Council on Aging members tour area sites

On Thursday, July 17, 48 visitors from Opelousas and Ville Platte visited several sites in the Rayne/Roberts Cove area.
Volunteers from the German Heritage Museum in Roberts Cove  welcomed two Council on Aging groups who were traveling under the direction of Alice Lewis of St. Landry Parish and Janice Fontenot of Evangeline Parish.
Young museum volunteer Dakota Sikat, son of Museum Secretary Marietta L. Sikat, and Mary Ann Leonards gave a presentation about the history of the Roberts Cove community settled in the 1880s by German immigrants. Later, Museum Curator Josie Thevis, accompanied the group to St. Leo IV Church and grounds, Of course, no trip to the Museum would be complete without a special treat of sugar cookies, or as they are called in German, Zucker Platzchen.
The group’s day began with a visit with Martha Royer at Maison Daboval. Other visits in Rayne included downtown Rayne, viewing the city’s many murals, as well as a visit to St. Joseph Catholic Church and historic cemetery. While in Rayne, Chamber Executive Director Fran Bihm presented each visitor with a “Frog Catcher” certificate.
Before arriving in Roberts Cove, they had lunch at Chef Roy’s Restaurant.
Alice Lewis of the St. Landry Council on Aging told their hosts  the two organizations have been traveling  together for many years visiting “Louisiana Gems”, as she said “things in our back yard”” including Crowley, Jennings, St. Martinville, etc.
They have also taken extended trips to Cape Cod, New York and Florida, to name a few. Ms. Lewis said on the day the list of trips for the year went out in January, they were sold out the next day and latecomers were put on a waiting list.