August 5, 2020 - When Pam’s Dad, Oley LeDoux, returned home from the Navy he went to work for the Krause Managan Company of Sulphur, Louisiana. While still working for them at the age of eighty-four, he crossed the Jordan in 2012. He worked for the same company over sixty-three consecutive years serving for a time as Business Manager but at his request worked mostly “in the field.”
For his first job, he was given a horse to check the Krause Managan Canal on horse-back. Oley named his horse “Bald” because of the horse’s white face. He was so gentle that the whole family considered him “part of the family.” “My brother, sister and I used to get up on the feeder, and slide on his back and ride him three at the same time,” Pam said. And when Oley no longer needed to ride Bald, he was still treated like family, and stayed in the field behind their house.
One day Pam’s grandmother (who lived up the road) told Oley, “Son, Bald doesn’t need to be alone when you all aren’t home… and he’s getting old.” “Paw-Paw and I are always at home and we’d love to take care of Bald.” So the years rolled on and Bald faithfully came home to the grandparent’s house late every evening. But early one morning, Pam’s Grandmother told Oley that Bald “didn’t come up” the evening before. “Valery and I are worried about him,” she sobbed. Oley searched all their property that morning before he finally found Bald… dead in the woods.
This story was both happy and sad for me. The LeDoux’s made a good life for Bald by showing their love for him. “It’s too bad though,” I said, “That many don’t treat their animals… nor even their parents…
… with such care.”
