Norma Dean "Dee" Doguet

Norma Dean Vige was born April 3rd, 1935 in Eunice, LA, the 1st child of Paul and Hazel Vige. A nurturer from a young age, she was always taking care of and watching over her four siblings: Nathan, Jerry, Sharon, and Judy. 

One fateful night, she attended the Saturday Night Social and was asked to dance by Darby. After several months of being inseparable, they were married on December 11, 1949, and she became “Dee” Doguet.

Shortly after marriage, they were living in Lafayette, LA, and started their family with a son, David Lynn. They later moved to Bay City, TX, where Darby started his career in the rice business at Independent Rice Dryer, while Dee worked at Dickie’s Grocery Store. In 1954, the family grew again with another son, Michael Darby, and then moved to Alvin, TX, where Darby went to work for Newman Rice Mill.  In 1955, the family welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Debra Ann. Not long after, they moved back to Bay City where Darby became Assistant Manager at Independent Rice Dryer. The family continued to grow with their second daughter, Deanna Marie, in 1960. Then in March 1962 came another daughter, Pamela Denise. In April of 1963, the family moved to Beaumont, TX where Darby went to work for Comet Rice Mill as their rice grader.  In November of the same year, the baby of the family, Donna Alice, was born.

Soon after, Darby said “That’s enough!”, and the family was set.

In 1975, Darby moved the family to Winnie, TX, where Darby took a job as the General Manager of the Winnie Rice Farmers Co-op and Dee also worked as their bookkeeper.  Darby and Dee worked side by side for several years and then started their own company, the Chambers County Seed Company. In 1975 their first grandchild was born, and they began to be known as Mawmaw and Pawpaw. In 1979, they purchased the old Amelia Rice Dryer and started Doguet’s Grain & Seed Company, which eventually became Doguet’s Rice Milling Company. They built the company from the ground up and passed it on to be run by their children in 1997 when they retired. 

Dee loved dressing up and was always one to look good. She would not leave the house unless she looked her best. She loved wearing jackets and anything with bling. You could frequently find her watching Shop NBC and quietly ordering jewelry over the phone. One of her favorite shows to watch with Darby were the polka dancers on Saturday night. 

She loved having her yard and house look immaculate. She could frequently be seen on her riding lawn mower, tending to her numerous flowers that she loved so much, or power washing the windows. Her house was always mopped, swept to perfection, dust free, and freshly vacuumed. 

You could always find Werther’s caramels in her candy bowl. The kitchen was the family’s gathering place and Dee was a talented Cajun cook. Family favorites were smothered pork chops and gumbo made with the trademarked Doguet’s roux and rice. She always made sure her husband and her kids were fed, then she would eat what was left. 

In one word, Dee was selfless. She was always putting her husband, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren ahead of herself. Everything she did was to make her family feel loved. Her family and her faith were what she held most dear. We all feel so blessed for the time we had with her. She lived a wonderful life on earth and is now having a glorious life in Heaven. 

A gathering of Mrs. Doguet’s family and friends will begin at 5:00 p.m., with her Rosary to be recited at 6:00 p.m., Monday, January 11, 2021, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 245 W. Hwy 90, China, with her interment to follow at China Cemetery, China.  

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