Juanita Strattman Winkle

NEW IBERIA- Funeral services will be conducted for Mrs. Juanita Strattman Winkle, age 92, at 9:00 am Saturday, May 9, 2015 at Nativity of our Lady Catholic Church , 130 N. Richelieu Circle, in New Iberia, with Fr. Ed Degeyter officiating. Interment will follow at Nativity of our Lady Mausoleum.

Visitation will be held Friday, May 8, 2015 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm at the Evangeline Funeral Home, 314 E. St. Peter St., in New Iberia, La.

A native of Bogalusa, La, and resident of New Iberia, La since 1956, Mrs. Winkle passed away Tuesday, May 6, 2015 in Tyler, TX, following a long and fulfilling life.

Juanita graduated in 1943 from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). She spent six months teaching high school English in DeRidder, LA before deciding it was not stimulating enough for her tastes. She then moved to Washington State and worked at the Hanford Lab which was part of the U.S. federal government’s Manhattan Project, which developed the second atomic bombs. There, Juanita met, her first husband Robert Blackburn. The couple married in 1944 and had one son, Randolph Blackburn.

After the war jobs for women were scarce, but Juanita was able to find employment with Katz and Besthoff in New Orleans managing their cafeterias. She married her second husband Junius A. "Wink" Winkle in 1950. They later adopted a daughter, Barbara Winkle.

During her time at SLI, Juanita had gotten to know and love the city of New Iberia through visits with sorority sisters who lived here. In 1956, she and Wink moved there and established the Holiday Restaurant at the Beau Sejour Motel. Later they opened Winkle's Catering Service, which catered most of the weddings and parties in and around New Iberia for many years.

Throughout her life, Juanita had many achievements. She was valedictorian of her high school class, earned a full scholarship to SLI and graduated with honors. She was the first woman to serve on Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She served terms as president of the: Altrusians Service Club, the Bayou Art Gallery and L'Acadian Art Guild. She was Xi Beta Zeta Valentine Queen. She was a longtime volunteer and treasurer of the Shadows of the Teche Service League. Juanita's Cajun recipes were nationally published in the “Time-Life Creole-Cajun Cookbook.” She published a book titled "Mes Amis: Welcome to the Famous Teche Country,” and in 1994 she received the Second Wind Award from Iberia Parish.

Juanita had many loves in the life, including her family, travel, history, cuisine and art. A celebrated artist herself, her favorite creations were her "drizzlies" — one of which hangs in the Gezellemuseum in Brugge, Belgium. She loved antiques. One of the first friends she made after moving to New Iberia was Weeks Hall, and through that relationship her love for the Shadows on the Teche began. She started her work there in 1961 when they first opened their doors to the public. As treasurer of the Shadows Service League she always did the books by hand because she never liked computers. One month she noticed that the gift shop had bought mouse pads. At the monthly meeting she questioned why the gift shop was involved in the extermination of rodents not knowing that mouse pads were for computers.

Juanita loved to travel. She journeyed more than 20 times to Europe, Russia and Asia. She would plan one of her trips, gather a group of women together, and off they would go. It was reported that Juanita (also called “Serge”) would have them marching thru Europe in step.

On her first trip to Thailand she needed shots from the doctor. He asked why she wanted to go to Thailand and her reply was to ride an Elephant. He told her because of her age and condition she was not allowed to ride an Elephant. When she returned she made sure she showed him the picture of her riding the Elephant.

Locally she would charter buses and organize trips to see art and history exhibits in Houston, Dallas, Jackson, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn.

God blessed Juanita with the strength and courage to live her life fully. She loved her family and friends. She enjoyed cooking and baking for them as well as playing card games like poker and bourré. She certainly will be missed by many.

Juanita Winkle is survived by her son, Randolph “Rusty” Blackburn, and his wife Gail, of Tyler, Texas, and an adopted daughter Barbara Landry, and her husband Presley of New Iberia, La. She also is survived by a grandson, Benjamin Blackburn, his wife Lisa, and their children Isabelle, Alexander and Ian, of Lafayette, La., along with a granddaughter Beth Bogaerts, her husband Martijn, and their children Arestile, Ava and Mila, of Houston, Texas.

She is preceded in death by her husband Junius A. Winkle, her parents Edwin and Ethel Strattman, and two younger brothers, Auburn Strattman and Hanford Strattman.

Pallbearers will be Randolph Blackburn, Ben Blackburn, Earl Seaux, Martijn Bogaerts, Arestile Bogaerts, and Bud Foster.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Juanita Winkle’s name to Nativity of Our Lady Church.

To view on-line obituary and sign the guest register, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.

Evangeline Funeral Homes, Inc. of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.