Albertine Louis Miller

Funeral services were held Sat., March 31 at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Vacherie for Community Activist, Albertine Louis Miller, who died March 21, 2018. She was born at St. Joseph Plantation on Feb. 17, 1932 to Marshall “Tee Tout” and Alberta Davis Louis. After graduating from Magnolia High School in Vacherie on April 27, 1952, she went on to attend Katie Wickham’s Beauty School in New Orleans, known for instilling boldness in her “black beauticians,” thereby building community leaders. Albertine completed beauty school on May 10, 1955. She opened a beauty shop at her home and served her clientele for years. When her husband, John Joseph Miller, joined the AFL-CIO, he and his fellow union members were afforded the opportunity to attend human relations classes at Loyola University in New Orleans. When she saw the brochure her husband brought home, Albertine asked for and got permission to take the courses with her husband. In July 1974, she was honored with a certificate from Loyola University for serving the AFL-CIO Community Service Committee as a Union Counselor for Carpenters Local 1846. On July 13, 1976 she received a certificate from the Institute of Human Relations of Loyola University for completing courses in Labor Management Relations. She also completed the Delta Service Corps in 1992. In addition to serving as a member of the Welfare Reform Board and working at the St. James Youth Detention Center, Albertine is perhaps best known for her work in child nutrition. As a member and lobbyist of the World Hunger Council, she lobbied for breakfast in schools throughout Louisiana. Her concerns were lack of nutrition, health risks, and alleviating shortterm hunger among school children. She and former Vacherie Primary School Principal Clifford Baker testified before the select Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry concerning the free breakfast program at Vacherie Primary. In 1976, there were as many as 98 percent of students participating in the free breakfast program at the school. She also served as president of the St. James Parish Survival Coalition, a member of the Board of Directors of Legal Aide in Baton Rouge, a member of the Community Action Board and the Environmental Board at Xavier University. In 2015, she was commended for her dedicated service on the St. James Parish Emergency Food and Shelter Board. While serving on these boards she provided information on available programs through her many letters to the editor of The Enterprise. Albertine is survived by her husband of 63 years, and her eight children, John David, Benedict Dean (Stella), Monica Juliana, Sabina Albertine, Lorus Lambert (Lisa), Jason Juan, Gilbert Horatio, and Hillary Lancelot (Adrienne). Also survived by a sister, Rosemary Henry, and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Melvina Louis Mitchell, James Louis, Alvin Louis, Herman Louis, Fred Louis, Clarence Louis and Joseph Louis. Interment was in the church cemetery.