ST. MARY PARISH — As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the impact of local women in St. Mary Parish continues to show up through the work of Beverly Domengeaux, a 91-year-old who remains active in serving her community.
“I don’t sit at home feeling sorry for myself and watch TV, I got out. Even when I lost the love of my life, I got out and I found something that filled that void,” Domengeaux said.
At 91 years old, Domengeaux said that mindset has carried her through personal loss and into years of service across St. Mary Parish. Originally from Paris, Texas, she worked as a hospital administrator after initially aspiring to become a pediatrician. Over time, her perspective shifted as she noticed a gap in care for seniors.
“Healthcare has always been my calling, I thought for the children, but the more I was in the healthcare I saw who was getting neglected, it was not the children, it was the seniors,” she said.
About 25 years ago, she moved to Franklin with her husband, a Louisiana native, as his health declined and he wanted to be closer to family. Within a short period, Domengeaux experienced significant loss.
“I was really devastated, because, six weeks before he died, we buried our son, and that was that was a sudden thing and really I knew that he was dying, and I was going to lose him, and I got to thinking, ‘well what are you going to do Beverly?’” she said.
That question led her to a role she did not expect. As her husband faced his final days, Domengeaux said he encouraged her to respond to a newspaper advertisement for help at a local senior center on Iberia Street in Franklin. What started at a single location has since expanded under her leadership.
“We now have three senior centers, we have one in Morgan City, one in Patterson and one here in Franklin and we are taking care of close to 3,000 people in St. Mary Parish,” Domengeaux said.
Inside those centers, walls are lined with handmade artwork and puzzles assembled by seniors, reflecting both creativity and connection. Domengeaux said the work seen there is not done alone, but alongside a team that helps carry out the mission.
“It’s not an I thing, its a we thing, I think that if you're a true leader, yea you can have the vision, but you’ve got to have the troops that can carry it out,” she said.
Domengeaux said that team-driven approach continues to shape the work she has built throughout St. Mary Parish, as she remains focused on reaching seniors who may still be in need of support.
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