Bobbie’s First Communion

Here is a really cool old photo of my dad.  He was born January 31, 1929, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  He was the fourth of eight children born to Robert Joseph (“Rob” or “Pappy” or “Pee Paw”) Landry, Sr. and Germaine “Erie” (or “Mee Maw”) Patureau Landry.  It wasn’t long after he was born that the country was thrown into a Great Depression that lasted until little Bobbie was almost a teenager.

Yet that did not deter this southern Louisiana Catholic Cajun family from celebrating milestones that they felt were important.  The suits and the candles indicate that this was a celebration of the First Communion for these young ones of old.  I think that most times this occurs when a child is around the first or second grade.  Back then, there was a Private Communion at that time.  Later, when they were around 11, they would have a Solemn First Communion.  This photo is of the Solemn First Communion.  (Thanks to my 3rd cousin Dolores White Hebert for informing me about the different rituals held back then.) So I estimate the photo was taken somewhere around 1940.

Daddy can be seen in the group of boys.  He is the one with the wavy hair third from the left.  He’s got his little white suit on, which probably was quite a luxury for that time.  He did have two older brothers, so it could have been a hand-me-down.  I’m sure he got a new candle, though.  You can’t have a candle that’s been burned before at your First Communion, right?

The other ‘luxurious’ part of this event was that there was a photo taken and he got a copy of it.  There aren’t that many photos of him from that time.  Mainly the photos from that time were the yearly school portraits.  It’s a really good photo.  I did a little bit of editing on it last year, but it was already in pretty good condition.  And though a good many of these people may have had their Last Rites, it’s nice to be able to look back and reminisce about one of their earlier rites.