Letter: Barousse is oldest furniture store in parish

Interesting reading on the Daily Review front page headline article dated April 6. As being part of the local business community for the past 76 years, we hate to see a local business close their doors for whatever reason. With that being said I feel there is some inaccuracy in your headline (“83-year -old furniture store closes doors”).
According to your article Mr. Frank "Boo" Grizzaffi's III grandfather, Mr. Frank Grizzaffi Sr., opened his appliance store in 1932 and added furnituire in 1965. At the same time my grandfather, Mr. Overton Edgar Barousse, was employed by the Shilling Furniture Co. with a stores in New Iberia and Morgan City.
In 1939 Mr. Shilling decided to sell his business to my grandfather and the name changed to Barousse Furniture. At that time he had a sign painted on his truck: "I will be a Furniture Man untill the day I die," which he was. As a family business and three generations later, we are still going strong.
I applaud the Grizzaffis for their long run in the appliance and furniture business but truly Barousse Furniture was and still is the oldest furniture store not only in Morgan City but in St. Mary Parish.
David E. Barousse
President, owner
Barousse Furniture