A celebration for Anita Guidry was held on Friday for her 100th birthday.
Anita G. Guidry was born October 11, 1919, in Church Point.
Her grandmother was the town's midwife, and she assisted at Anita's delivery.
She was the seventh of eight children born to Pierre and Ernestine Guidry (six girls and two boys).
Anita married Owen Guidry (whose mother happened to be named Anita Guidry) on November 9, 1941. Anita and Owen were parents of five children. At the time of her husband's death December 4, 1990, they were married 49 years. To date their 5 children have accumulated a total of 242 years of marriage with their first/original spouses. Her family also includes 12 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren.
Anita is proud of her Cajun roots and her Catholic faith. She wrote and published a history book, la Pointe de l'Eglise, about her hometown when it celebrated its Centennial in 1973. She is also known for her love of cooking and won various cooking awards.
In the 1960s, she was invited to participate in a National Chicken Cooking Contest in Maryland; and while there, a Crisco representative talked to her about making a TV commercial. In the late 1970s, she compiled and tested recipes from family and friends and published a cookbook From MaMa to Me - Cajun Recipes. It has sold tens of thousands of copies.
In October 2015 shortly after her 96th birthday, Anita moved herself from her hometown of Church Point to Camelot Assisted Living in Broussard. It is near Lafayette where three of her five children live.
She remains active and involved in daily activities.
