Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries
Bernice Gandy
BEAUMONT - Bernice Gandy, 73, died Monday, December 11, 2000, at Green Acres Parkdale Specialty Care Center in Beaumont. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.
Concha Perez Gilchriest
Concha Perez Gilchriest, 73, of Port Arthur died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000, at his home.
A native of Mexico, she was a resident of Port Arthur for 40 years. She was a homemaker.
Services were held at 7 p.m. Wednesday with the Rev. Joaquin Rojas officiating at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home. Burial followed at Kirbyville Cemetery. Visitation was Wednesday at the funeral home.
Survivors include one son, Mario Martinez; and two grandchildren.
Francis 'Bo-Bo' Harris
Francis "Bo-Bo" Harris of Port Arthur died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at Park Place Hospital.
A native of Opelousas, La., he was a resident of Port Arthur for 45 years and retired from the City of Port Arthur.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. James Catholic Church with the Rev. James Vanderholt officiating. Burial will follow at Johnson Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Gabriel Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church.
Survivors include his wife Mary; one daughter, Suzette Haynes of Orange; two sons, Kevin Harris and Shawn Harris, both of Port Arthur; two sisters, Lovinia Collins and Ollie Duplechain, both of Houston; three brothers, Joshua Harris and Harry Harris, both of Houston, and Austin Harris of Chicago, Ill.; and four grandchildren.
James Albert Harrison
James Albert Harrison, 49, of Port Arthur died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000, at his residence.
A native of Searcy, Ark., he was a resident of the Winnie/Port Arthur area since 1972 and was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was a mechanic for J.K. Chevrolet.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Grammier-Oberle Funeral Home in Port Arthur with the Rev. Sammy Little officiating. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Survivors include his wife, Melanie Harrison of Port Arthur; his mother, Vernidis Moss Harrison of Port Arthur; one son, Timothy Lynn Harrison of Arkansas and two daughters, Candace J. Harrison of Houston and Jennifer Prudence Wilson of Galveston.
Gerhard 'G.W' Hommel
ORANGE - Gerhard "G.W." Hommel, 74, of Orange died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital in Orange.
A native of Celle, Germany, he lived in Orange for the past 50 years. He retired from Equitable Bag and from the City of Orange with 28 years of service as a recreational leader. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church for 50 years. He was a former Boy Scouts troop leader and headed many softball leagues for churches and municipal government.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday with the Rev. Joseph Daleo officiating at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Orange. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Survivors include his wife Elizabeth; three sons, Gerhard Hommel of Jennings, La., Bobby Hommel of Orange and David Hommel of Mauriceville; one brother, Otto Hommel of Germany; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Rev. Clifford Jackson
Rev. Clifford Jackson, 86, of Port Arthur died Monday, Dec. 11, 2000, at Park Place Medical Center.
A native of Tadmore, Texas, he was retired from Texaco refinery. He was superintendent of Beaumont District Church of God in Christ and pastor of Zion Temple Church of God in Christ.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at White Rose Church of God in Christ with the Rev. Wilson Balka officiating. Burial will follow at Live Oak Cemetery with arrangements by Hannah Funeral Home. A wake will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the church.
His survivors include one daughter, Audrey Shaw of Oakland, Calif.; one son, Michael Jackson of Port Arthur; two sisters, Flossie Williams and Joyce Jackson, both of Lufkin; one brother, Joe Gus Jackson of Albany, N.Y., 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Douglas A. Johnson
TURKEY CREEK, LA. - Douglas A. Johnson, 75, of Turkey Creek, died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000, at V.A. Medical Center in Alexandria, La.
A native of Turkey Creek, he resided in Port Arthur before returning to Turkey Creek. He was a member of Church of Christ of Turkey Creek and served in the United States Army during World War II. He was retired from Texaco Island after 32 years of service.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Church of Christ, in Turkey Creek, La. with Robert Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in Turkey Creek Cemetery under the direction of Rush Funeral Home in Oakdale, La. Visitation was held Wednesday night.
Survivors include his wife, Idell Johnson of Turkey Creek, La.; four sons, Tim Johnson of Groves, Nathan Johnson of Turkey Creek, La., Benny Johnson of Beaumont and Kevin Johnson of Katy; three brothers, Robert D. Johnson of Port Arthur, Willard O. Johnson of Toledo Bend and Wesley Johnson of Turkey Creek, La.; five sisters, Sadie Johnson, Clara Powers and Dessie Powers, all of Turkey Creek, La., Ruby Lemon of Channelview, Texas, and Leatrice Zimmerman of Nederland; 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Lillian Justilian
Lillian Justilian, 91, of Houston died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at her residence.
A native of Lafayette, La., she was a resident of Houston for four years and a resident of Port Arthur for 58 years. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church, where she was past president of the Altar Society.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. James Catholic Church with the Rev. Gene Francis officiating. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery under the direction of Grammier-Oberle Funeral Home in Port Arthur. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Survivors include one son, Jack Justilian of Washington, D.C.; four daughters, Clare Beaumont, Rena Mullins, and Natalie Hare, all of Houston, and Lois Auld of Jasper, Ala.; one brother, Chester Broussard of Montgomery, Texas, 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Isavern M. Kestler Kinney
JASPER - Isavern M. Kestler Kinney of Jasper, died Tuesday, December 12, 2000 at her sister's residence in Groves.
She was a native of Evangeline, La. and a lifelong resident of Jasper.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Magnolia Springs. Burial will follow in Magnolia Springs Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Stringer and Griffin Funeral Home in Jasper.
Survivors include her husband, Lionel Kinney of Jasper; three sons, Charles Ricky Kestler of Gonzales, Texas, Robert Andrew Kestler and Bobby Lynn Kestler, both of Kyle, Texas; one stepson, David Kinney of Groves; three daughters Linda Jones of Jasper, Sandra Pickering of Buda, Texas, Cynthia Anderson of Tuscon, Ariz.; four stepdaughters, Kayla Franks and Kelly Eaves, both of Merryville, La., Karla Turner of Evans, La., and Kathy Morrow of Newton; three brothers, Murry Lejeune of Groves, Donald Lejeune and Leward Lejeune, both of Evangeline, La.; six sisters, Rena Pousson and Joyce Pousson, both of Groves, Earlene Ackoury of Jennings, La., Edna Pousson of Iota, La., Glenda Vincent of Sulphur, La., and Lenora Gravot of Lafayette, La.; 15 grandchildren, 13 step-grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren.
