“A gentle wind blew cross the land reaching out to take a hand, for on the winds the angels came calling out a mother’s name.” – Tim Chambers
After a long struggle with illness, the angels came for Audrey St. Amant Dragon Hebert on February 28, 2016.
She was born in New Orleans, LA on May 8, 1923 and later relocated to Picayune, MS to be close to her daughter and family, where she resided for the last 23 years. Audrey is survived by her husband of 40 years, Clarence James Hebert; one daughter, Cynthia Dragon Dufrene of Carriere, MS; one son, Earl Michael Dragon, Jr. of Picayune, MS; and grandchildren, Bart Kenneth Dufrene and Tuyet Dufrene of Nicholson, MS, Jonathan Michael Dufrene and Kelly
McCann of Theodore, AL, and Lauren Renae Dufrene of Picayune, MS. She was a loving great-grandmother to Jon David Dufrene and Jakob Dillon Dufrene of Theodore, AL. Also left to cherish her memory are many nieces and great-nieces, nephews and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Earl Michael Dragon, Sr.; mother, Bernice LeBlanc; father, Ellis St. Amant; and two sisters, Beverly Camhout and Marceliette Alexander.
Audrey attended Colton High School in New Orleans, LA.
Audrey held various jobs in her lifetime. In the 1940s, she worked for Dixie Printing in New Orleans as a bindery worker, for Moissant Airport as a waitress, for a cigar factory, for a New Orleans private investigator, and her most memorable job was bending tubing and installation in the wings of C-46 cargo planes for Higgins at the Michoud Facility in New Orleans, LA. She also worked on inline engines for the Army Air Corp during WWII. In the 1950s, she and Earl moved to North Carolina while working for the U.S. Government to take pictures of maps for the Air Weather Service. In the 1960s, Audrey worked with her mother and sister, Beverly, sewing costumes for the Venus Mardi Gras Organization, both for the parades and the Carnival Balls. She worked in shipping and receiving for the Port of Embarkation in New Orleans for the Air Force Household Goods division. In the mid-60s, Audrey moved to the Panama Canal Zone where she worked for the Panama Canal Survey. She returned to the United States and worked for the U.S. Navy Algiers Navy Yard as a warehouse supervisor and retired after 23 years of service with the U.S. Government.
In the 1970s, Audrey and Clarence moved to Slidell, LA where she worked as a truck dispatcher for a short time. After moving to Picayune, she worked for Mr. McNally, running his dress shop across from the Picayune Post Office. She and Clarence later moved to Bay St. Louis, MS to be close to her son and volunteered for a brief time at a nursing home. After a few years, they moved back to Picayune, where she enjoyed retirement, gardening, and attending church at Solid Rock Church in Nicholson, MS and also Maranatha Church in Picayune, MS.
Audrey celebrated her faith as a non-denominational Christian, and loved reading her Scriptures every morning. She had a strong faith in God and was always ready to share her faith with anyone. She supported many charities and was always willing to give where needed. She enjoyed growing a garden, and working in her yard was her delight. Her last years were spent longing to see her Heavenly Father and to be reunited with her mother and sisters.
Private burial at West Union Baptist Cemetery. Her life will be celebrated at a later date by close friends and family.