Julia Silcox

Julia Ann “Nanny” Ardoin Silcox was born on February 15, 1945 in Welch, Louisiana. She moved to Winnie in 1954. She spoke English and French fluently then. While in school she excelled in basketball and volleyball. She was in the Homecoming Court, Annual Staff and the school paper. She received the honor two years in a row of being named Most Beautiful. Her beautiful eyes and sweet smile attracted her high school beau, Buddy Silcox from Hamshire, Texas. After dating for three years they married in January 1964. The two lived in Houston and Hamshire while starting their family. In the 70’s while Buddy worked in the plant during the day, she worked the soybean farm. She drove combines, tractors and trucks helping to bring in the harvest. After moving to Fig Ridge in Stowell, she changed to taking care of farm animals. She continued taking care of the kids show animals when they moved to County Line Road. Here she took up a hobby she loved, sewing. She did alterations for family and friends. She made most of the twirlers, cheerleaders, band and one act play uniforms and costumes for all the local school districts. She was talented with a needle.

At this time, she also took up another one of her passions, taking care of little kids. She started her daycare career babysitting her nieces and nephews. Forty-five years later she had a daycare license and preschool and enjoyed two generations of who she lovingly called “her kiddos”. She received several a phone call in the middle of the night from a panicked parent of a sick kiddo. Their little one would not take medicine from them because Nanny was the one who gave them medicine and a kiss to make them feel better. She was a “Baby Magnet”. Kids just seemed to gravitate to her. She had a magic way of soothing the upset little ones. Her kiddos loved taking their naps while listening to her 50’s music CDs. She was a momma, grandmother, aunt, friend, counselor, chef, nurse and doctor all in one. If it couldn’t be fixed with a butterfly bandage, black salve and monkey blood, you’d need to go to the ER.

She never missed a game, event, show or ceremony of any of her kids and anyone else’s if she was invited to attend. She loved being a member of the Buc Booster Club. She couldn’t wait until she could go to the church and help with Rice Balls, too. She made the best brownies ever. She never learned to cook in small pots. She loved when her kids’ friend would come home with them so she could feed them. From Gumbo to Chicken Spaghetti to fancy Tuna Salad sandwiches she’d fix what they wanted. She was well known for her macaroni and cheese which she eventually taught Buddy to make when she couldn’t. She had many a parent come to check on their little one at lunch in hopes a lunchtime invite.

Nanny loved to go crabbing with her momma and shared her gift of growing plants. She could bring anything back to life. She most definitely had a green thumb. She loved the color purple and Magnolias. She didn’t like sitting still. She had to be sewing, cooking or gardening. She enjoyed spoiling her children, grandchildren and “kiddos”. Many a summer she spent sewing tons of short sets for them. She’d embroider their names on towels after graduating from pre school to take to kindergarten. She’d rent a huge beach cabin every summer so she could spend the whole week spoiling her grandkids. They loved it when she fixed them their favorite breakfast of Chocolate Gravy and biscuits. She especially loved to watch them play in the sand and surf from her chair where she would bury her toes in the sand. She loved everything about the beach, especially drinking a frozen StingaRita at her favorite restaurant there. She worked all year long to get special gifts for her kiddos’ Christmas Parties. She made sure she cooked the food items her grandkids asked for like Cajun Pistolettes every year. She loved that time of year. She would have little parties for the kiddos throughout the year making sure she had lots of pictures. She was so proud of her kids’ and kiddos’ accomplishments. It didn’t matter if it was at school or church, she wanted to be there to witness the event. Even being so ill, she’d get Buddy to drive her to the school to watch baseball and football games from the front seat of the Tahoe.

She was well loved, and respected. She was everyone’s Nanny and she loved every minute of it. She said that having those kiddos in her life was what was keeping her young. She felt tremendously blessed to have had every single one of them in her life. She wanted them to know she was proud of them and that they were loved. She was a tough love, high expectation, warm fuzzy, huge hearted woman who would do just about anything for you. She was honored to be called Nanny to so many in the Winnie community. She will be missed tremendously.

Survivors include her husband of fifty-six years, Harold “Buddy” L. Silcox; sons, Jeffery Silcox, Corky Silcox and Rusty Silcox; daughter, Michelle Silcox; two brothers; four sisters; grandchildren, Karli Bourque and her husband, Jason; Jace Silcox and his wife, Chloe; Lanie Biscamp and her husband, Cody; Logan, Dylan, Tyler, Brandon, Allison and Kelli Silcox; great-grandchildren, Ramsey Bourque and Miles Biscamp.

She is preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Tommy Ardoin.

We want to extend a special thanks to Kim Silcox, Loretta Pylant and Chloe Silcox for all their help during her time of need.

A gathering of Mrs. Silcox’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 27, 2019, at St. Louis Catholic Church, 315 Buccaneer Drive, Winnie, with her interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Winnie.