Eleanor Gremillion of Marksville has created quite a legacy in her hometown. A recipient of many accolades, Gremillion has been named Cenla-ian of the Year by a panel of community leaders and the Cenla Focus editorial board. “I am deeply honored. I have received a lot of awards, but when you get to be 91 and have a very notable magazine like Cenla Focus recognize you, that supersedes everything else,” Gremillion said upon hearing that she was selected for the prestigious recognition. The Cenla-ian of the Year award is reserved for the Cenla resident who exemplifies noteworthy leadership qualities and whose works are community standouts.
Born and raised in Marksville in Avoyelles Parish, Gremillion is widely known as an icon of involvement who believes in giving the lagniappe, that something extra, for the betterment of her community. “I’m not one to sit around in a rocking chair waiting to die. I am still active and plan to stay as active as I can be,” Gremillion says with a laugh.
After decades of serving, today she is still an active board member of the Marksville Chamber of Commerce and on the board of directors of the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism. Gremillion began impacting her community shortly after graduating from Marksville High School in 1940. “Back then, we graduated after the 11th grade. And two months after graduating, I went to work for an attorney,” Gremillion recalls. Although only 16 years old, Gremillion’s hard work with her first job helped pave the way for her to begin a career in finance. “I had been an exceptional student. In high school, I had teachers who were very interested in teaching,” she says, adding, “and as a child, the nuns at Presentation Convent School taught us how to live, be reliable and how to behave.”
Her love of travel and learning about other cultures made Gremillion a natural to become involved with her local tourism industry. When the Marksville Chamber of Commerce was in its infancy, its telephone number was Gremillion’s home phone number. She served as the director of the chamber for years, and recently helped create the Economic Development Committee. “In 1959, Marksville celebrated its 150th anniversary as a town. Every ten years since then, we celebrate Marksville’s birthday. I have served as the chairwoman of Marksville’s birthday celebrations since 1959,” Gremillion enthuses.
The friendships Gremillion has formed through the last 60 years have brought her great joy, she says. “Appointing me as the chairman shows you the faith the people of Marksville had in me,” explains Gremillion. “That’s been my greatest accomplishment.” In addition, Gremillion served 51 years, until 2005, as the chairman of Marksville’s July 4th celebration and parade. Her can-do attitude afforded her the opportunity to serve as Marksville’s civil service director for 28 years. Having given back to the people and the city she loves, it is no wonder Gremillion has been recognized for her volunteer spirit. She served for years as a board member of the Avoyelles Society for the Developmentally Disabled, and has served as a member of the Hypolite Bordelon Home Society. For years, Gremillion served as a national officer for the American Legion Auxiliary, and was the state president in 1965-65.
In 1969, she was named Avoyellean of the Year, and was named Citizen of the Year in 1974 and 1989. In 2005, Gremillion was named a Woman of Excellence by the Rapides Foundation and the Alexandria Town Talk. She received the Will Mangum Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 from the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association for her decades of work in promoting the state’s tourism industry.
Although the storytelling event has not been held for years, Gremillion continues to reach out to hometown students seeking to excel by chairing the chamber’s scholarship committee. She also heads the American Legion Auxiliary’s committee that chooses delegates to Louisiana Girls State each year. Gremillion has authored a booklet about the history of Marksville, and is now helping to work on a supplemental historical pamphlet. At 91 years young, Gremillion is not retiring from community life. In fact, she is busy at work on the next chapter in her very own “book of life”.