Former mayor of Mamou passes away Monday

Former mayor of the Town of Mamou Wilda Chamberlain passed away Monday at the age of 67.
One of the last people who spoke to Wilda Chamberlain was current Mayor of Mamou Ricky Fontenot. “Wilda was a dear friend, and she called me Saturday out of the blue,” said Mayor Fontenot. “She and I spoke for about an hour, and she basically talked about family, the town, and the people. We had a very long conversation just not realizing that would be the last conversation with her.”
Mayor Fontenot’s relationship with Chamberlain began while he was serving on the town council during her administration. “She was really great with council members,” the mayor said. “She tried the best to get along and do projects that council members wanted to be done.”
Chamberlain was elected mayor in 2003, and Mayor Fontenot commented, “She did a lot of good things when she was mayor.” He added, “She was a hard worker. She enjoyed being the mayor, she loved her employees, and she loved the people of this town.”
The love Chamberlain had for Mamou continued after she served as mayor. Mayor Fontenot said, “She would still ride around and look to see what street lights were out and called to let us know. She would also call if there was a pothole somewhere.”
Chamberlain also served on the Evangeline Parish Solid Waste Commission and is the second member of the commission to pass away in as many weeks following the death of Curley Dossman Sr.
The mayor concluded, “She was a great asset to this town, and this town is really going to miss Wilda.”