Arlene Feaster Carter Sylvester

March 27, 1933 - October 8, 2015
Funeral services were held for Arlene Feaster Carter Sylvester, 82, of Whiteville, at Calvary Baptist Church in Bayou Chicot at 11 a.m., Monday, October 12. A burial service followed at 3 p.m. at Lafayette Memorial Park.
Mrs. Sylvester died Thursday, October 8, 2015, at the Heart Hospital in Lafayette.
She was born to the late William and Esther (Klahr) Feaster on March 27, 1933, in Casper, Wyoming, and moved five years later to the Conoco Camp in Tate Cove, outside Ville Platte, along with her siblings Bill, Cara and John.
She excelled in sports and academics at Ville Platte High School, participating in basketball and cheerleading, advancing to the state championship in tennis and being named salutatorian in 1951. Growing up in Ville Platte, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at First Baptist Church, where she served during high school as church pianist. At Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now ULL), she met aspiring young geologist Richard Carter, whom she married in 1955 after earning an education degree in home economics. More than 20 years later, she earned a second degree at USL from the School of Architecture, Interior Design.
She worked as a home demonstration agent with the Cooperative Extension Service and as a school teacher, while supporting her husband’s Air Force and oilfield career, as well as raising three sons. Her cities of residence included Abbeville, Lafayette, Scott A.F. Base, IL, Scottsdale, Arizona, New Orleans, Pineville, Bayou Chicot, Houston and Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which locations she often sang in church choirs and taught Sunday School.
In 2012, after living as a widow for 21 years, a lively romance with her high school sweetheart was rekindled, and on February 3, 2013, Arlene and Chester Sylvester were married. During the last two and a half years of her life, Arlene found great joy and purpose with Chester in Whiteville, surrounded by the loving Sylvester family.
She shared with others her deep appreciation for the beauty of nature, becoming a Master Gardener and painting flowers on canvas and the ceramics that she created by hand. She served as a gentle example of devotion to Christ for her children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.
Survivors include her husband, Chester Sylvester; three sons, Dicky and his wife, Billie Jo, Jeff Carter and Steve Carter and his wife, Bethany; two brothers, Bill Feaster and his wife, Raynell, and John Feaster; one sister, Cara Coe and her husband, James; and 13 grandchildren, Jonathon and his wife, Brittany, Rebecca, Luke, Katy, Aaron, Noah, Hope, Ethan and his wife, Lauren, Kathryn, Melanie, Christine and Zack Carter, and Rachael Matz and her husband, Joshua.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Esther Feaster; and her first husband, Richard Carter.
Pall bearers were Ethan, Jonathon, Luke, Noah, and Zachary Carter and Joshua Matz.
Music was provided by Aaron Carter.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Sylvester family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com.
Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette was in charge of arrangements.