Catherine O. Pedescleaux, a deceased resident of St. James Parish and a retired teacher from West St. John Elementary School with 34 years of service was inducted into the 2011 Louisiana 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug 13 at the Louisiana 4-H Museum in Mansura. Oscar Pedescleaux received the award for his deceased wife.

Pedescleaux was a 4-H Club Leader for more than 29 years and enjoyed working and helping the students of St. John the Baptist Parish. She enjoyed helping the students prepare for the different contest in 4-H and put on different programs for the students to present their talents to the community. She would volunteer to take students to different functions when their parents were not able to attend. After earning her Master’s Plus 30 in Education in 1972, she became a member of the Nicholls Reading Association and volunteered at St. John Elementary and Fifty Ward Elementary schools.

Pedescleaux was recognized on several occasions from 1978 to 2007 for her outstanding leadership and contribution of volunteer service to the 4-H Club program in St. John Parish. She passed away on April 3, 2008, and received an outpouring of remembrance from club members, 4-H leaders and parish and government officials from St. John and St. James parishes, Knight of St. Peter Clavier Ladies Auxiliary Court 135, Louisiana Retired Teachers Association and other organizations for which she volunteered her time and talents.

During the years before her passing, Pedescleaux helped guide, train and motivate more than 2,500 children in teaching them the importance of education, hard work and life skills in the real world. She would work with the students of St. John Parish during the summer months when school was out for the summer break. She would help them with projects, speeches, sewing, cooking and preparing for a career in teaching as well as other career fields. She attended 4-H camp, leadership conferences and various other trainings and conferences.

Pedescleaux was very instrumental in involving the youth of St. John the Baptist Parish in activities that were positive and designed to help the students build their character, honesty, trustworthiness, patience and wiliness to work with others as good citizens. She involved the students in community service projects and volunteered to be there with them and help in any way that she could.