Ending on a high note

Being crowned queen of a festival presents many opportunities to make cherished memories. That was none different for outgoing Ms. Boggy Bayou Ashley Leger Deville.
For Deville, though, her biggest memory will be the piece of head ware. “The crown is so huge,” she commented. “I was known as the queen with the Pope crown.”
Besides the size of her crown, Deville will take with her other memories such as “getting to travel with my daughter and participate in local parades and events.”
During her reign as Ms. Boggy Bayou, Deville represented the festival itself as well as the Prairie Manor Nursing Home across all corners of the state from Eunice to Natchitoches. As she said, “I’ve welcomed new sister queens as title holders and wiped tears off queens who, like me in one short week, handed over their crown. I also was given the opportunity to judge several children’s pageants and festival pageants.”
Deville is the 34-year-old wife of Brad Deville. She is the daughter of Stanley and Pearline Leger and the granddaughter of the late Horace and Beulah Leger and the late Gilbert and Elsie King. She is also a patient care representative at Beacon Behavioral Hospital in Bunkie and the owner of Sign Gypsies Ville Platte.
Serving as queen is nothing new for Deville as she has done so in the past. “I competed in pageants my entire childhood and teenage years,” she said. “I’ve held several titles, but holding the Ms. Boggy Bayou title trumps them all. This festival holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I grew up and it’s home to me.”
For Deville the key to being a good festival queen is traveling. “You have to get out and represent your title and festival,” she said. “You have to give back to the community and volunteer.”
Her reign specifically as Ms. Boggy Bayou Festival has taught Deville new lessons about the community of Pine Prairie. She said, “I learned how supportive and involved our community is. Being a small town, it’s amazing to see everyone come together and make this festival a success year after year.”
Before passing the crown to her successor next weekend, Deville offered sage advice to whoever will fill her shoes. “Take time and get to know the residents,” she expressed. “It’s a humbling experience to converse with our elder generation.”
Once another Ms. Boggy Bayou is crowned, Deville will take memories of her crown size and traveling the state into her future as she embarks on another stage of her journey. She concluded, “My future plans are retiring my pageant heels and enjoying my two baby girls. However, I plan to continue visiting the Nursing home residents on a regular basis.”