ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 193
BY REPRESENTATIVE JONES
A RESOLUTION
To express the condolences of the House of Representatives upon the death of Mary
Charpentier Jones, the mother of State Representative Sam Jones of District No. 50.
WHEREAS, Mary Charpentier Jones was born to Sterling P. Charpentier and Rosalie
Marie Ferrera on October 24, 1931; she left this world on November 1, 2014, after a full life
of eighty-three well-lived years; and
WHEREAS, the mother of four sons, Mary Charpentier Jones raised them virtually
alone from the 1950s and successfully provided for her family as an Avon saleslady, a
florist, and a store attendant; and
WHEREAS, a broken marriage early in the life of Mary Charpentier Jones led to
bouts of depression; she reached deep within her soul and made the decision to live for her
children and never looked back; and
WHEREAS, her struggles were great, but her victories were greater; Mary
Charpentier Jones saved and pinched pennies until she was able to purchase the small house
of her parents as a family home for her children; she never accepted public assistance of any
kind; and
WHEREAS, the unyielding character of Mary Charpentier Jones was woven from
the fabric of the greatness of our beloved United States of America, her beloved state of
Louisiana, and her beloved city of Franklin; she honored God and gave her all to her family,
her country, her state, and her city; and
WHEREAS, Mary Charpentier Jones was the surviving sibling of Sterling P.
Charpentier, Jr., holder of a bronze star with two oak leaf clusters and a Purple Heart for
service to the country in World War II; Wilton James Charpentier, who served in the
U.S. Navy in World War II; and Vivian Charpentier Stephens, mother of two sons who
served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Conflict; her siblings, other family members,
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and ancestors have served honorably in defense of the United States in conflicts in which
this nation was under attack; and
WHEREAS, the strong resolve in Mary Charpentier Jones was built upon a firm
foundation; she descended from a family of two hundred ninety-five years of patriots; and
WHEREAS, Mary Charpentier Jones' sixth great-grandfather was First Sergeant
Major Jacques Cantrelle, commandant of all French forces in Louisiana and an original
settler in 1755 of Cabonocey and St. Jacques Catholic Church near Donaldsonville, which
still exist today; Sergeant Major Cantrelle's daughter, Marie Marguerite Cantrelle, married
Nicholas Verret; and
WHEREAS, the other sixth great grandfather of Mary Charpentier Jones was Joseph
Gaudet, an Acadian exile of Le Grand Dérangement; Mr. Gaudet arrived in New Orleans in
1765 and married Marie Marguerite Bourgeois, also an exile of Le Grand Dérangement, in
the St. Louis Cathedral; the couple made their home in Cabonocey in 1765; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Gaudet was a British prisoner of war for one and a half years in
Nova Scotia; he also served under Nicholas Verret in the Battle of Baton Rouge; at the
remarkable age of eighty-one, Gaudet volunteered to fight the British once again at the
Battle of New Orleans in 1815; and
WHEREAS, the fifth great-grandfather of Mary Charpentier Jones was Nicholas
Verret, commandant of the French and Acadian soldiers who fought with Spanish Governor
Galvez at the Battle of Baton Rouge, defeated the British garrison under Alexander Dickson,
and accepted the surrender of Baton Rouge on September 21, 1789, in a decisive American
victory; and
WHEREAS, the legacy of Mary Charpentier Jones continues through her four sons:
State Representative Sam Jones, whose service includes two terms in the Louisiana House
of Representatives, a term as special assistant to Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, and
six terms as mayor of Franklin; Monty W. Jones, who served in the United States Air Force
during the latter part of the Vietnam Conflict; and Michael Jones and David Jones,
successful businessmen in their hometown of Franklin; and
WHEREAS, Mary Charpentier Jones was fond of playing poker and visiting the
Chitimacha Cypress Bayou Casino; she enjoyed these activities into her later years until she
could no longer drive; and
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WHEREAS, the final seven years of the life of Mary Charpentier Jones were spent
in the home of her son, Sam, as she battled and finally succumbed to the associated diseases
caused by Alzheimer's; and
WHEREAS, after the clouds, the sunshine; after the winter, the spring; after the
shower, the rainbow; for life is a changeable thing; after the night, the morning, bidding all
darkness cease, after life's cares and sorrows, the comfort and sweetness of peace; Mary
Charpentier Jones is at rest in a family plot in view of her home in the City of Franklin
Cemetery.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express its most sincere and heartfelt condolences to
the family of Mary Charpentier Jones upon her passing; does hereby extend deepest
sympathies to all who knew and loved her and who mourn her absence; and does hereby
offer thoughts and prayers for comfort.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to State Representative Sam Jones.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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