Ella Mae Booth, owner of Booth’s Grocery passes away at 95

Grand Chenier, LA (KPLC) - A Grand Chenier staple, Booth’s Grocery is closed today as the woman who ran the store since it opened passed away this morning.

Ella Mae Booth, known to most as “T-Mae” was called the matriarch of Grand Chenier, an icon of Cameron Parish who lived to 95 years old.

“I was raised here, born and raised,” Booth said in a 2021 interview with 7News.

“She was very small. ‘T’ meant small in French so that’s how it came out, T-Mae,” Dona Adams, Booth’s daughter said.

The comma to the top, Cajun Onstar, a viral YouTube video helped put Booth’s Grocery on the map. T-Mae ran the family-owned convenience store.

“And her book, people from all over the world would come here in sign in,” Adams said.

She and her husband first built the shop in 1957.

“That’s all I remember is Mama sitting behind that counter waiting on customers,” Rose Manuel, Booth’s niece said.

Adams and Manuel said when she wasn’t behind the counter, she’d be fixing a meal.

“It didn’t matter who they were, she’d say ‘ya’ll go in the kitchen and get something to eat,” Adams said. “She loved people and life, she loved life.”

They had to rebuild the store after Hurricane Rita, which is the building that still stands today.

“Come on down to Booth’s Grocery,” the family said in 2021.

7News visited her back in 2021 when she reopened after Hurricane Laura and Delta.

Many who knew T-Mae said she had a heart of gold, she loved to feed people, loved God, and always wanted to help anyone she could.

“Loving, caring, giving,” Manuel said.

“In her younger years, she was a firecracker, she was back in the day,” Adams said.

T-Mae had 4 children and was always surrounded by family who helped keep the store running.

The family said arrangements are expected to be set for this week.

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