willie ingwersen

Willie Mae Broussard Ingwersen, 88, died on Monday, February 6, 2017, at Seton Medical Center Williamson, in Round Rock, Texas.

Willie was born in Vinton, Louisiana. She and eight other siblings lived on a share cropper’s farm. Her parents, John Portalise Broussard of Abbeville La. and Cleoma Simon Broussard of Scott, Louisiana, provided as best they could. Their life was one of struggle and hunger and included her mother dying when Willie was a child.

Willie Mae moved to Nederland at the age of 8 and lived with her sister and brother-in-law, Viola Broussard Maxwell and U. A. Maxwell. In 1951, she married the love of her life, Wayne M Ingwersen, Sr. of Nederland. For a short time they moved to Augusta, Georgia, but soon moved back to be near family. They were married for forty-two years and had six children. Her oldest son, Marcus Wayne was still born.

Willie loved doing anything that included her husband Wayne, and all of her children and grandchildren, including water skiing, camping and cross country motorcycle rides. She loved gardening and was always so proud of her bluebonnets, day lilies and roses. Untold numbers of children, grandchildren and friends’ children, took their photo in her bluebonnet field. Willie worked a variety of jobs when she was young, including the lunch counter at Baker Williford, the popcorn girl at the theatre in Beaumont and her favorite job, shoe sales at Bakers in Beaumont. Willie also worked as a sales person at Caldwells Fabric in Nederland for many years while her children were growing up. Because of this she would get a cut rate on bolts of fabric which, much to their chagrin resulted in her whole family being dressed in the same fabric.

Willie Mae was a second mother to her grandchildren and many of her children’s friends, along with her nieces and nephews. She had an open door for all. Willie Mae would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it and everyone was welcome at the Ingwersen home. If you did go by, you were sure to be offered some of her homemade pancakes. Her ‘Mo’ cakes were legendary and no matter how hard you would try, you could never duplicate her recipe.

Willie Mae is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Wayne M and Lyndi Ingwersen of Beaumont; daughters, Chris Ingwersen Taylor of Austin, Alice Ingwersen Feemster and husband, Mark, of Port Arthur; and Kathy Ingwersen Trimble Fontenot and husband, Richard, of Nederland; brothers, Isaac Broussard of DeRidder, Louisiana and Dudley Broussard of Sulphur, Louisiana; and sister-in-law, Naomi Jane Ingwersen Herrin and husband, Bobby, of Nederland. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Joshua Albanese and wife, Patricia; Kalynda Gilliland and husband, Justin; Jamie Sliwa and husband, Vic; Brian Taylor and wife, Annika; KC Trimble; and Bobby Wayne Feemster; step-grandsons, Chris Fontenot and wife, Kari, and Michael Fontenot and wife, Alison; fourteen great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, Bronwyn Albanese Gallander; Hanah, Hadley, Emma and Andi Gilliland; Jacek Sliwa; Brayden, Raelyn and Camdyn Taylor; and Chase, Tyler, Colton, Hunter and William Fontenot; and great-great grandson, Easton Wayne Gallander.

Willie was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne; her son, Marcus; and her daughter, Holly Ann Ingwersen Albanese; sisters, Nola Mehling and Noemi O’Conner of Vinton, Louisiana, Aline Constance Irby of Hackberry, Louisiana, and Viola Maxwell Judice of LaBelle; and brothers, Walter Broussard of Vinton, Louisiana and Wilford Broussard of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Willie Mae was headstrong and independent beyond her being of Cajun blood; she never hesitated to tell you what she thought. You would never get her to do something once she had her mind made up, because of that the family is honoring her wishes to be cremated.

A memorial service for Mrs. Ingwersen will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 18, 2017, at Broussards, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. Following her memorial service burial of Mrs. Ingwersen’s cremated body will be next to her husband, Wayne, at Oak Bluff Memorial Cemetery, Port Neches.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 60 East 56th Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10022, bcrf@bcrfcure.org. ​