Schwegmann’s Grocery has burned to the ground
Originally opened in 1869, it served as a launching pad for the birth of the modern supermarket in USA. John Gerald Schwegmann was born on Aug. 14, 1911 in the apartments above the old store that his grandfather, a German émigré had founded nearly a half century prior. Continue Reading
Rest In Peace Ronald Lewis of Big 9 Social Aid and Pleasure Club
Mr Lewis along with Artie Anderson, Edgar Jacobs Jr, Peter Alexander, Robert Starks and Ricky Gettridge created the Big Nine Social Aid and Pleasure Club in 1995.
Lewis was also founder, owner and operator of House of Dance and Feathers, one of the finest museums in a New Orleans that has hundreds of them.
WWOZ has a full eulogy here.
Big Chief Leonard William Brooks of the Golden Spears Tribe Memorial Celebration
Wisdom Reception Center, March 7th, 2020, 1356 St. Bernard Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hope y’all can make it out.
Rest In Peace 5th Ward Weebie
Miss Ava at Cafe Rose Nicaud in New Orleans Marigny
Rest in peace Vencil Mares
That’s 71 years.
We last visited him in August of this year and had a fine feast for roughly $5. That fiver netted us two pluperfect Bohunk sausages with a full spread of cold onions, dill pickles and that signature sauce whose recipe people begged for like scurvy dogs.
Vencil Mares was born in the hinterlands of Fayette County on November 10, 1923 to Stan Mares and Lexie Zimmerhanzel- Mares. He died on November 24, 2019 in Taylor.
We were lucky to eat at Mares’ table since the late 80s when we began venturing up to Taylor in search of new barbecue as we were plumb tuckered out on what the Austin scene had way back then.
We’d rotate between Louie Mueller’s and Vencil’s old joint.
Texas hot guts and oak-smoked brisket always landed on our plates in those halcyon days.
Mr Mares was honored by the city of Taylor on November 10th of this year and was given the keys to the city. Henceforth that day will always be known as ‘Vencil Mares Day.’
Bohunk sausage at Taylor Cafe
Ruth Banks of The Money Wasters Social Aid and Pleasure Club
I didn’t see Miss Ruth often but every time I did she’d hug me, squeeze my neck and say “how’s my favorite nephew doing baby?”
She was luminous.
Last Saturday Miss Ruth Banks passed away at the age of 69. Just the night before we were all sitting around at our neighborhood tavern and somebody wondered aloud where she’d been.
Ruth was a long-time member of the Money Wasters Social Aid and Pleasure Club. She did not roll with her crew in 2018 but was excited to get back out on the streets with them at their second line earlier this year.
“I don’t know how many more of these I got in me baby – I got to get back out there this year” Of course Ruth was the star of the show riding in the back of a fancy convertible and passing out extravagant party favors.
Wordsworth wrote a poem entitled ‘She Was A Phantom Of Delight’
She was a phantom of delight
When first she gleam’d upon my sight;
A lovely apparition, sent
To be a moment’s ornament;
Her eyes as star of twilight fair;
Like twilight’s, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful dawn;
A dancing shape, an image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and waylay.
…is how the piece began and I can’t think of words that better describe the lovely Ruth Banks.
Rest in peace sweet soul
Dave Bartholomew second line in New Orleans
Dave Bartholomew Memorial Second Line
Dave Bartholomew Memorial Second Line. Monday June 24th. 4pm. Kermit’s Mother in Law Lounge