Rose Junta Boyer

On February 20, 2024, Mrs. Rose C. Junta Boyer (aged 91) passed away. A first-generation descendant of Italian immigrants from Corleone (near Sicily), Italy, her Gionta grandparents arrived in America with their five children in order to make a better and safer life for their family. They settled in New Iberia, Louisiana and never considered living anywhere else. The family name, Gionta, was quickly respelled by Americans to Junta and her father, Tony, continued the use of that spelling for the rest of his life.

Mrs. Boyer, the youngest of four children, was born on December 1, 1932 to the late Anthony “Tony” Junta and the late Camilla Rose Junta (nee Danna). She was preceded in death by her parents, as well as her brother, Fulton Junta, and her sisters Tena Junta Burke and Marie Junta Villerman.

Her parents, though both born in Italy, grew up in New Iberia, met and married there, and bought a home and property in the rural part of Iberia Parish. They then raised their four children on the country roads of New Iberia. More than once, Mrs. Boyer would reminisce about growing up riding horses and mules, playing in the cane fields, crawfishing in the canals, and running barefoot down the dirt road in front of their home with her young friend, Angie (Ariola). She would always end her recollections reflecting that “those were some of the best days of my life.”

Mrs. Boyer graduated from New Iberia High School in 1950. After graduating, she briefly worked as a telephone operator for the Bell Telephone Company in the 1950’s. The highlight of her short career there was being able to talk to and assist the actor, Jimmy Stewart, with a long-distance telephone transfer. Young Rose then went on to work as a bank teller for City Bank and Trust in New Iberia. She rose through the ranks and, in time, became a Vice-President overseeing the Bookkeeping Department (which would now be known as the Deposit Services Department). Mrs. Boyer, long before computers were introduced, was well known by her employer to be fastidious with numbers and consistently accurate to the penny.

Mrs. Boyer married Mr. Henry Boyer on April 10, 1955. They had three sons together and were married for 53 years. Mr. Boyer preceded her in death on April 29, 2007. She was always praised by her husband and sons as a loving and caring wife and mother.

She retired from banking in her 60’s in order to take care of Mr. Boyer as he battled heart problems and, finally, cancer. As it turned out, Mr. and Mrs. Boyer were each diagnosed with cancer only a month apart. The family described them as fighting cancer together holding hands. Sadly, Mr. Boyer succumbed to his diagnosis of cancer while Mrs. Boyer went on to fight her cancer diagnosis twice. She won against cancer—twice. Her children and medical caregivers considered her nearly indestructible after watching the valiant fight she waged to win her battles against her aggressive form of cancer. Mrs. Boyer lived cancer free for the last 16 years of her life and wanted everyone to know to “fight cancer with all your might as it is beatable.”

Mrs. Boyer is survived by her sons: Kenneth Boyer; Dale Boyer and his wife, Brenda Delcambre Boyer; and Bart Boyer and his wife, Lyndal Migues Boyer. She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Brooks Boyer, Christen Boyer, and Alexander Boyer (sons of Kenneth); Royce Boyer and Ethan Boyer (sons of Dale); and Ian Boyer and Jordan Boyer Broussard (children of Bart). Ms. Rose was also blessed with 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter before her passing.

The family of Mrs. Boyer would like to offer a special thank you to Ms. Gwen Migues for all her help, kindness and unfailing support in helping to care for Ms. Rose. We recognize there was no end to the help she was willing to offer. The Boyer family will always appreciate and never forget the depth of her efforts.

Also, the family would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Jose Mata and the staff of St. Joseph Hospice for all the support, kindness, and consideration that was shown to the Boyer family as they were navigating the difficult time of Mrs. Boyer’s last days.

Family and friends are invited to gather at Evangeline Funeral Home, 314 E. St. Peter Street, New Iberia, Louisiana on Saturday, March 2, 2024. A memorial service and eulogy will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. from Evangeline Funeral Home. The funeral home will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on that day to receive Mrs. Boyer’s family and friends of the family. A graveside gathering will follow the memorial service at St. Peter’s Cemetery where Mrs. Boyer’s ashes will be interred.

Relatives and friends are encouraged to share their memories and condolences with the Boyer family by visiting Mrs. Boyer's memorial at www.evangelinenewiberia.com

Evangeline Funeral Home of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.