All in The Family

All in The Family

The Enduring Legacy of a Multi-Generational Business

By: Mimi Greenwood Knight; Photos By: Mal Nicholson

We all inherit things from our parents and grandparents. It might be a piece of jewelry, a work of art, or something intangible like a sense of humor or a penchant for taking on lost causes. For the Northshore families in this story, their legacy is a vocation—a family business built and nurtured over generations, rooted in shared values, tradition, and commitment to success.

BRIAN, BRANDON, TOMMY, DONNY AND ROBERT BOUDREAUX OF BOUDREAUX’S JEWELERS

Boudreaux’s Jewelers has been a cornerstone of South Louisiana for nearly 90 years, with locations in Metairie, Mandeville, and Baton Rouge. Many locals likely have a ring, necklace, or watch that has been touched by the expertise and dedication of this family-owned business. The journey began in 1933 when Gilmore Boudreaux Sr., a skilled craftsman and jeweler, founded Boudreaux’s Jewelers in New Orleans. Operating out of a small studio in the Pere Marquette building, the business initially focused on providing service and repairs for stores across the Gulf South region. The company’s reputation for quality work quickly grew, leading to a successful expansion.

By 1956, Boudreaux’s had opened its first retail storefront on Baronne Street, marking a significant milestone in the company’s history. Gilmore’s sons, Don, Louis, and Gilmore Jr., joined the family business, bringing fresh energy and ideas that helped propel the company forward.

The tradition continued into the next generation. In 1985, Brian Boudreaux joined the company after studying gemology at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). By 1994, his siblings, Christy and Tommy, had also joined the family business, strengthening the Boudreaux legacy. The family saw a growing demand for high-end jewelry on the Northshore and responded by opening a Mandeville location in 1995. That same year, Donny Boudreaux brought his expertise to the business after a successful career in landscape architecture.

Brian’s oldest son, Brandon, joined the business in 2014 after completing his studies at GIA. His passion for jewelry design led him to train under Boudreaux’s master craftsmen, eventually taking on the role of Lead Designer. In 2018, Brian’s youngest son, Robert, also joined the family business, continuing the generational legacy.

“As a family, we take the responsibility of continuing our legacy very seriously,” said Brandon Boudreaux, reflecting on the company’s long history. “We’re carrying forward three generations of dedication and hard work.”

The family remains committed to staying true to the core values that have defined Boudreaux’s for generations. “Our goal is to build on the strong foundations laid by those before us and to offer our clients the best jewelry selection and experience in Louisiana,” Brandon added.

The family’s nearly 90 years of service have fostered close relationships with local families, helping them celebrate milestones with the perfect piece of jewelry. Boudreaux’s Jewelers remains a trusted name in Louisiana, offering the finest quality diamonds and jewelry for generations to come.

LISA AND CONNOR PATRICK OF PAT’S SEAFOOD IN COVINGTON

It was 1965 when Ralph Patrick first opened his seafood store and restaurant in Metairie. From his home in Bucktown, he could wade right into the water and pick up softshell crabs. He cooked family recipes on his home stove then hauled them to his Veterans Boulevard shop to sell.

“Mr. Ralph was very social and a diligent worker,” said daughter-inlaw Lisa Patrick. “Whatever he set his mind to, he did. And he had a natural intuition for business.” Lisa says that intuition passed down to her husband, Ralph, Jr. (Ral), and their oldest child, Connor.

In the 70s, Ralph and Jean relocated to the Northshore and opened a restaurant, seafood market, and grocery store on Highway 190 in Covington. The Pat’s name was soon synonymous with seafood. “Although there wasn’t much competition back then, it was still a lot of work,” Lisa said. “Even on his day off, Ral usually went into work to do one thing or another.” Lisa says her husband seemed to naturally understand the finesse involved in cooking seafood where a couple minutes here or there can mean the difference between success and failure.

Ral ran the business for the next 33 years, while Lisa raised their four kids, handled the books, and jumped behind the counter whenever she was needed. By the time he was 13, Connor was learning at his dad’s elbow. In 2022, Ral sadly lost his battle with cancer and the business passed into the hands of Lisa and Connor.

“Connor has the same intuition for business and understanding of seafood his father had,” Lisa said. “I can be the face of the business and can handle sales, but I couldn’t begin to do what he does.”

Connor is eager to breathe new life into the family business, too, and is considering many expansion ideas. “I’d like to create a crawfish boil type atmosphere where families and couples can come, enjoy some seafood, and hang out.”

ROB AND MICHAEL NELSON OF ELMER’S CANDY IN PONCHATOULA

The year was 1855 when German immigrant Christoper Henry Miller launched a tiny candy company in New Orleans, Miller Candy Company. When his daughter married Augustus Elmer, they changed the name to Miller Elmer Candy Company and eventually dropped the Miller altogether. The company has been Elmer Chocolate Company ever since.

In 1923, they purchased the recipe for Heavenly Hash from a Canal Street confectioner and in 1936 developed the formula for Gold Brick Eggs. The two candies became their signature products and a staple of Easter celebrations throughout their small regional distribution area.

In 1962, a young Roy Nelson went to work at Elmer Chocolate and was eventually able to purchase the company from Mr. Elmer. It didn’t take him long to realize he didn’t possess the mechanical knowledge to keep his factory running like it should. He begged his physicist son, Allan, to leave a promising career with McDonald Douglas and join him in the chocolate business. Together, they ran the family candy company from locations on Magazine Street and Tchoupitoulas.

With new ownership came new ideas and Allan had his sights set on expansion. After considering locations in Jefferson Parish and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, they relocated to the Northshore and built their new factory in Ponchatoula in 1970. In a gesture of loyalty that’s hard to imagine these days, many of their employees chose to relocate with them. Some of those employees are still there today.

Rob and Michael Nelson remember skateboarding through the plant on the weekends when their dad made repairs on the machinery. By 1996, the third generation of Nelsons took over, when Rob became COO. Michael joined him in 2003 and Rob stepped into the CEO role when Allan retired.

With expansions in 2015 and 2016 to the tune of $45 million, they’re now producing and packaging five million pieces of candy a day (2,000 pieces a minute) with the help of 400 happy employees.

Over nearly 170 years, Elmer’s has grown from a tiny, regional candy company into the second largest heart-shaped boxed chocolate company in the country with distribution throughout North America and has earned the title “oldest family-owned chocolate company in the U.S.” They even now make and distribute some Hershey’s products from their factory in Ponchatoula, products which used to be manufactured in Mexico.

So far, Rob and Michael’s children have all worked at the candy company throughout their school years. We’ll have to wait and see if a fourth generation continues this sweet family tradition.

CRISTI TANNER AND BRIDGET RUSSELL OF GAYLE’S JEWELERS IN BOGALUSA

Cristi Tanner and Bridget Russell have a precious piece of family memorabilia framed in each of their homes, a copy of the spreadsheet from the first month their grandparents were in business. Bogalusa was actually a bit of a boom town, then. In fact, theirs was the ninth jewelry store, not just in the town but on their street. Today, they’re the only one left. “Bogalusa had a population of 30,000 at that time, with people making a good living at the paper plant, the box plant, and the bag plant,” said Bridget Russell. “People came from Mandeville and Covington to shop in Bogalusa. It was the place to be.”

Bogalusa now has a population closer to 10,000. But through the ups and downs, this family-owned business has endured. “Those first few years, Paw Paw used to volunteer to engrave everything for customers, because he knew if it was engraved it wouldn’t be returned,” Cristi said. “So, he engraved everything, watches, bracelets, rings.”

The Overtons handed the reins over to Cristi and Bridget’s mother, Carolyn McGehee, who ran the business well into her seventies before only recently stepping aside and leaving it in the capable hands of her daughters. What began as a tiny storefront has doubled in size as Bridget and Cristi now serve the children and grandchildren of their grandparents’ original customers.

As elegant as you’ll find Gayle’s Jewelers, it’s also small town friendly. Everyone’s favorite employee is Willow the St. Bernard/standard poodle mix who Bridget says is “customer service.” Regular customers know they can call and say, “Today is my wife’s (or sister’s or mother’s or best friend’s) birthday. What does she want?” and the sisters will not only know what she wants but what she already has.

Both sisters agree Bogalusa has been a wonderful place to grow up, to raise their kids, and to do business.

PETER AND JESSICA CALLAC OF SLIDELL FEED & SEED

Jessica Callac was happily putting her art degree to work at Kern Studios in New Orleans when she was laid off due to COVID. She wasn’t really sure what her next step would be, and she was as surprised as anyone when she found her happy place helping run the family feed and seed alongside her father, Peter.

Known to locals as Miss Mary’s Feed & Seed, the business actually came into the Callac family due to an offhand comment at a cocktail party. “My grandparents were at a party and my grandfather was talking to the then owner,” Jessica said. “He told him, ‘You ought to sell me the feed and seed’ but he wasn’t really serious.”

Low and behold, the owner was ready to sell and Miss Mary used money she’d inherited to purchase the business in 1972. She and her feed and seed were soon part of the fabric of the city. Over the years, each of Miss Mary’s children and several of her grandchildren worked for her, but it was sons Peter and Melvin who really took to the work and made it their career.

When COVID 19 hit, Miss Mary was 92 and still putting in a good day’s work. But the family just wasn’t comfortable with her interacting with the public. Then, Melvin passed away and, had Jessica not been available to step in, the family was looking at closing up or selling the business.

There’s no doubt Jess has breathed new life into the old family feed and seed. Already an avid gardener, she stepped things up in the plant department and has established a fun and funky social media presence for the store. She’s taken on a sidekick, too. “Devon has Down Syndrome and has come in with his grandmother for years,” Jessica said. “He loves the plants and loves taking pictures of them. One day his grandmother asked if he could volunteer sometime.” Devon is there every day now and loves greeting customers with, “Slidell Feed & Seed. What do you need?”

As for Jessica, her best days are the ones when customers come in with stories of her grandmother. “I’ll never get tired of hearing them,” she said.

JANET, CHARLIE, AND MICHAEL DELUCA OF DELUCA’S FINE JEWELRY & GIFTS

Janet Deluca didn’t know when she landed an after-school job at Tim Wilson Jewelers in Downtown Covington that it was the beginning of a family legacy. It was 1971 and Janet was a 15-year-old high school student when she first stepped behind the jewelry counter to begin the only job she’d ever have.

Ten years after graduating high school, she bought the business from him, changing the name to DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts. That’s when the real work began. “I learned to do jewelry repair and would often work until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning during the holidays,” Janet said. In fact, it wasn’t unusual for her to sleep in the back room at night.

Deluca’s soon amassed a loyal customer base, locals who make frequent visits to the double storefront on Collin Boulevard in Covington for unique jewelry pieces and gifts. No matter who you are, when you walk through the door, you are greeted like you’re the one person they hoped to see that day.

Through the years, Deluca’s has been a true family affair. Janet’s daughters each worked their own after-school and holiday jobs there. Her sister-in-law, Trudy, has been behind the counter for decades. Her niece, April, takes care of the bookkeeping.

Janet’s son, Charlie, studied at the prestigious Paris Institute of Jewelry Technology in Paris, Texas, earning his Certified Bench Jeweler degree. Charlie has endeared himself to Deluca’s customers with custom jewelry design and jewelry repair for 25 years. Three years ago, he bought the family business from his parents.

After 53 years, Janet is finally taking a step back, only working a few days a week. Charlie’s son, Michael, just graduated from Paris Institute of Jewelry Technology himself. We look forward to a third generation of Deluca’s carrying on this Northshore tradition.