Festival dedicated to late Blossom Queen Soileau

Gazette Staff Report

This year’s Cotton Festival will be dedicated to the late Sydney Soileau, who was the 2012 Cotton Blossom Queen. She is the daughter of Chad and Chelsie Soileau and Wendy Manuel. Her grandparents are Pat and Pete Manuel, Michelle and Ricky Soileau, Sophia Guillory and Kyle Veillon. Her siblings are Carleigh and Ainsley Soileau, Rylee and Wesley Rollins and Shelby Thomas. Her great-grandfather, Donald, was Colonel Cotton in the 1970s.
Sydney graduated eight grade at Bayou Chicot Elementary School and attended Pine Prairie High School as a freshman. Dancing was her passion and she enjoyed dancing more than anything in this world. She also enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, and like any other girl, shopping. She loved music, riding four-wheelers, reading and sitting by the fire outside.
If you were to ask Sydney what her greatest accomplishments were, she would probably tell you winning Cotton Blossom Queen and making company at Dance and Gym. She was very proud of those two things in her life. She was the greatest daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend that anyone could ask for.
Her friends say her greatest trait was listening. You could tell her anything and she would tell no one. They also say that she gave the best advice, and many people, including those who were not her “best” friends, went to her for advice about various things.
Although Sydney’s life was short, she accomplished so much and stole the hearts of everyone who had the chance to get to know her.
Sydney passed away on April 8, 2015, but she will remain in our hearts forever. We now have another beautiful angel to watch over us!