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Hunter Cloud

The Natchez Democrat

Delcie LeVasseur moved to Vidalia, Louisiana, to be closer to her sister, Bernice Beer, 12 years ago. LeVasseur’s home is the first one she ever bought by herself, and she has made it her own through decorations.

The Democrat’s Dart landed at LeVasseur’s address in Vidalia this week.

For 31 years, LeVasseur worked as a secretary at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, which is her hometown.

LeVasseur was born in 1946, but is still active around the house and yard, working on a variety of projects.

She has a son and a granddaughter in Natchitoches and she may move back there one day. For now, she is happy with the quiet neighborhood she lives in. LeVasseur said she loves her neighbors, adding she does not think she could ever just leave.

If you drive down Elm Street in Vidalia you can not miss the brightly-colored gazebo, nor the lawn chairs and a half clock, half temperature gauge in the front yard. The gazebo has a swing painted yellow and white that LeVasseur’s sister and her brother-in-law built with her.

When she was working at Northwestern State, LeVasseur had to look forward to holidays and the weekends to work on projects in her yard. Now that she is retired, she has plenty of time to work in her garden. That work, LeVasseur said, is therapeutic for her.

“When I’m working out there I don’t think about anything,” LeVasseur said. “None of the problems, none of the daily problems of bills or anything. I am just out there doing what I like and I’m enjoying it.”

Inside her home are signs, red telephone booths and the classic red, white and blue of barbershop poles. Almost all of the items LeVasseur has collected have been bought by her at various trade shows and flea markets, she said.

In her living room is an entertainment center made out of an old white china cabinet, LeVasseur said she worked on the project with her sister. She and her sister go to trade shows or flea markets together. She said she can’t help buying things that grab her attention.

“Sometimes I can go in a place and it just doesn’t grab me. Sometimes I come out with a whole lot of stuff,” LeVasseur said. “I can go shopping and I can look and look and look. But when I really see something, I know immediately. It makes me feel good. I love to shop and it makes me feel good.”