Just a few days after she was honored with a mayoral proclamation, Merline Herbert has died.
She was 84.
Last week, the community gathered at the beloved 12th Street restaurant she founded, to celebrate 42 years of the Creole Lunch House and honor her; Mayor Monique Blanco-Boulet declared it "Merline Monday."
Her son Jason issued a statement, saying that she passed away peacefully.
"This isn’t the end of Miss Merline’s story. It’s the beginning of the next chapter. The table she built still feeds us. The lessons she gave still shape us. And starting today, her legacy will grow in ways she never asked for, but always deserved," he wrote. "She was a teacher, principal, mentor, and the founder of Creole Lunch House. More than that, she was a mother to many, whether by blood, by classroom, or by plate. Her greatest recipe was love. Everything else was seasoning."
He said the family was grateful for the proclamation, as it now will serve "as a lasting tribute to the impact my mother made in our community. Her legacy lives on through every hand she trained, every lesson she taught, and every plate that still brings comfort to our people."
Here's the interview we did with Ms. Merline a couple of years ago:
