Former Godman School Student Remembers History of UMCOR Sager Brown Campus
By Susan J. Meister
Back in the 1950's when Godman School chef Miss Bernard was baking fresh rolls, Herbert Druilhet kept thinking, "I wish I could get to the cafeteria and get some of those rolls!"
Mr. Druilhet was one of many African-Americans in the Baldwin/St. Mary Parish community who attended the Godman School. His school mates included residential students, orphans from the Sager Brown Home. Today the campus that began life as an orphanage in 1867 is a relief supply depot operated by the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
"Godman was a good Christian school, where we had to learn," he recalled. After eighth-grade graduation Mr. Druilhet went on to high school in Franklin. He is retired from his career as a machinist.
Mr. Druilhet and his family have had close ties to the Godman School and Sager Brown campus for a very long time. His grandfather tended the animals and gardens, and his 13 siblings attended the school. He and his brother used to clean one of the buildings as part of their scholarship to attend.
The school closed and the property went up for sale in 1978. "When I saw that sale sign, all the good times at the school stayed vivid in my mind," he said.
Hurricane Recovery Base
But then Hurricane Andrew roared through southern Louisiana in 1992. At that time, Mr. Druilhet served on City Council, and while he didn't leave the area, he worked to evacuate Baldwin.
"When the people came back, they didn't have a place to stay," he said. "The town was devastated - no water, no food. So I told the Mayor, 'Call New York and get permission to use Sager Brown.' He did, and my brother and I opened the place up, started cleaning, and repaired the plumbing."
Soon volunteers from throughout the country joined Baldwin residents to help at Sager Brown. Supplies were stored in the gymnasium. Volunteers and residents worked together on repairs. "It was a base to spread out all over," Mr. Druilhet said.
UMCOR Builds Depot
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) saw the potential for disaster response in the Sager Brown property, and opened the supply Depot in 1996. Since then, millions of dollars of relief supplies packed by volunteers from all over the US have been shipped people in need throughout the world.
Glenn Druilhet is director of the Depot. She has faced some serious health challenges over the past months, and Mr. Druilhet spoke fondly of the volunteers who "just love my wife."
UMCOR Sager Brown Celebrates Anniversary
UMCOR Sager Brown celebrates 140 years of service with an on-campus celebration April 21. Kathy Kraiza, Executive Director, and the UMCOR Sager Brown staff hope that many former students will attend. "We'll have music and food," Ms. Kraiza said, "and the museum and the gift shop will be open. But we really hope that most of the time will be spent in reunion and conversation."
Remembering the History
Mr. Druilhet plans to be there. Visitors may have a chance to hear some of his reminiscences about his own and his family's ties to the Sager Brown Home, Godman School, and UMCOR Sager Brown.
"Before Trinity United Methodist Church was built," he recalled, "the old church was on the Sager Brown side. It was a beautiful cypress church and my grandfather worked on it."
He went on: "We had a choir in the old church and we practiced a lot! One day our teacher said, 'Somebody's out of tune,' and all the children turned around and pointed at me. I said, 'O Lord, why didn't you give me a good voice?'" Mr. Herbert laughed.
