Big Ma had nine children. One of them is still here. I am Carolyn, and my mother, Susianna Robertson Duchane, is ninety-five years old and still the one this family calls when we need to know something true.
Born on June 14, 1931, my mother, Susianna, was the ninth and youngest child born to Magnolia “Big Ma” Robertson. She was raised alongside her brothers and sisters in Rosedale, Louisiana, where the country life helped shape the woman she would become and created memories and family traditions that remain an important part of her story.
As a young woman, she left the quiet country life of Rosedale and Pine Grove to move to the bustling city of New Orleans. This transition was made incredibly seamless thanks to the loving, watchful care of her older sister, Beulah. Aunt Beulah took my mother under her wing and even sponsored her through high school. Beulah’s deep involvement in her education helped shape my mother into the sharp intellectual and family archivist she is to this very day.
It was in New Orleans that my mother met the absolute love of her life, my father, Charles Duchane Sr., who is now deceased. Together, they built a beautiful family and were blessed with five children: our dearly departed Jaqueline, Charles Jr., myself (Carolyn), Michael, and Jackie. My mother poured her heart into raising us, and her life became a beautiful example of family, love, strength, and perseverance through the generations. We were, and remain, the thing she is proudest of.
Her love for her family was beautifully intertwined with her deep devotion to her faith. She was a dedicated member of Second Baptist Church, that same little wooden church on Highland Lane in Violet, Louisiana. Inside those walls, her joyful spirit truly soared as she absolutely loved singing in the choir right alongside her sister Lydia and her niece Bertha Lee.
Today, at the remarkable age of 95, my mother stands surrounded by love as the last remaining sibling of Big Ma’s nine children. She is still beautifully active, highly functional, and remains our presiding matriarch — the true glue holding our entire family together. As the youngest of the nine, she has become our precious point of reference, the vital bridge that connects all of us directly to our ancestors. We constantly acknowledge and thank God for her strength, her deep wisdom, and the beautiful blessing that she remains in her sound mind, continuing to guide us all.
Her profound faith also extended far beyond the church doors. Driven by a heart of compassion, she served as a dedicated administrator for a prison ministry, faithfully organizing Bible studies and bringing the uplifting voices of a prison choir to those who needed hope and spiritual connection the most.
Her family legacy has continued to grow and blossom beautifully over the years. She is the proud grandmother of three grandchildren: Alfreneisha, Cordell, and Cleo, all born to my sister Jackie. The blessings kept coming, making her a loving great-grandmother to two great-grandchildren, Ashleigh and Karieghlani, born to Alfreneisha. She cherishes every single memory shared with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and our extended family.
Even as our revered 95-year-old matriarch, she knows exactly how to enjoy life! These days, you can often find her enjoying her favorite new hobby — playing the machines at the casino. She also loves spending precious time with her church family and, most importantly, her immediate family. Her journey from Rosedale to New Orleans, the family she built, and the boundless love she continues to share are all deeply meaningful parts of our family’s history. Her story is not just a memory of the past; it is a living, breathing testament that is still being written and proudly told today.
She is our bridge back to everyone who came before us, and she is still walking it. Susianna Robertson Duchane — the last of Big Ma’s nine, our matriarch, and our living legend.