Obituary of Judy P. McKeithen, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana


Copied and Submitted by :Kathy LeMay Kelly, P.O. Box 219, Trout, La. 71371

From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal;
Wednesday, July 1, 1998


Many Thanks to The Times - Signal for allowing the following to be added to
the Archives.
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Jena Store owner killed in accident. 

Judy P. McKeithen (Caption under photo)

A 56-year-old Jena business woman was killed and her husband and granddaughter
injured in a one car accident on La. 127 about three miles north of Jena last
Saturday night, according to State Police.

Judy C. McKeithen, 56 of Jena, died in the accident which occurred about 9:50
p.m. Saturday. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Assistant LaSalle
Coroner Danny Brown.

Her husband, Donald David McKeithen, 62, driver of the new 1998 Mercedes 320E,
was treated at LaSalle General Hospital and transferred to Rapides Regional
Medical Center, where he is listed in serious condition and their
granddaughter, Corrina Hernandez of San Antonio, Texas, was also treated at
LGH and transferred to Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria where she
was listed in critical condition on Monday with head injuries.

State Police said the McKeithen cehicle was traveling south on La. 127 near
the Zeagler Cutoff Road when the driver apparently lost control of the car.

It ran off the road to the left, traveled some 69 feet before hitting an
embankment causing the airbags to inflate. The car then went air borne again,
traveling another 30 or so feet, landing on the right front corner, flipped
over and landed right-side up some 115 feet from where it left the road.

State Police said none of the occupants were wearing seatbelts and felt the
airbags protected them on the first impact but had deflated enough to cause
the death and injuries on the second and third impacts.

State Police said the primary cause for the accident is not known yet, but
speefing was not a factor in the accident.

The McKeithen's owners and operated McKeithen's Kwik Stop convenience stores
in Jena and Olla.

Mrs. McKeithen became LaSalle's fifth traffic fatality this year. In late
January, three people died from injuries sustained in a two vehicle crash on
La. 8 just south of Jena and in early March a Rosefield man was killed in a
crash in northern LaSalle Parish.

Funeral Held

Services for Judy C. McKeithen, 56, of Jena, were held at 2 p.m., Tuesday,
June 30, in the chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home of Jena with James
Tooke Officiating.

Burial followed in the Olla Cemetery of Olla under direction of Hixson
Brothers, Inc. of Jena.

Survivors include her husband, David McKeithen of Jena; one daughter, Donna
McKeithen Hernandez of San Antonio, Texas; one son, Donald David (Don)
McKeithen of Columbia; her mother, Addie Powell of Olla; three sisters, Peggy
Welch and Maxine Smith, both of Olla and Nedra Hall of Memphis, Tenn.; two
brothers, Rex Powell of Jena and Stanley Ford off Trout; her step-mother,
Clara Powell of Olla; and three grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Mark Tooke, Johnny Martin, W.A. Hart, Jerry Lemons, Shannon
Lemons, and Ralph McClary.