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The Maw-Maw of Morse: What’s Your Story

Posted at 11:39 PM, Dec 13, 2017
and last updated 2019-03-17 16:33:46-04

Neither the cold nor the wind could keep What’s Your Story from Morse

And after a reschedule, and a little negotiation, we sat down with Deanna Istre the owner and manager of TB’s Grocery, a staple in Morse whose origins go a century back

“Mr. Doche Richard owned it and when he passed away his sons took over,” Istre explains.

But it was Mr. Joseph Richard who Deanna started working with 34 years ago. “When he died my brother and I decided to keep the store and keep it going,” Este added.

Now Deanna, or Mawmaw as the neighborhood calls her, keeps the family business going by serving groceries to people of all ages. To the people of Morse, however, TB’s is more than just a grocery store.

“They are customers, but I consider them family because I’ve been here so long I know most everybody and their children, their great-grandchildren,” Istre says of the people she greets every day.

It’s a place to catch up with friends, in English or French, a place that serves as a gateway to Cajun culture, and a place that serves a specialty that’s talked about across the country.

“That’s our tasso sandwich; everyone knows our tasso sandwich,” Istre beams.

So whether you’re looking for last minute ingredients for gumbo or a friendly hello. You can find it all at TB’s in Morse.

“Growing up in a little small town you know everybody and you know all their ins and outs and that helps you take care of them the way they take care of you,” Istre says.