April 17, 2005 - Obituaries from The News-Star, Monroe, Louisiana 71201
MARTHA ELIZABETH CASTON
Brown - Holley Funeral Home
Rayville, Louisiana
Services for Mrs. Martha Elizabeth Caston, age 92, of Rayville, LA, will be at 10:00 AM, Monday, April 18, 2005 at the Brown-Holley Funeral Chapel in Rayville, with Dr. Ernest Winburn and Rev. Fred Keys officiating.
Interment will follow at the Bethel Cemetery in Holly Ridge, LA, under the direction of Brown-Holley Funeral Home in Rayville, LA.
Mrs. Martha Elizabeth Caston was born on May 21, 1912 in Columbia, LA, and passed away on Friday, April 15, 2005 in Rayville, LA.
Mrs. Caston was a member of First Baptist Church in Rayville.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Ada Peterson; husband, W.A. Caston; son, Charles Caston; sisters, Effie Payne, Ethel Hobbs, and Minnie Dowdy; brother, Dayton Peterson.
She is survived by her daughter, Sue Norman and her husband, Donald Paul of Mountain View, AR; grandchildren, Michael Caston and his wife, Janet of Rayville, Kevin Caston of Monroe, LA, Randy Norman of Atlanta, GA, and Dana Norman of Berkeley, CA; great-grandchildren, Danielle Caston of Serlington, LA, and Spencer Caston of Rayville, LA; and sister, Elise Adcock of Rayville, LA.
Pallbearers will be Randy Norman, Mike Caston, Kevin Caston, Al Peterson, Vic Peterson, and Doug Peterson.
Honorary Pallbearer will be Pete Peterson.
Visitation will be held Sunday, April 17, 2005, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Brown Holley Funeral Home.
MR. WILL E. COE
Kilpatrick Funeral Home
West Monroe, Louisiana
Graveside services for Mr. Will E. Coe, age 77, of West Monroe, will be 3:00 PM on Monday, April 18, 2005, at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun, LA.
Officiating will be Rev. Joe Solomon and Rev. Isaac Patton, under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe, LA.
Mr. Coe was born July 5, 1927 in Albany, TX, and died April 15, 2005 at his residence.
Mr. Coe was a member of Lea Joyner United Methodist Church, retired from his own business of Tri-State Pump and Supply, and was an avid golfer.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Winona Coe; children: Dwayne E. Coe and his wife, Suzie of Roundrock, TX, Vickie Coe Walker and her husband, Kerry of West Monroe; grandchildren, William Ellis Coe and his wife, Lynda of Savan GA, Jake Coe, Duncan Coe, both of Wimberly TX, Shelly Walker and David Walker of West Monroe; sister, Lois Ralston of Amarillo, TX.
Originally published April 17, 2005
EDNA LOIS HARRELSON
Riser Funeral Home - Columbia, Louisiana
Funeral services for Mrs. Edna Lois Harrelson, age 96, will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, April 18, 2005 at the Riser Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Larry Russell officiating. Interment will follow at Welcome Home Cemetery in Grayson, LA under the direction of Riser Funeral Home in Columbia, LA.
Mrs. Harrelson was born on April 30, 1908 in Grayson, LA and passed away on Friday, April 15, 2005 at Citizens Medical Center in Columbia, LA following an extended illness.
She was a homemaker and a member of Sandy Bayou Baptist Church.
Mrs. Harrelson was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Mary (Harper) McKee; her husband, Clarence Jerome Harrelson; and a grandson, Phillip Wayne Hawkes.
Survivors include two daughters, Edna Irene Festervand of Columbia, LA and Norma Mae Hawkes and husband, Phillip Hawkes, Sr. of Raceland, LA; her son, Cecil J. Harrelson, Sr. of Columbia, LA; two sisters, Virgia Jackson of Chattanooga, TN and Ann Cassels of Farmerville, LA; six grandchildren: Wanda Jean Hawkes of Raceland, LA, Cynthia Jo Skains of Thibodaux, LA, Lois Irene Skains of Columbia, LA, Edona Marie Harrelson of Freeport, TX, Cecil Harrelson, Jr. of Columbia, LA and Mary Jean McCall of Nashville, TN.
Pallbearers will be Michael Aaron Ryan, Michael McCall, Duane Paul Ryan, Kodie Kyle Hawkes, Mackey McNeil, Faron McKee, Odis McKee and Cody Martinez.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM on Sunday, April 17, 2005 at Riser Funeral Home in Columbia, LA.
SHANDON CLAY POWELL
5-13-82 - 4-17-04
Kilpatrick Funeral Home
A year has come and gone since the death of my third-born child, my son Shandon Clay Powell, my hero.
Shandon was always a high spirited dare-devil and a risk taker.
He and the ARMY made perfect partners.
Shandon was in the ARMY a very brief eighteen months.
However, those months were filled with such adventure that could last a normal person a lifetime.
After receiving basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, Shandon was sent to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, to begin his training for the ARMY Rangers with the 101st Airborne.
Shortly after that his training was interrupted as his unit was deployed to Iraq.
Having Shandon in Iraq was agonizing. Everyday I worried that this would be the day that someone in uniform would inform me of the fall of my hero. Yet that day never came.
On February 14, 2004, I had the extreme pleasure to see my son de-plane a gigantic aircraft that had delivered him from the barren deserts of Iraq to me. His smile was radiant when he locked eyes with his family.
His teeth seemed whiter in contrast to his desert-tanned skin.
His chest had widened, his neck had thickened, and I swear he had gotten taller.
That's the day I found out that he was not just my hero.
There on the crowded hangar floor, Shandon's 1st Lieutenant sought my family out.
As he shook our hands he said, "I wanted to meet the family of the man who saved my life, as well as the lives of his entire platoon."
You can't imagine how proud we were.
Shandon was beaming as he stood tall.
He knew we were proud.
His beautiful smile and faint nod seemed to be saying that he hoped somehow he had made up for some of the emotional distress he had put us through during his rambunctious teenage years.
I always knew he would make us proud.
And proud we were.
At that moment, all was right with the world and I could hardly recall anything he'd done that wasn't absolutely wonderful.
We learned that among other citations and ribbons, he had earned an ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL for his act of bravery as a gunner in what was called "one of the most organized ambushes the enemy launched against our troops."
The ARMY used words like "heroism" and "valor in combat".
They said he was an example for other soldiers to emulate.
Shandon's superior officers presented the medal to me on the day of his funeral.
His platoon came from Fort Campbell.
We then went to Fort Campbell, for a ceremony, which included a final roll call for him.
I was moved by the soldiers' and officers' words of honor about Shandon's superior competence, courage, and comradeship, about his fearlessness in times of combat, about the confidence they put in him as a leader, about his sense of humor and how he put others at ease, about his patience with less trained soldiers.
I was even more moved by the soldiers' tears.
I thought Shandon had beaten the odds once he returned from Iraq.
He had survived the war.
To hear that he had been killed in a car accident was not understandable.
I may never understand it.
One year later, I am still not okay.
They say some day, I will be.
I'm not sure. I know Shandon is in heaven with his brother, Shondell, who had died 18 years earlier at the age of 6.
My grandparents are there too.
I say words and hear others say words that should make me feel better, like, "He's in a better place; we'll all be with him soon."
I can put into words "words" I believe to be true, but the hurt is so deep that the words seem to bounce off.
I try to absorb them.
I pray to.
But I don't feel them.
I feel what I believe to be the deepest pain known to mankind.
But I don't feel alone.
During this time of terrible hurt, my community has rallied around me.
Why is it that I was blessed with so many good people in my village?
The kindness, the support, the flowers, the letters and cards, the care, the knowing looks of other mothers, have helped carry me.
I have leaned on your prayers when I was too weak to pray my own.
At this time I would like to thank everyone for their extensive support and for the love that you all continue to show me and my family everyday.
Thank you for loving us.
More importantly, I would like to thank God for the two months you gave me with my son after he returned from the war.
It was the happiest time of my life.
Sherlyn Ezell Powell, mother of Private First Class, Shandon Clay Powell.
West Monroe, Louisiana
Mrs. Gertrude "Peddie" Harrell, 75
Services for Mrs. Gertrude "Peddie" Harrell, age 75, of West Monroe, will be 10:00 AM on Monday, April 18, 2005, at Kilpatrick Funeral Home West Monroe Chapel.
Officiating will be Bro. Rick Crandall.
Interment will be at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun, LA, under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe, LA.
Mrs. Harrell was born February 2, 1930 in Crystal Springs, MS, and died April 16, 2005 at her residence following a lengthy illness.
She was a member of McClendon Baptist Church for forty-eight years.
"Peddie", as she was known to her family and friends was a retired pharmacy clerk.
She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be greatly missed.
She was a hero to her five children, thirteen grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband, George Franklin Harrell; a son, Claude Stephens and a grandson, Sandon Alford.
She is survived by her daughters: Dianne Johnston and husband, Travis, Phyllis Coughran and husband, Larry, Lona Coughran and husband, James, and Gwen Peebles; son, Paul Stephens and wife, Kim; sister, Mae Ferne Sansone; and best friend of fifty-three years, Elinor Gibson and a host of nieces and nephews.
Her grandsons will serve as pallbearers for their "Granny".
Visitation will be 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM Sunday April 17, 2005 at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in West Monroe.
John Adams, Sr., 65
TALLULAH — John Adams, Sr., died Friday.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of Beckwith Golden Gate Funeral Home, Tallulah.
Alice Audirsch, 70
Alice Audirsch of Monroe, a retired personnel manager for J.C. Penney died Saturday.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe.
Mary Ann Crum, 76
FERRIDAY — Mary Ann W. Crum, head bookkeeper and vice president of Concordia Bank, died Thursday.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at the Comer Funeral Home chapel, Ferriday.
Burial will be at Woodlawn Mausoleum, Ferriday.
Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Doris Maxine Doughty, 78
JENA — Doris Maxine Doughty, a homemaker, died Saturday.
Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Hixon Brothers Funeral Home chapel, Jena.
Burial will be at Jena Cemetery.
Visitation is 10 a.m.-10 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Clyde 'Jake' Haley, 77
Clyde "Jake" Haley of West Monroe, retired diesel mechanic, died Saturday.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe.
Ester Inez Nesbit, 94
BATON ROUGE — Ester Inez Nesbit, formerly of Jonesboro, a homemaker, died Friday.
Services will be 1 p.m. today at the Southern Funeral Home chapel, Jonesboro.
Burial will be at Old Bethel near Jonesboro.
Visitation will be 11 a.m. to service time today at the funeral home.
Georgia Ann Tabby Pettif, infant
BASTROP — Georgia Ann Tabby Pettif, infant daughter of Timothy and Amanda Pettif, died Friday.
Services will be 2 p.m. today at Golden Funeral Home chapel, Bastrop.
Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, Bastrop.
Visitation will be noon to services today at funeral home.
Robert Pitts, Sr., 71
TALLULAH — Robert Pitts, Sr., 71, died Friday.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of Beckwith Golden Gate Funeral Home, Tallulah.
Pawnee T. Shively, 88
BIENVILLE — Pawnee T. Shively died Friday.
Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Liberty Hill Baptist Church, Liberty Hill.
Burial will be at Liberty Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be 4-9 p.m. today at Edmonds Funeral Home, Jonesboro.
Jakie Wayne Spillers, 49
Jakie Wayne Spillers of West Monroe died Saturday.
Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Aulds Chapel Church.
Burial will be at the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. today at Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe.
Viola Clara Watts, 89
START — Viola Clara Watts, a retired food technician, died Friday.
Services will be 2 p.m. today at Crew Lake United Methodist Church, Start.
Burial will be at Start Cemetery under the direction of Brown-Holley Funeral Home, Rayville.
Kathleen White, 77
Kathleen White of West Monroe, a homemaker, died Saturday.
Arrangements are incomplete under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe.
