John Gott, left, and Tiger Istre go over details on replacing the Edwin Edwards bust on a monument at the Acadia Parish Courthouse. Istre is representing Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home who will be ordering and installing the new bust.
“Regardless of how you feel, this is the right thing to do,” said fundraising organizer John Gott. “A defaced monument on the courthouse grounds does not reflect well on Crowley or Acadia Parish for that matter,” Gott said. “We deserve better.”
Gott said a tax-free account to collect these funds has been established as Home Bank in Crowley under, “Gov. Edwards Restoration Project.”
“We will be replacing the original bust from 1973 with another bronze sculpture that will be secured into the granite base,” Tiger Istre of Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home said. “The bust is being cast by The Matthews Corp. in Pittsburgh, Pa.”
Istre, representing the funeral home, said they would oversee ordering and installation of the new bust. The total cost for the replacement of the bust and installation is estimated at $2,000.
The original monument of Edwards, signaling the first person from Acadia Parish to be elected governor, was unveiled by the governor and his family on Friday, May 11, 1973. The monument remained in a uninterrupted state on the courthouse lawn until stolen last year.
Donations can be sent to:
Gov. Edwards Restoration Project
C/O Home Bank
P.O. Box 229
Crowley, La. 70526
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