Monique Marie Kruger Mullin
Monique Marie Kruger Mullin left this life as she lived this life, in a calm and peaceful way. She moved on to her Heavenly Home on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the age of 88. Her gentle spirit and sweet smile will be missed by all who knew her.
Monique was born September 3, 1936, in Roanne, France, to Jeannette Emilie Garmy Kruger and Maximillion Otto Kruger. She immigrated to the United States by boat, landing in New York after World War II with her family, when she was only 11 years old and entered public school in Westbury, N.Y., not knowing a word of English.
She quickly caught on, but she never stopped speaking French throughout her life. As a young girl, she enjoyed her summers in Sag Harbor, N.Y. on Long Island with her cousins and developed a love for the oceans and beaches of that area. Monique graduated from Westbury High School and then attended Interboro Institute in New York City where she earned an associate degree as a bilingual administrative assistant.
While visiting her older brother who was stationed at Peace Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, she met and later married Charles “Burt” Mullin. They soon moved to Houston, Texas, where she worked as a bilingual secretary. The Mullins later moved to Alexandria, Va., Slidell, La. and finally settled in Covington, where they lived for 50 years in the Tchefuncta Estates subdivision. They raised their two children, Yvette Mullin Broocks and Charles Burton Mullin, Jr., in this idyllic neighborhood.
Monique worked as a preschool teacher at The Little School of Covington for more than 20 years and impacted many young lives. She taught French to countless students there and served as the Assistant Administrator. She and the late Ernie Knowlton would go on to start Covington Christian Preschool where she continued to work until she retired.
Monique loved sewing, doing needlework, and gardening. She was an excellent seamstress and crafted many dresses for Yvette’s high school dances and made most of her granddaughter Emily’s costumes. She also imbued a love for the French language in her granddaughter and maintained close correspondence with her cousins in France.
At 70 years old, Monique was able to revisit her French hometown for the first time in sixty years, with her husband, daughter and granddaughter as well as reunite with many of her French family.
After retirement, she and Burt spent most of their time at Sandpiper Cove in Destin, Fla., where they made many dear friends, won Halloween costume contests, and enjoyed countless hours spent on the white sand beaches. Monique was known among her friends for treating them to her homemade jellyrolls and eggnog pound cake during the holidays. Monique often wrote poems for her family and friends on special occasions. Receiving one of her poems was a special gift. She was unselfish in her love, especially for her family, and was always willing to help others.
Monique and Burt moved to Ruston in 2019 and spent their final years at The Arbor and Terrace, enjoying wonderful care by the staff and friendships with their fellow residents. Their favorite place to visit regularly in Ruston was Lincoln Parish Park. Monique loved walking around the lake, feeding the ducks, and sitting on the benches under the beautiful trees when walking was no longer easy for her.
Monique is preceded in death by her parents, Max and Jeannette Kruger; her brother, Jean Jacques Kruger; husband, Charles Burton Mullin; son, Charles Burton Mullin, Jr.; and her infant son, Max Burton Mullin.
She is survived by her daughter, Yvette Monique Mullin Broocks and sonin- law Dr. John Broocks; her grandchildren, John Henry Broocks V (Hank), and Emily Marie Broocks. Monique is also survived by sister-in-law, Maurine Mullin Kalk (Gail); cousin, Jackie Garmy Frye; nieces and nephew and other family in Sag Harbor, New York, and Annecy and Sallanches, France.
The Broocks family wishes to thank the staff of The Arbor and Terrace of Ruston for their compassionate, loving care during her last years. They would also like to thank Sandra Hardyway and her PCA staff at the Terrace for loving Monique like family, and Mahin Shahbazi for being Monique’s long time caregiver and friend.
The family also extends their gratitude to Best Home Health nurses Ashley Verdin and Connie Kennedy, Speech Therapist Katie McCormick, and Physical Therapist Ammi Schillinger for helping to improve and maintain the quality of Monique’s life during her time in Ruston. Lastly, the family thanks Premier Hospice and Nurse Amy Vance for helping Monique to live her last year and a half with dignity and comfort.
There will be a private family burial of ashes and comital service at Simsboro Cemetery.
Those wishing to remember Monique may do so with a memorial donation to Lincoln Parish Park, (“ In Memory of...”) 211 Parish Park Rd, Ruston, LA 71270 or by donating to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration on-line at theaftd.org or by mail at AFTD, 2700 Horizon Drive, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406.
Online condolences may be extended to the family at www. kilpatrickfuneralhomes. com.
