Louisiana, Ouachita Parish Obits, Week of December 25, 2003
Maurene Cobb Campbell
Services for Mrs. Maurene Campbell, 85, were held Dec. 21 in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home in West Monroe, conducted by Rev. Mark Fenn of First Baptist Church, West Monroe. Visitation was from 1 p.m. until service time. There was a private burial in the Cobb Family plot at Hasley Cemetery.
A native of the Monroe/West Monroe area, Mrs. Campbell died Dec. 19 at St. Francis Medical Center following a brief illness. She was a member of First Baptist Church, West Monroe.
Campbell was preceded in death by her parents, James G. and Clifford Greene Cobb; brothers, Keith and Dale Cobb, niece Mollie Cobb Jones and great nephew, Jeffrey Purvis.
Survivors include her niece Bunny and husband Don Purvis of Baton Rouge, niece Swansea Kotz of Monroe and numerous nieces and nephews. She leaves a host of longtime friends and supporters.
Calvin H. Free
Services for Mr. Calvin H. Free, 71, of Downsville, were held Dec. 22 in Mulhearn Funeral Home Chapel in Monroe, with Bro Jerry Whitman and Dr. John Traylor officiating. Burial was in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Free, a member of Holmesville Baptist Church in Downsville, died Dec. 19 at his residence on Lake Darbonne. He retired from South Central Bell and AT&T, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was a founding member of The Bluegrass Riders. He followed in Bill Monroe's footsteps, picking the mandolin and singing high tenor.
His parents, Jeff and Arry Free; sister, Johnnie Lenard; and brother, D.J. Free preceded him in death.
Daddy was the world's greatest Papaw. His sense of giving was endless and he was a friend to all.
Survivors include his wife, Freddie Free of Downsville; daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and J.C. Zagone of Downsville; sons and daughters-in-law, Tony and Anita Free of West Monroe and Mike and Cheryl Free of Ruidoso, NM; daughter, Teresa Bagley of Downsville; grandchildren, Kathy and Tracy Rawls, Max and Molly Bagley, and Rebecca and Tony Free, Jr.; step-grandchildren, Jay and Vicki Zagone, Deborah and Eddie Liles; many step-great grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law, L. N. and Jerry Free of Calhoun, Mitchell and Edna Free of Lawton OK, Narlon and Billie Free of Monroe, and Newelton Free of Pearland, TX; sisters and brothers-in-law, Rethie and Hugh Mattison of Monroe, Gloria and John Cusher of Transylvania, and Rosie Free of Monroe.
Pallbearers were Jay Zagone, Clint Bagley, David Bradshaw, Rodney Free, Colby Sheppard, and Max Bagley. Honorary pallbearers will be "The Bluegrass Riders," Bobby Tucker, Nathan Free, Tommy Moore, Al Jordan, Carl Franklin, Ronie Traylor, Junior Odom, Brian Tucker, and Fred Stewart.
Dr. Hebert Winfrod Mayo
Services for Dr. Herbert Winford Mayo, age 79, of Monroe, were held Dec. 23 in Mulhearn Funeral Home Chapel, Sterlington Road, Monroe with Don DeLukie, Minister of Jackson St. Church of Christ, officiating.
Interment was at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mayo was born December 26, 1923, in Bethel, AR, and passed away Dec. 20 at his home in Monroe after a lengthy illness. He attended Senath Public School, Senath, MO, and graduated from Centenary College, Shreveport. He received his D.D.S. degree from Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX.
Mayo was a veteran of WWII, serving in the U.S. Air Force as a bombardier with the rank of second lieutenant. He was a member of the American Dental Association, the Louisiana Dental Association, the Northeast Dental Association (Fifth District Dental Association), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Southwestern Society of Pediatric Dentistry. He served as president of the Fifth District Dental Association and, in 1997, was presented by the Northeast Dental Association its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Mayo practiced pediatric dentistry in Monroe from 1957 until his retirement in 1992.
Dr. Mayo was preceded in death by his father, Mr. Charles Bert Mayo of Bossier City and his mother, Mrs Margaret Mayo Mesara of West Plains, MO.
Dr. Mayo is survived by his wife of 62 years, Waena Holmes Mayo; son, John Edgar Mayo of Dallas, TX; daughter, Suzanne Mayo Kitching of Beverly Hills, MI; granddaughters, Megan Christina Kitching of Beverly Hills, MI, and Robyn Suzanne Mayo of Dallas, TX; special relatives, Linn Mayo of Texarkana, TX, Reverend Douglas Mayo of Greenville, TN, Amelia Mayo Oswalt of Havana, IL, Theron Holmes Jacobson of Sharon, WI, and Berthal Holmes Long of Sharon, IL.
Pallbearers were Dr. Jim Padgett, Klein Crow, Charles Amman, Dr. Ralph King, Pat Siudy, Dr. Robert Wood, Dr. Robert Huffstutter, and Dr. Max Funderburk.
Honorary pallbearers were Dr. Mark Price, Marvin Ramsey, Edgar Chapman, and Sylvester Breard.
Mabel Orene Nixon
Services for Mabel Orene Nixon, 87, of Russellville, Ark., originally from Union Parish, were held Dec. 9 with Rev. Billy Carter officiating.
Interment was held at the Monroe Memorial Park in Monroe under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in West Monroe.
Mabel was born Sep. 20, 1916, in Linville and died Dec. 16 in Russellville, Ark.
Mabel was the daughter of the late James Robert Nixon, Sr. and Mittie Crow Nixon.
Survivors include her sister, Francis Shivers of London, Ark.; brother, Jack Nixon of West Monroe and numerous nieces nd nephews.
Smitty Stuckey
Memorial services for Mrs. Smitty Stuckey, 85, of West Monroe were held Dec. 23 at the St. Paschal Catholic Church in West Monroe with Rev. Mike Haney officiating.
Interment followed in Riverview Cemetery in Monroe. Stuckey died Dec. 19 at the West Monroe Guest House.
Stuckey was a charter member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Monroe and retired as the head of housekeeping at E. A. Conway Hospital in Monroe, and former owner of Smitty�s Cafe. She is preceded in death by her father, Casma Trichel; mother, Ozet Trichel and dear friend, James Grady Jones.
Survivors include, like a daughter, Joy Jones of West Monroe, Joy's sons and daughters-in-law, Chris and Mindy Jones of Monroe, Jim and Shana Jones of San Antonio, TX, cousins, Roy and Shirley Tharp of Monroe, precious friends, Van and Stella Breedlove, Gaye and Bennon Ritchie, Dot Durham, J.D. and Josephine LaDart, Carlos Smith, Carolyn Dunn, Janice Segars, and Cathy Dinger.
Joseph Vincent Sampognaro
Services for Mr. Joseph Vincent Sampognaro, 71, of Monroe, were held Dec. 20 at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church, with Msgr. Edmund Moore officiating.
Burial was in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe.
Sampognaro died Dec. 18 at St. Francis Medical Center following a lengthy illness. He was the former owner of Southside #####, a member of Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church and a former member of Monroe Downtown Lions Club and Knights of Columbus Council #1337. He was a graduate of Neville High School and attended the University of Mississippi.
His parents, Russell and Sarah Sampognaro and brother, Eric Sampognaro preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Vivian Sampognaro; sons and daughters-in-law, Joey and Kay Sampognaro of Trophy Club, TX and Chris and Cara Sampognaro of Monroe; daughters and sons-in-law, Cindy and Tim Bishop of Shreveport and Kim and Butch Bruscato of Baton Rouge; grandchildren, Casey and Amanda Bishop, Brooke Bishop, Amanda Sampognaro, Corry Sampognaro, Noah Sampognaro, Daniel Sampognaro, Thomas Sampognaro, and Gracie Bruscato; brothers, Johnny Sampognaro, Kevin Sampognaro, and Craig Sampognaro; sister, Pam Sampognaro; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers were Keith Rushing, Tim Hegwood, Michael Sampognaro, John Sampognaro, Ronnie Johnston, and Murray Hale. Honorary pallbearers were Dr. Charles Sampognaro, Dr. Mike Sampognaro, Dr. Greg Sampognaro, Dr. Dave Sampognaro, Dr. Joseph Sampognaro, Vincent, Sampognaro, Frank Sampognaro, David Johnston, Harlan Prestridge, and Tommy Meeks.
Mary Pearl Smith Thurman
Services for Mrs. Mary Pearl Smith Thurman, 67, of Monroe were held Dec. 19 at First Baptist Church of Monroe with Dr. Randy McGee officiating.
Burial was in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe.
Thurman died Dec. 17 at her residence. She was a retired Wossman High School teacher, a tour guide for Fred's Travel World, and a member of First Baptist Church of Monroe, Eastern Star Louise McGuire Chapter #4, Delta Kappa Gamma and KKI. She received her BS degree from Northeast Louisiana State College in 1957 and her Master's of Education from the University of Mississippi in 1966. She served as Chairman of the Board of Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union.
She was one of the most loving and giving ladies anyone could ever want to know. She was always helping others. Her life was a true example of J.O.Y. (Jesus, Others, and You.)
Her husband, Cecil Thurman; parents, Chester and Ellen Smith; brothers, W. H. "Big Smitty" Smith and W. M. "Little Smitty" Smith; and grandchildren, William Thurman Savage and Savannah Elizabeth Savage preceded her in death.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth Wayne and Denise Riche` Thurman of Cleveland, MS; daughters and sons-in-law, Cheryl Elizabeth and Stevon Casey Savage of Monroe and Mary Ellen and George Sanders Booth, Jr. of West Monroe; grandchildren, Lauren Ashley Thurman, Allison Paige Booth, Sarah Elizabeth Booth, Bethany Elise Savage, and Stevon Chase Savage; sister and brother-in-law, Agnes Smith and R.G. "Bo" Russell, Jr. of Lake Charles, LA; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers were Curt Adams, Prentiss "Skeeter" Boyd, Julius Wagner, William Patterson, Judge Larry Lolley, Dewayne Massey, Ragan Durham, and Lonnie Johnson.
Honorary pallbearers were R. G. "Skip" Russell, Sr.; George Sanders Booth, Sr.; R.G. "Bo" Russell, Jr.; and Robbie Stewart.
