Chester & Nell Soignier

In June 1930 Simon and Alice Soignier welcomed the arrival of their son, John Chester Soignier and in May 1933, Henry Allen and Rosie Johnson welcomed the arrival of their daughter Nellie Lee Johnson. Chester earned his high school diploma from St. Matthew’s High School and joined the U. S. Navy in which he served for four years. Nellie graduated from Ouachita High School and began working in the bookkeeping department for Montgomery Ward.

Chester and Nell were married on June 26, 1953 at St. Paschal’s Catholic Church in West Monroe, Louisiana. When the young couple began married life together, they lived with Simon and Alice Soignier in West Monroe. Chester worked for the Paper Mill but had a difficult time with the swing shift hours and Nellie continued working for Montgomery Ward.

The spring of 1954 brought lots of changes for the young couple. Chester and Nell decided they wanted to move to the country and begin new careers. In March, Chester and Nell resigned from their jobs, purchased a small tract of land with a house in Bosco, Louisiana to begin their vocation of farming. In July, their first child was born.

Even though the days were long and the work was tough, Chester and Nell enjoyed their new farm life. Harvest in the fall of 1954 brought the first cash crop and by 1959 the farm was starting to pay for itself. Farmhands were the main labor force and were paid at the end of every day they worked. In the spring and summer cotton had to be weeded and hoed. During the fall, cotton was picked by hand. Simon rode a horse to gather up the bags of cotton and record the weight for each worker. At the end of the day the weight was totaled which determined how much money each worker was paid.

1960 brought innovation and changes to the farm. The first cotton picker was purchased for the farm that allowed cotton to be picked much faster mechanically. After the cotton was picked at the farm, Chester was able to make a little extra by picking cotton for other farmers in the area. Simon and Nell drove the trailers to and from the cotton gin.

With five children under the age of seven, Chester finally was able to buy a car. The family was growing and could no longer fit into the cab of the old farm truck. Sadly, in October 1969, while working in the field with Chester, his father Simon Soignier had a massive heart attack. Life for the family would never be the same. Simon had come to the farm almost every day during the growing season since the beginning. Nevertheless, Chester and Nell persevered in fulfilling their passion of agribusiness and were able to keep the farm profitable.

By 1972, Chester and Nell were the proud parents of eleven children. Their children worked and played beside Chester and Nell every day. The life Chester and Nell created on the farm was one centered on God, family, and hard work. Springtime was always a busy time of year. The crops and garden had to be planted. Animals of all sorts including cows, horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens, quails, dogs, and cats had to be taken care of each day. Summertime was even busier! The cotton had to be hoed, irrigated, and sprayed. The garden produced lots of fresh vegetables and these had to be canned.

Harvest time was Chester’s favorite time of the year. As Chester would pick the cotton with a cotton picker, the children would pack/play in the cotton trailer before Nell would pull the trailer to the cotton gin. Their children enjoyed stomping the cotton in the trailers and making tunnels before the next basket was dumped into the trailer. The pecan trees that surrounded the house produced pecans to be picked up, shelled, and sold for money to buy Christmas presents.

In the years to come, larger cotton pickers and more automated equipment were purchased to increase efficiency and yield. Chester and Nell continued to read, study, and keep abreast of farming and gardening. Even though it was a small family farm, they were able to accomplish a lifetime of happiness and dreams.

Chester and Nell Soignier focused on faith in God, family, hard work, and education. On Sunday, they went to church together as a family. Even though it was expensive and they had to make sacrifices, Chester and Nell sent all eleven children to St. Frederick’s High School. In addition, they helped eight of their eleven children attend ULM. They were extremely proud of all eleven children, their families, and accomplishments.

We are celebrating Chester and Nell Soignier’s life and sixty years of marriage with this scholarship fund. Chester and Nell shared their faith in God and hard work ethic, not only by what they said but by the way they lived their lives. They always had their eyes on the future, helping nurture and educate their children.