Obituaries – January 11, 2003

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 15, 2003

BOURGEOIS

CONVENT – Evela Roussel Bourgeois, 58, a native of New Orleans and lifelong resident of Hester, died Jan 6. She was the wife of Maurice Bourgeois and mother of Jon Bourgeois and Michelle Weber.

She was the daughter of Marguerite Roussel and sister of Sharon Kliebert, Shirley Haase, Susan Hutchinson, Tammy Woods and Nelson Jr. and Leonard Roussel.

She is also survived by one grandchild.

She attended Lutcher High School and Nicholls State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business education. She also earned a master’s degree in secondary education, graduating magna cum laude. She began as a business teacher at St. James High School in 1965, where she began the Cooperative Education Program and taught for many years at Lutcher High School, including as an assistant principal and principal, then joined the Central Office as a grant writer in August 1987, also working in vocational education and transportation. She retired in September 1999, after a 34-year career.

Services were Jan. 9 at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Convent, with interment at the church mausoleum.

DEVARE

PAULINA – Beatrice S. Devare, 89, a native and resident of Lutcher, died Jan. 2. She was the wife of the late Rayfield Devare Sr. and mother of Lillie Mae Russell, Beatrice Fluence, Alma Brown and Dave, Elouise, Rayfield Jr., Joyce, Ida and the late David and Evelyn Devare.

She was the daughter of the late Clarence and Angelina Steward and sister of the late Cecile Davis, Mable Vallery and Mary Smith.

She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Paulina, with interment at Antioch Cemetery, Paulina. Visitation begins at 9 a.m.

EUSEA

LULING – Janet Esteve Eusea, 54, a native of Westwego and resident of Luling, died Jan. 8. She was the wife of Gary Eusea and mother of Angela Matherne.

She was the daughter of the late Augustin and Dora Dantin Esteve and sister of Allen, Donald and Sandra Esteve.

She is also survived by three grandchilden.

She was a teacher at Mimosa Park Elementary School, Luling, and also was a catechism teacher at Holy Family Catholic Church.

Services were Jan. 10 at Holy Family Catholic Church, Luling, with interment at St. Charles Cemetery, Luling.

FRANKLIN

NEW ORLEANS – Geneva Johnson Franklin, 81, a native of Hahnville and resident of New Orleans, died Dec. 31. She was the wife of the late Marshall Franklin and mother of Jawiba Keisu, Clayton Franklin and the late Verlie Franklin-Green and Dorothy Ruben.

She was the daughter of the late Alverda Brown and Theodore Johnson Jr. and sister of Clementine Soniat, Willie Mae Evans and Roosevelt Johnson.

She is also survived by nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was an employee of American Metal Works.

Services were Jan. 8 at Bethel AME Church, New Orleans, with interment at St. James AME Cemetery, Hahnville.

GEASON-JOHNSON

NEW ORLEANS – Ceola Pierre Geason-Johnson, 78, a native of St. James Parish and resident of New Orleans for 50 years, died Jan. 5. She was the mother of Beatrice Russell and Michael, Donald and Minor Geason Jr. and stepmother of Phillip Johnson.

She was the sister of Esmond Sheppard Sr.

She is also survived by five grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

She was a retired employee of the Monteleone Hotel.

Services were Jan. 9 at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, New Orleans, with interment at Moonshine Cemetery.

HENRY

ST. JAMES – Eula Mae “Ma-May” Charles Henry, 74, a native and resident of St. James, died Jan. 6. She was the wife of the late Michell Henry and mother of Elaine Miller, Brenda Trudeau and the late Gloria Armant.

She was the daughter of the late Frank and Josephine Morton Charles and sister of Sophia Landry, Deloris Mayho, Louise Sanders, Albert, Joseph Sr., Howard and Herman Charles and the late Irma Dennis, Ruth Keller, Ford, Arthur and Herbert, Frank, Floyd and James Charles.

She is also survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Baptist Church, St. James, with interment at the church cemetery. Visitation starts at 8 a.m.

JACKSON

GARYVILLE – James Jackson, 49, a native of Garyville and resident of Mt. Airy for 21 years, died Jan. 4. He was the husband of Betty Jean Jackson and father of Katrina Davis and Constance Cook.

He was the son of Lawrence Jackson Sr. and the late Ernestine Jackson and brother of Mercedes Stewart, Alice Gardner, Olivia Dickerson and Edward, Robert, Harold, Nelson, Nathan and Lawrence Jackson Jr.

He was the grandson of Pamela Vincent.

He is also survived by one grandchild.

Services were Jan. 10 in the chapel of Hobson-Brown Funeral Home, Garyville, with interment at Marathon Bishop Cemetery, Garyville.

LAICHE

METAIRIE – Beatrice C. Laiche, 78, a native of St. James and resident of Metairie for 15 years, died Jan. 8. She was the daughter of the late Louis and Antonia Paille Laiche and sister of Patricia Radecker, Catherine Baiamonte, Sister Estelle (Claire), Theresa, Paul, Felix, Emile and Louis Laiche and the late Cecile Hubbel, Edvige Henderson, Ursula Helmstetter and Numa, Pierre, Antoine and George Laiche.

She was a retired personnel clerk for Atlantic & Pacific Co.

Services were Jan. 10 at St. Ann Catholic Church, Metairie, with interment at St. Patrick Cemetery No. 3.

LOUQUE

LYNN – Wanda Schexnaydre Louque, 43, a native of St. James Parish and resident of Paulina, died Jan. 7. She was the wife of Melvin Louque Jr. and mother of Kristy, Dodi Ann and Jesse Louque.

She was the daughter of Ray and Rose Richard Schexnaydre, the sister of Lori, Renee, Ray Jr., David and Tony Schexnaydre and the grandchild of Edgar and Noela Fredric Schexnaydre.

Services were Jan. 9 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Paulina, with interment at the church mausoleum.

REYNOLDS

POCAHONTAS, Ark. – Betty Bush Reynolds, 81, a former resident of LaPlace and resident of Oxford, Miss., died Dec. 30. She was the wife of the late Thomas Reynolds, who established the Ponchartrain Works of the E.I. DuPont Company. She was also the mother of Dr. Sandra Bubrig and Thomas Reynolds II.

She was the sister of Martha Riley and stepsister of Wilma Kuhr.

She is also survived by three grandchildren.

Graveside services were held at Randolph Memorial Cemetery, Pocahontas, Ark.

RILEY

RESERVE – Joyce Anderson Riley, 46, a native of Reserve, died Jan. 4. She was the wife of Charles Riley Sr. and mother of Charles Jr., Chason, Ryan, Marquita and Delvin Riley.

She was the daughter of Claudia Linton Anderson and the late Arthur Anderson and sister of Brenda Lumar, Glenda Clark, Margie Robertson, Barbara Johnson, Lori Joseph, Donner Picou and Lesa and Jimmy Anderson.

She is also survived by three grandchildren.

Services are today at 10 a.m. at New Pilgrim Baptist Church, Reserve, with interment at Marathon Bishop Cemetery, Garyville. Visitation starts at 9 a.m.

ST. PIERRE

DESTREHAN – Shane M. St. Pierre, 23, a native and resident of Norco, died Jan. 7. He was the husband of Mandi St. Pierre and father of Aaron and Austin St. Pierre. He was the son of Dean St. Pierre and Patricia Mancuso and brother of Dean Jr., Jennifer and Dustin St. Pierre.

Services were Jan. 10 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Destrehan, with interment at the church cemetery.