Edwin W. Edwards in Sabine Parish
PART V
1993-1997
As 1993 arrived, Edwin Edwards was starting the second year of his fourth term in office. Robert Dale Geoghagan had been appointed to replace me on the Sabine River Authority (SRA), so in February 1993, he and I met with Gov. Edwards in Baton Rouge to discuss the financial plight the SRA was currently going through.
The Governor was back in Sabine Parish on March 31, 1993 for a busy afternoon. At 2 p.m. he was at Converse High school for the Beta Induction Ceremonies with Shirley Rivers in command. Rep. Joe Salter helped arrange the visit. Said Joe, “I’m glad to have him at Converse High. All his administrations have been marked by his interest in education at all levels, particularly elementary and secondary levels.”
At Converse, the Governor addressed the entire student body and Beta Clubs from not only Converse, but Pleasant Hill, Zwolle and Florien. He stressed the importance of a good education and took time to attend a reception after he spoke. Ms. Rivers presented a certificate making the Governor an honorary Beta member.
Returning to Many, the Governor was honored at a reception at Holloway Manufacturing Co., which had taken over Garan. At 3:15 p.m., he was honored at another reception at Sabine State Bank & Trust Company’s main office, with Bob Cole as the host.
He participated in the ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. for the remodeling and expansion of the Many Pawn Shop, which I owned, on San Antonio Ave. Tedd Dumas served as Master of Ceremonies for the program, which was held on the sidewalk in front of the building. A nice crowd attended, including former Many Mayor Virginia Godfrey, Rep. Joe Salter, Sen. Don Kelly, Mayor Ken Freeman and Dr. C. O. Simpkins of Shreveport.
After the program, Gov. Edwards toured the Pawn Shop and enjoyed the exhibits in the Robert Gentry Museum.
Next day, The Shreveport Times wrote: “How come with all the problems in the Legislature and everything going on in the state, Gov. Edwards has the time to go to Many and cut the ribbon on a Pawn Shop? Maybe we need to find more work for him to do.”
Gov. Edwards was back in the parish June 6, 1993. The event was McDonald’s Big Bass Tournament held at Pendleton Marina. He presented a $14,000 check to the Ronald McDonald House in Leesville. He also announced the location of the proposed Sabine River Authority marina at Twin Island Park, SRA Site 11. SRA President Ken Simmons showed those attending a plan of the proposed marina, convention center, golf course, in addition to several other facilities.
While in the parish, Edwards announced that he would appoint Glen Carver of Sabine Manufacturing Co. and owner of the Toledo Town Development to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.
On June 9, 1993 I wrote in my Index “Observations” column that I had asked Edwards about the upcoming Governor’s race. “He said it will be a Republican in the runoff and he [Edwards] will win.” I asked, “So what you are saying is that you’re going to be lucky again as you were in the last campaign with Duke?” He responded, “Not lucky, smart.”
Back in the area on Nov. 15, 1993, Edwards cut the ribbon to open the new Vernon Parish Correctional Facility. Sheriff Frankie Howard had the facility built without asking for taxes to do it. Tedd Dumas, Attorney Ken Simmons and I attended the event in Leesville.
The Dec. 29, 1993 issue of the Index carried a statement from Gov. Edwards on the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Sabine Parish.
He wrote: “From the Native American nomads to the Spanish, French, Mexicans and Texans, all of whom with good reason wanted to claim the area; from the ‘Free State of Sabine’ to today’s independent Louisianians, the people of Sabine Parish have enjoyed a colorful and diverse history.
“As you celebrate the past and look forward to the next 150 years, pause to acknowledge the many men and women whose sacrifices and hard work created the Sabine Parish you know and love today. And take to heart the lessons of history so that you can repeat their successes and learn from their mistakes as you build toward an exciting future.”
The Associated Press published on June 27, 1994 that Edwards had already announced he would not run for a fifth term. He also said he wanted to be buried near the statue of Huey P. Long, another controversial governor, who is the only person buried at the Capitol. He told Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana Legends,” he thought it would be natural to be buried next to Long.
He said, “I’ve thought about it many times when I walk in that garden and I look at his statue and I think of the reverence the people of this state had for him.”
The matter rocked along for a few years with no action and one day I was talking with Edwards about the matter, and he told me how much he would like to be buried on the Capitol Grounds. He asked if I thought I could help things move in that direction. I told him I would be glad to make an attempt. I tried, but there were Republican Governors at that point in time and none of them were interested in doing it. I don’t know why we didn’t try again after Democrat John Bel Edwards was elected.
On July 17, 1994, I wrote Edwards a letter and told him I would like to create a life-size figure of him to display in the museum I had in Many at the time. He responded that he was flattered that I made the suggestion and said he would cooperate in any way necessary to get the project completed.
We had to have a suit of clothing and shoes, which Gov. Edwards had sent to us, to create a figure of proper size. Next, I hired artist Mary J. Guarisco of Erwinville to create the head for the figure. In order to do that, she had to have a cast of the Governor’s face, so I arranged for her to go to the Mansion and make a clay mask, or casting, of his face. We set a date in September for her to do it.
To make the casting, Edwards had to lie down, close his eyes and let the artist put wet clay all over his face, then leave it on long enough to harden. The process started off well, but halfway through, he couldn’t stand it. He pulled the hardening clay from his face before the likeness was finished. Luckily, Guarisco grabbed the mask as he pulled it off his face and thankfully, it had hardened enough for her to use it.
He called me that afternoon and was very apologetic, saying he just couldn’t stand it, that it made him feel closed in. I could understand. Kind of like being in a tube for an MRI. Tex McKnight was working at the Pawn Shop and after Ms. Guarisco completed the head, he crafted the rest of the body and clothed it. It looked really good, was great for the display we needed, and something like life-like.
On Nov. 3, 1994, Gov. Edwards invited Tedd Dumas and I down to the Mansion to have lunch with him. Following the luncheon, we talked to the Governor privately about several Sabine Parish projects.
Many Mayor Virginia Godfrey had been a good friend of the Governor and she passed away in 1995. I called the Governor to inform him of her death and asked for a statement for the May 9, 1995 Index. He said, “She was one of the most gracious ladies and most effective public servants I’ve ever known. She was very interested in her city and always presented herself with the highest of integrity.”
Gov. Edwards had open heart surgery on Aug. 30, 1995. Dr. Joseph Deumite, his physician, at a press conference said, “He wanted to relay that open heart surgery is not nearly as painful as a press conference.”
Just a few days later, I received a letter from him dated Sept. 6: “Thank you so much for your kind expression of concern for me at this time. The sunflower and Birds of Paradise arrangement is beautiful and I will enjoy it here at the Mansion throughout my recovery.”
In November 1995, Gov. Edwards was in Leesville for a function. I have a photo with him and his aide Andrew Martin, but I do not remember what the event was.
Gov. Edwards was back in Many on Nov. 28, 1995 for two events. He was at the Many Pawn Shop at 6 p.m. for the unveiling of the likeness of him for the Robert Gentry Museum. He nodded his approval as the cover was removed by Robert “Tex” and Carolyn McKnight.
Rep. Joe Salter and Rep. Johnny McFerren spoke briefly before the unveiling, both commending the Governor, as he was set to retire, on a job well done. At the event, I noted that Gov. Edwards was bestowed the honor because he was the only person to have served Louisiana four times as Governor and because he was a man who valued friendships, who possessed honesty and integrity and whose word was his bond.
That evening at 7 p.m. we honored Gov. Edwards with “A Farewell to a Louisiana Legend” banquet at Toro Hills. A crowd of about 300 filled the convention hall. The Governor was set to complete his fourth and final term of service on Jan. 8, 1996. Tedd Dumas and I served as Masters of Ceremonies for the function.
“I want you to know that my mind and my heart will always be in this area. We will meet again. If not in person, at least in our spirits and in our minds as we continue to work for our state to make it better for the people that will be coming after us,” he told the crowd.
He said, “No function that I have been to touched me as much as this function.” He thanked those attending for their show of support through the years, in good times and in bad. He recalled that the comeback of his political career began in Sabine Parish with the “Return of the Friendly Dragon” parade that launched his campaign in 1991. A big banner proclaiming, “Farewell to the Friendly Dragon” hung in the background.
Sen. Don Kelly of Natchitoches said, “I don’t have time to tell you over a 20-year period what this man has done for our state and never got the credit he deserves.”
Rep. Joe Salter praised Edwards saying he had a lot of good qualities which “a lot of governors do not have.”
Sen. James David Cain said Edwards would “go down in history as one of the best governors ever.” He added, “I have never ever in my life known him not to tell the truth.”
Many Attorney and SRA Board Member Ken Simmons gave a very moving tribute to Edwards saying, “Whether you like him or you dislike him, whether you love him or whether you hate him, all of us would probably agree that there has been no other governor as dynamic, as colorful, as strong, as influential and as talented as Edwin Edwards. Those who have lived during his tenure as governor have experienced a part of Louisiana history.”
SRA Board Member Robert Dale Geoghagan said members went to Edwards three times in three years, and he made available $18.3 million dollars for Cypress Bend Resort. “It would not have happened if not for him,” he said.
Many Mayor Ken Freeman said before 1971, Sabine received few or little funds from the state, adding, “With Gov. Edwards’ help, the Town of Many built a fire station, improved an airport and built a water tower.”
Among the others speaking on the program were State Fire Marshal Charlie Fredieu, Interim LSU-S Chancellor Vincent Marsala, Northwestern President Robert Alost, Natchitoches Mayor Joe Sampité, Dr. Harold Lewing, Rep. Johnny McFerren, Pete Abington, Rep. Jimmy Long and Edwards Aide Sid Moreland.
The gathering ended with Ken Simmons presenting Edwards a gift certificate redeemable for a large-screen Toshiba television on behalf of the people in this area.
On June 12, 1997, history was made when five Louisiana Governors visited the Mansion at the invitation of Gov. Mike Foster. They were Gov. Edwards, Buddy Roemer, Dave Treen and Jimmie Davis. A picture of the five was taken with all of them seated on a couch.
As a follow-up note on the Gov. Edwards figure that was once in the Robert Gentry Museum, in about 2005 I sold the item to Shayne Creppel, who was a student at Northwestern at the time. Years went by, and in a strange turn of events, the lifelike figure of Edwin Edwards found a new and very appropriate home.
On Jan. 5, 2018, Edwin’s wife Trina posted on Facebook, “I’m filled with anticipation! I’m awaiting the arrival of what is surely to be the greatest gift I will receive in 2018.” Later that day, Creppel delivered the figure to her as a gift.
It came hauled in the back of a pick-up truck all wrapped in plastic garbage bags and bound. Trina said the anticipation was high as they unwrapped each piece.
Trina loved it and got a lot of comments about it on Facebook. She said young son Eli was calling it his “new Daddy” and had also remarked that he now had “two Daddies.”
I believe the museum figure was originally displayed in their entrance foyer and the last time I knew, was on display in Edwin’s home office.
When I started this series on Gov. Edwards, I thought I could wrap it up in one article, but quickly realized that was impossible. I shall continue these remembrances of Gov. Edwards each Friday until it is covered completely. Thanks to the many who have read each week and commented kindly to me about it. I appreciate it very much.
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