lia – A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic Church for Elaine Guidry Chaisson at 10 a.m. Father Cormier will be the Celebrant of the Holy Mass. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery.  Elaine Guidry Chaisson, 92, passed away on April 29, 2021. She was born on March 23, 1929, in lia, Louisiana, where she lived most of her life. Elaine graduated from lia High School in Louisiana in 1947 and was known for excelling in French. In the late 1940s, she moved to New Orleans to live with her sister, Rena, and she worked in a local drugstore, which is where she met her husband, Gerald Chester “Chase” Chaisson. Gerald was in the Air Force and stationed in Fort Dix in New Jersey, so Elaine moved with him and had her first child there. They eventually moved back to lia and would go on to have three more children. In the 1960s and 70s, Elaine worked at Pat’s Restaurant in Henderson for many years and was known for her excellent service, kindness to all she served and worked with, and her gentle humor.  She was also known widely as an excellent seamstress and sewed countless garments for friends, family, and co-workers.  In 1975, she took up quilting and this became a great passion for the next 45 years. For each family member of her children’s generation (including an extensive number of nieces and nephews), she sewed and gifted them with a big quilt; for successive generations, she gifted baby quilts at the birth of a new child. People who knew “Nanish” described her as someone who bandaged their hurts, listened attentively, and soothed hearts and spirits through her unfailing, unconditional love.  “The Dentist Down the Street” as she became known in her large, close family did not discriminate – whether you called her Ms. Elaine, Elaine, Mom, Maw or Nanish, you got the same pair of gentle hands offering her love, care, and cooking.  Like her grandson Casey has said, “Come, maw’s gonna feed you” was a sustaining refrain for everyone in her orbit. Elaine’s Catholic faith was an integral part of her life and death. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in lia and active in her church for decades. Even after she was no longer able to attend church because of her health, she set time aside daily for prayer and spiritual nourishment, drawing on a number of special prayers she had collected over her lifetime.  She was a role model for friends and family in terms of her willingness to put her life, loves, problems, and hurts in the hands of the Father.  Indeed, even when she experienced the depths of despair at losing her precious daughter, Joneen, to cancer at the age of 40, Elaine never lost faith or questioned God’s will. In this way, she will live on in the memories of future generations of family and friends for eternity. Elaine is survived by her daughter, Debbe McLaurin and her husband John; her daughter, Lola Chaisson; her son, Jamie Chaisson and his wife DeAnne (Folley). She is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Casey McLaurin, Kelly McLaurin, Josh Guidry, Katie Jo McNabb, Libby McNabb, Kasey Granger, Dustin Poirier, Phillip Poirier, Tori Chaisson and Kaylee Chaisson. Additionally, she is survived by seven great-grandchildren. Also, she is survived by four siblings, her sister, Marion Sue Patin; her brother, John Carey Guidry and his wife Loula Mae; her sister, Louella Courville and her husband Douglas; and her brother, Ray Vaughn Guidry and his wife Delores. She is preceded in death by her parents, Will and Amelie Guidry, her husband, Gerald Chaisson; and daughter, Joneen Guidry and her husband, Kenneth Guidry. She is also preceded by her brothers Malvin (Toie) Guidry, Norris Guidry and Alvin Guidry; and by her sisters, Linda White, Rena Dore and Marie Guidry. Elaine and her family were very grateful for the care she received from Kindred Home Health and Hospice of Acadiana in the last weeks of her life, especially her friend Julie, and would like to say thank you. Also, a special thank you to Evelyn Martens, Molli Johnson, Alexis Fountain, Bertha Latiolais Guidry and Laura Berard for stepping forward and helping with care through Elaine’s spiritual journey home. Share your condolences, words of comfort or send memorial gifts to the family of Elaine Chaisson by visiting www.lafuneralservices.com. Mrs. Elaine Chaisson and her family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Louisiana Funeral Services & Crematory of Broussard, 337-330-8006. (Pd.Adv.)