Ernestine Rhodes

Ernestine Bazet Rhodes Obituary

Ernestine Bazet Rhodes, an 89-year-old Houma, Louisiana native, passed away on June 26, 2025, from natural causes in her Pear Street home, the same dear home where she was born to Julia and Ovide Bazet. Ernestine walked to Mass at Saint Francis, she walked to school, and she walked to receive her diploma in 1953 at Terrebonne High School. Sometimes she walked to work at the Duval Law Firm, where she retired 7 years ago. She walked to Scarlet Scoop for ice cream. She loved to walk as much as she loved ice cream. She walked in Houma her entire life.

Ernestine's father founded Bazet Printing in her backyard. His printing presses clanked rhythms that entertained her sisters, Gloria and Evelyn; her two daughters, Rachel and Holly; and her twin sons, Douglas and Daniel. She cherished simple joys - roasting weenies in a 55-gallon drum with her five grandchildren and sitting on the floor to play with her great-grandchildren.

With Helen Wurzlow, Ernestine coauthored, edited, and typed the 7-volume edition of I Dug Up Houma-Terrebonne. Terrebonne Parish Library keeps the collection.

Ernestine was preceded in death by her parents, Ovide and Julia Bazet, and sisters Gloria Domangue and Evelyn Trahan. She is survived by her four children, Douglas and Paola Rhodes of Italy; Daniel and Judith Rhodes of Baton Rouge, LA; Rachel and Luis Colonna of Mandeville, LA; and Holly and Matt Blanchard of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She is survived by five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at 11:00 am on July 12th, 2025, at Chauvin Funeral Home, 5899 LA-311 in Houma, Louisiana. Public visitation begins at 10:00 am. Services follow at 11 am. Entombment will be at Terrebonne Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Ernestine Bazet Rhodes to St. Jude Hospital at StJude.org, the Terrebonne Council on Aging at terrebonnecoa.org, or Masses may be dedicated in her name at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, her baptismal church.