Besse Mills

Besse Meryl Mills, age 10, went to her Heavenly home on Sunday, September 11, 2016, surrounded by her parents. She was a native of New Orleans and a resident of Houma. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the visitation at Chauvin Funeral Home in the Magnolia Chapel on Friday, September 16, 2016, beginning at 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Visitation will resume at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church on Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. Committal Service will be held at St. Francis Cemetery #2. Besse is survived by her mother, Melanie Mills; father, Raymond Bourg III and his wife Jessica; half-sisters, Elise Martin, Audrey Bourg; half-brother, Raymond Bourg; maternal grandparents, Helen and Richard Mills; paternal grandparents, Mary and Raymond Bourg, Jr.; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She is preceded in death by her godfather, William “Billy” Mills. Besse and her mother would also like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to Besse's second mom, Jennifer Phillips. Miss Jenny was there in the NICU when Besse arrived to take the world by storm and she was there in the PICU when the storm calmed. Besse always had a very special smile for her Miss Jenny. Besse was a parishioner of St. Bernadette Catholic Church. She was a Houma Lions Club Leo, Girl Scout and a Shrine child from the Houma area. She was an active member of Spina Bifida of Greater New Orleans (SBGNO). Melanie would like for everyone to know that Besse had an awesome life. A fiercely independent girl, she has done more in her ten short years than most of us will do in a lifetime. She has climbed mountains (Cadillac Mountain, Arcadia National Park) and been deep into the belly of the Earth (The Lost Sea and Cathedral Caverns). She has felt the ultimate power of Niagara Falls and has explored her heritage in Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia. She has danced with her Prince Charming at Prom (thank you, Ivan Shoffner), has been on the Homecoming Court and was a beauty queen (Schriever Lions Club Beauty Pageant). She has been an equestrian, an athlete (and a triathlete) and a sister to every Girl Scout. Besse has been a very happy camper (Louisiana Lions Camp, MedCamps, Camp Friendship) and a Dancing Diva (Lisa & Michelle's Ecole de Danse). But most of all, she has been a thief. She has stolen hearts all over the world. Everywhere she went, people fell in love with the purity of her soul and her zest for life. Melanie is so glad that she could share her sweet angel with all of you. Chauvin Funeral Home is honored to serve the Mills Family.