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In Loving Memory of Carolyne & Seth
June 22, 1982 July 14, 2003
December 18, 1997 July 14, 2003
Victims of an Ascension Parish road

From: Pamela A Montgomery [pmontgom@usgs.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 11:21 AM
To: clemieux@inascension.com
Subject: Masses for 2005 for Carolyne and Seth

Dear Mr. Chuck and Ms. Cherry,

Here is the list for Masses for Carolyne and Seth (2005)

They will (again) be at St. Jean Vianney Church in Baton Rouge.

June 22, 2005 @ 6:15am
July 14 @ 6:15am
Sept. 25 @ 5:30 pm
Oct. 30 @ 11:30am
Dec. 18 @ 5:30pm
The ones at 6:15 am are on weekdays and the others are on Sundays.

Pam Montgomery (Carolyne's aunt)

Eulogy given on July 17th, 2003 at Carolyne and Seth's funeral by Mrs. Danielle Bourgeois

Mr. and Mrs. Fabre; Jessica, Joey, and Christopher. 

Our two families have a long history together, linked not only by the physical path that connects our two houses, but by the friendships forged and ordeals shared as our two families journeyed that path, shoulder to shoulder.

There is a saying that goes, “Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys.”  Today our family shares that suffering with you, as your house shared our suffering five years ago.

Each of us travels an individual path in this life; sometimes it’s smooth, and sometimes it’s rocky.  Occasionally, there’s a fork in the path that represents a choice made.  Sometimes, two individual paths merge for a short time and become three, signifying the birth of a new child. In families, all of these individual paths intertwine, like a finely woven plait.  Carolyne’s path crossed ours when she met our sister Anna, but her path became intertwined with ours when she discovered her pregnancy with Seth.

We’re all gathered here today because at one time or another, we shared a path with Carolyne and Seth. 

When I met Carolyne, she was a young teenager.  I remember being impressed with how level-headed and cheerful she was.  She was always smiling, always laughing, and it was impossible not to smile with her.  She had a great sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to laugh at herself.

My brother Bobby related a story to me that happened when Carolyne and Seth lived with them.  They were having a family barbecue, and everyone was involved in doing something to prepare for the meal.  Somehow it fell to Carolyne to light the grill, a job that she took on with her usual enthusiasm.  We all know that lighting a grill can be tricky, and when Carolyne came inside to announce her success, she had singed off her eyelashes, eyebrows and part of her bangs.  She laughed as she told us what happened, and it became a favorite story of hers and ours.  Her mishap with the grill was simply a twist in the path, and she handled it with her usual enthusiasm and good humor.

Carolyne’s path in life was filled with twists and turns, and even what a lesser person would consider obstacles.  Carolyne faced each challenge as it came, never questioning or complaining, but always moving forward on her path.  It was this determination that drove her to get a GED even after she’d been out of school for nearly two years.  I remember how proud she was the day she obtained her GED. She had studied diligently every night for months, and so she called everyone she could think of to tell them that she had done it!  She had reached a goal that was important to her, for obvious personal reasons, but in great part, for Seth.

Carolyne’s path took a new turn after the birth of Seth. Rather than diverging into two paths now, her path simply became that much wider. She and Seth were inseparable, and it became impossible to think of one without the other. I’m certain that everyone here can recall how Seth would cling to her legs, finally mustering enough courage to peek out, or how he always held Carolyne’s ear whenever he was in close proximity to it. Seth inherited his mother’s sense of fun. One of my favorite stories is how we all suffered through countless viewings of the Wizard of Oz, which was Seth’s favorite movies. He could watch it over and over, laughing at the same parts as though seeing it for the first time. One of his favorite scenes was when Glenda the Good asks Dorothy: are you a good witch or a bad witch?  Wide-eyed, he’d question us all as to whether we were good witches or bad witches.  Soon it became a regular part of our dialogue, just as we’d inquire about one’s health or mood.

Seth displayed that he had inherited his mother’s sense of fun one afternoon when my husband was making the kids peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Handing Seth’s sandwich to him, he asked, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”  Smiling impishly, Seth replied, “I’m a sandwich.”

Today our paths all meet once again here to honor Seth and Carolyne’s lives.  Their journey was too brief, their path too short, and the trip will be lonely without them in our lives. Her family now must continue down the path without them. The road will be difficult, but as you take the first steps on this journey, know that our house stands with your house; know that the friends gathered here today will help you, comfort you and walk with you. It is a proper and fitting way to serve the memories of Carolyne and Seth

A Story About Carolyne's Generosity

My wife and Carolyne were on their way to the mall. My wife in her car and Carolyne in hers.

They exited the interstate at Blue Bonnet, Carolyne following my wife two cars back,  and stopped for the traffic light.

A homeless man was standing on the side of the road holding a sign asking for help. Looking out of her rear view mirror my wife saw Carolyne get out of her car and run over to this man handing him a honey bun.

As my wife tells, "this was all Carolyne had to give, but didn't hesitate a moment to give it to someone else needing it more than herself."

Contributed by Carolyne's cousin Jannelle

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days? But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?   Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY = (F) FATHER (A) ND (M) OTHER (I) (L) OVE (Y) OU

Contributed by the Dinkle Family

The Call
(by Carolyne's Aunt Pam 7/26/03)

"Hello"
Heave sigh panic'd cry
muffled word barely heard
"Mama"
Heave sigh panic'd cry
"Calm down child tell me clear.
What's the matter, dear?"
Heave sigh panic'd cry
"Bad accident we passed by.
A boy we knew told us true..."
It was
CAROLYNE and SETH...
Heave sigh panic'd cry
They've joined the Lord up in the sky
Heave sigh panic'd cry

Oh Lord, tell me true, You have 2 angels new...
But, without them what will we do?