Obits - July 10
DEA MANUEL
August 24, 1907 - July 7, 2008
EUNICE - Funeral services were held for Dea Manuel, 100, of Eunice, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Eunice at 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 9. Burial followed in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Ms. Manuel died Monday, July 7, 2008, at her residence. She was a homemaker who enjoyed crocheting and playing cards. She also loved baking sweet dough pies. She was a loving mother and grandmother,
Survivors include two sons, Bobby Manuel and his wife, Greta, of Eunice, Stephen Manuel and his wife, Sarah, of Longville; three daughters, Maefine M. Austin of Eunice, Emma Rae Vidrine of Ville Platte and Janelle Thibodeaux and her husband, Roderick, of Pine Prairie; one daughter-in-law, Judy Manuel of Metairie; 18 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Littell Manuel; and one son, Roland Manuel.
Father Cedric Sonnier officiated.
Family and friends may view the online obituary and/or sign the guestbook at www.ardoinfuneralhomes.com.
Ardoin’s Funeral Home of Eunice was in charge of arrangements.
WILLIS BEN JR.
June 5, 1944 - July 6, 2008
HOUSTON, Texas - Funeral services will be held for Willis Ben Jr., 64, of Houston, Texas, at Christian Faith Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 12. Burial will follow in the Paradise Cemetery.
A native of Whiteville, Mr. Ben died at 6:20 a.m., Sunday, July 6, 2008, at Veteran’s Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Survivors include his wife, Joycelyn Guillory Ben of Houston, Texas; one son, Willis Ben III of Houston, Texas; one daughter, Jennifer McKneely of Houston, Texas; four brothers, Aaron Ben, Rodney Ben, Horace Ben and Joseph Ben, all of Houston, Texas; four sisters, Nora Lee B. Guillory, Audrey Mae Ben and Shirley B. William, all of Houston, Texas, and Edolia B. Goodmen of Bellevue, Nebraska; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Willis Ben Sr. and Ezola Tezeno Ben.
Rev. Leroy Joseph will officiate.
Pruitt’s Funeral Home of Houston, Texas, will be in charge of arrangements.
ESTHER MAE ANDRUS
December 6, 1922 - July 7, 2008
Funeral services were held for Esther Mae Andrus, 85, of Ville Platte, at Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Church in Ville Platte at 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 9. Burial followed in the Te Mamou Cemetery.
Ms. Andrus died at 6:10 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2008, at Baton Rouge General Hospital. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister.
Survivors include one son, William Glenn Andrus and his wife, Joan, of Ville Platte; two daughters, Vickie Andrus Brady of LeCompte and Kathryn Bhatti and her husband, Tan, of Baton Rouge; two sisters, Mable Morris of Sedgewick, Kansas, and Shirley Fugere of Providence, Rhode Island; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one son, Fred Lester Andrus; and one son-in-law, Perry Wayne Brady.
Father Robert Romero officiated.
Family and friends may view the online obituary and/or sign the guestbook at www.ardoinfuneralhomes.com.
Ardoin’s Funeral Home of Ville Platte was in charge of arrangements.
GERARD LAVIGNE
September 30, 1959 - July 3, 2008
Funeral services will be held for Gerard Lavigne, 59, of Ville Platte, at the Williams Funeral Home Chapel in Ville Platte at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 12. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery.
Mr. Lavigne died Thursday, July 3, 2008, at Ville Platte Medical Center.
Survivors include one son, Dedrrick Denton of Opelousas; six brothers, Odell Lavigne of Lake Charles, Dennis Lavigne of Killeen, Texas, and Curtis Lavigne, Gerald Lavigne, Paul Lavigne and Gene Lavigne, all of Ville Platte; and three sisters, Nazy Lavigne of Ville Platte, Marie Newman of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Cynthia Lavigne of Lake Charles.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Kernis and Nora Lavigne Sr.; and one brother, Kernis John Lavigne Jr.
Pastor Van Rousell will officiate.
Williams Funeral Home of Ville Platte will be in charge of arrangements.
DANNY HOWELL JR.
January 10, 1982 - July 8, 2008
MAMOU - Funeral services will be held for Danny Howell Jr., 26, of Mamou, at the Ardoin’s Funeral Home Chapel in Mamou at 10 a.m., today, July 10. Burial will follow in the New St. Ann’s Cemetery.
Mr. Howell died Saturday, July 8, 2008, at his residence.
Survivors include his parents, Danny Howell Sr. and Flora Howell of Mamou; three sons, Cyrus, Maxel and Billy Howell, all of Mamou; one daughter, Racheilla Lafleur of Mamou; his fiancee’ Mary Lafleur of Mamou; one sister, Alisha Howell of Mamou; his godmother, Cynthia Boone; his maternal grandparents, John and Betty Pelican of Duralde; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his uncle, Maxile Pelican; his paternal grandparents, Walter and Molly Howell; one cousin, Triston Howell; and his maternal great-grandmothers, Amy Matt and Mary Dinlger.
Family and friends may view the online obituary and/or sign the guestbook at www.ardoinfuneralhomes.com.
Ardoin’s Funeral Home of Mamou will be in charge of arrangements.
THERESA GUILLORY
January 7, 1953 - July 7, 2008
MAMOU - Funeral services will be held for Theresa Guillory, 55, of Mamou, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Mamou at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 12. Burial will follow in the Delafosse Cemetery.
A homemaker, Ms. Guillory died at 10:08 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2008, at Savoy Medical Center in Mamou after a long illness.
Survivors include two sons, Perry Guillory of Chicago, Illinois, and Gregory Guillory of Mamou; two daughters, Toni Guillory of Mamou and Darlena Hamilton Guillory of Chicago, Illinois; two brothers, Sylvon Guillory and his wife, Pat, of Mamou and Maxine Guillory and his wife, Wanda, of Opelousas; seven sisters, Ethel Guillory of Florida, Eose Sada of Omaha, Nebraska, Mary Lou Gradney of Raywood, Texas, and Ruby Fontenot, Diane Morris, Sandra Guillory and Gena Wilson, all of Mamou; and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Maxine Guillory; two brothers, Sylvester Guillory and John Roy Guillory; one daughter, Frankie Guillory; and one sister, Ann Guillory.
Father Bob Courville will officiate.
Family and friends may view the online obituary and/or sign the guestbook at www.ardoinfuneralhomes.com.
Ardoin’s Funeral Home of Mamou will be in charge of arrangements.
SEAN M. LATHE
March 19, 1967 - June 29, 2008
HALLOWELL, Maine - Funeral services will be held for Sean M. Lathe, 41, of Lafayette, at Cox Memorial United Methodist Church in Hallowell, Maine, at 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 16.
A native of Augusta, Maine, Mr. Lathe died Sunday, June 29, 2008, in Evangeline Parish as the result of a motorcycle accident. He attended the University of Maine and was a journalism major at Iowa State University.
His more than 24 years of military service consisted of a CW4 in the U.S. Army; UH-1Pilot for Co C 1/192nd AVN, Bangor Maine; Aermed Evac Pilot and ASE/EW officer for the 112th Med CO (AA0, Bangor); ASE/EW Officer for Det 1 1/112th Med CO, Bangor, ASE/EW Officer and instructor Pilot for the 812th Med CO in New Orleans, and Co C, 1 244th AVN, New Orleans; Instructor Pilot for Ft. Polk; Aeromed Evac Pilot for the 812th Med CO (AA) in Pineville.
He served in Bosnia in 1999 and served two years in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lathe belonged to the Masons, Kennebec No. Five Lodge and the Kora Shrine of Lewiston, where he performed as Buster the Clown with the Shrine Circus in Maine and Louisiana.
In 2001, he moved to Lafayette to work at Air Logistics, where he worked as a helicopter pilot for more than seven years. At the time of his death, he was serving as a federal technician, working for Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) No. Two at Esler Army Airfield.
Survivors include his mother, Joan H. Lathe of Augusta, Maine; one daughter, Valerie; one grandson, Kevin Barnes; one sister, Cindy Cagne and her husband, Joey; and one brother, Rick and his wife, Katie.
He was preceded in death by his father, Frank A. Lathe Jr.
Anyone wishing to share their memories of Sean may do so by e-mailing seanlathe@joe-gagne.net.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sean’s memory to Cox Memorial United Methodist Church.
A visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 15, at Knowlton & Hewins Funeral Home in Augusta, Maine.
The guestbook may be signed and condolences sent to the family at www.lavillefuneralhome.net.
LaVille Funeral Home of Ville Platte will be in charge of local arrangements.