Some of today’s northshore residents who are from New Orleans have memories of weekend trips across Lake Pontchartrain to visit and relax at second homes in the piney woods or along one of our scenic rivers. Today, some of those same historic houses are primary residences in what is now our booming suburbia.

This is the story of one of those homes and the people who lived and visited there over the years. And of a beloved ancestor, one of its first occupants, whose memory and spirit live on today in the house and in her family’s heart.

About 80 years ago, Stephanie Levert Larue purchased a small house on Three Rivers Road in Covington. She named it While Away. Like many other city dwellers, she often shared her northshore home with friends and family. Her guest book, with entries from 1928 to 1967, tells the story of the many people who enjoyed whiling away the time on the Bogue Falaya River site.

My husband, Rykert O. Toledano Jr., is her grandnephew. Today, he and I are fortunate to call While Away our home. As the song says, our house is a “very, very, very fine house”! Not because of its architecture or amenities, but because of its rich history and what it means to us and many other members of the Levert family.

What we know of Aunt Steph is treasured, and comes only from the guest book and bits and pieces of Aunt Steph stories still recounted today by her nieces, nephews and neighbors.

Aunt Steph’s Guest Book

It was not until several months after our wedding in May 2002 that I took the time to sit down and read the entire historic guest book. It became my favorite thing to share with our guests.

The guest book contains inscriptions in mostly beautiful penmanship, some of which are eloquent, some funny—and some in French. The first pages, all in the same handwriting, are headed “From Oct. 12th to Nov. 12th, 1928.” They are simply lists of names that must have been written by Aunt Steph herself. Then specific dates, with names only, start to appear, obviously for parties held at While Away. Inscriptions began to be added in late 1929. The earliest ones include:

Tho I wander to the four corners of the earth, I shall always recall with pleasure the comfortable informality of While Away.
—-J.A. Manning

A most delightful day.

A lovelier spot I’ve yet to see.

The little brown cot by the Bogue Fayala (sic) is the spot most front to my heart’s desire.
—-Robert Robinson Jr.

Beautiful are those who make others Happy.
—-Jos. DeBuys Byrne

My first visit to Covington in my life—want to come back!
—-Louise A. McDonough

On June 5, 1932, Olga DeBuys Levert and Robert L. Levert paid a visit to Robert’s sister, Stephanie. Their son, Robert Jr., wrote:

Oh! What a perfect day this was. I sure hope to come back again. I love While Away. Who wouldn’t?!!! —-Signed: Master Robert Louis Levert.

Who could have known then that their daughter, Olga, and her family would one day call While Away home?

“A glorious day” on March 12, 1938 is followed by “and another glorious day” on April 12 of the same year. Then, two requests to “please ask me again!”

The poets may say, ‘What is so rare as a day in June? Then if ever come perfect days.’ Well, Steph, we have been having one in May!

There are several honeymoon inscriptions in the guest book. One of the first was on June 9, 1940.

Aunt Steph, our visit completed a beautiful honeymoon. Our visit here being part of it thanks millions and we hope you want us back.
—-Frances and Jimmy Levert

Another reads:

Oh! How we’d love to stay
a hundred years at While Away
There is no other place on earth
that has one quarter of its worth
to prove we always sing this tune
we chose it for our honeymoon.

If you read the guest book like a book, history takes a turn on June 26, 1944 with the following two inscriptions:

Pleasant memories will long remain of this swell visit with Aunt Steph at While Away
—-Rykert Toledano

Obviously written during the courtship of Rykert Toledano Sr. (Tolly) and Olga Levert, it was followed by: Once again, Aunt Steph, it was a wonderful week—a week-end —-Olga

And a few pages later, my very favorite:

May 26th thru June 5, 1946
Our eternal gratitude to Aunt Steph for giving us carte blanche at While Away during this week of bliss—our honeymoon. —-
—-Rykert and Olga Toledano

Aunt Steph would obviously have fit right in with some of the great women of today, as Fred Levert wrote:

June 5, 1959: To the most wonderful Great Aunt I have, a lady with a heart of gold, a body of 50 and a spirit of twenty.

Aunt Steph’s death not long after that is indicated only by several blank pages in the guest book.

The Toledano Entries

After their wedding, Rykert and Olga Toledano continued to visit Aunt Steph and While Away regularly, and brought their two children, Rykert Jr. and Eugenie. Several inscriptions record visits by the family. While photos are rare, Rykert and Eugenie’s memories are vivid, especially of the time when their parents acquired the house and, later, made it their permanent home in 1964. Three Rivers was a gravel road; the Covington-Baton Rouge portion of I-12 was under construction. Rykert became the very first barefoot skier on the Tchefuncte River. He and Eugenie were still in high school; both commuted to Ecole Classique until they went to LSU, Rykert on a swimming scholarship.

Several inscriptions were obviously written during house warming visits by friends and relatives, and during Tolly’s office party; Eugenie’s teenage friends wrote some amusing ones.

To Olga and Tolly,
May the walls of this home
always surround you
both with happiness”

The future was predicted with “may this house give much joy and great happiness to the Toledano family with affection from an old friend, Olga Kaufmann.”

Jan 23 1965 Dear Tolly: So happy to see two wonderful friends getting ready to live and enjoy life in entirely new and pleasant surroundings. You have been such gracious and wonderful hosts. Thanks sincerely for your warm hospitality.

The last inscription was 1967. Why they stopped will not be told in this story; we don’t know the reason. But it is probable that the sadder realities of the circle of life had something to do with it.

I think it was primarily the property, its towering pines and oaks, the river, and Aunt Steph herself that inspired most of the writers in the guest book. My sister-in-law, Eugenie Anderson, shares these thoughts: “It is difficult sharing and capturing so many years of memories and the people behind the words—and even though that guest book can speak volumes, in between, the pages remain so silent.”

The Tradition Continues

When I came to Mandeville to take the job as CEO of the St. Tammany West Chamber, I moved into an updated condominium. I felt comfortable in a newer home. My father was a homebuilder, and I’d never lived in an old house.

During the move, a dear friend foretold, “This is just a resting spot for you. You belong in an old house.” I thought the condo was perfect for me; I was very happy to settle in there.

On Valentine’s Day 2002, Rykert and I visited my mother to tell her we would be married in May. I would be moving into an old house, Aunt Steph’s house, one that I knew my husband loved. We wanted our wedding day to be part of our own history and our future daily memories living at While Away. Our wedding was held on the deck overlooking the river, with about 100 family and close friends present.

The house itself originally had two bedrooms and one bath, with a large living room, dining room and screened porch. Improvements and additions came over the years. When Olga and Rykert Sr. made the permanent move from uptown in 1964, they added two bedrooms and two baths. Rykert Jr. added the master suite in the late ’80s. Following our marriage, the original garage was replaced with a new one, complete with a workshop, boat shed and upstairs apartment. We then renovated the kitchen.

According to some family members, the ghost of Aunt Stephanie is visible in one of the old paintings that hang in our dining room. A few so-called ghost stories did not make it easy for my daughters to stay in the front room of the house, which I now call the honeymoon suite! I, however, have never seen evidence of Aunt Steph’s ghost, or any other. I like to think she would be happy with the current state of her home.

As I learned more about the Levert family, the inscriptions in Aunt Steph’s guest book began to make more sense—and became more personal—to me. I learned that Aunt Steph studied and played the harp. So, when I hosted a bridesmaids’ luncheon for my niece last fall, it seemed fitting to have a harpist play for the guests.

In the haste of our modern lives, we continue the tradition of entertaining friends and family. We believe people have always liked to come here, and we enjoy sharing our home and its history with friends. Next to the historic guest book is a new one that began on our wedding day. We find ourselves prodding guests to record their names in our book. Sadly, we, and they, often neglect to do so.

Our new guest book is quite different from Aunt Steph’s, from the penmanship to the sentiments expressed. Ours includes events like our garage-warming party and has such entries as “Can we use your boat launch?” —-Henry Frey and “Sister in law I love when ya’ll marry those home town people, P.O.” —-Paula Koepp Osborne. The book now contains not only inscriptions, but also copies of thank-you notes sent via e-mail or U.S. mail. Among the modern day reflections are, “As we had dinner, I could imagine all the conversations that have taken place around this table.” and “We enjoyed hearing the stories about your house.”

As our blended family gathered for Christmas dinner this year, the house and its history was a topic of conversation. My gift to Rykert was a framed drawing of the river view of the house. We shared with our four children and new daughter-in-law some of the things we have learned about their heritage and the house from hearing Aunt Steph and historic While Away stories from Levert family members.

The fifth generation was inspired to make one final inscription in the historic guest book. They wrote:

December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas
A most eventful Christmas dinner
Rykert III brings his new wife, Elizabeth Wilson, to While Away for their first Christmas

Snow flurry at noon. Yes, a snow flurry. A once in a lifetime white Christmas in Covington, LA.
Full attendance from blended family.

Dog doesn’t get out of his bed during the whole 4-hour extravaganza
First guest book composition in thirty-four years
Rykert Toledano III

That is the new ending of the historic guest book, but it is not the end of the story. There is once again a new beginning at While Away—and a new guest book. We hope future generations will enjoy and treasure it, whether at While Away or at a place yet unknown.