Obituary of Thomas Sills, LaSalle Parish, La.

Submitted by:
Joan Hamby





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THOMAS SILLS           1861 - 1953       

Thomas Sills, 92, died at his home in the Olla Oil Field, at 9:15 Saturday
night, March 28, 1953, after a lingering illness.      

Funeral services were held Monday, March 30, at Little Chickasaw Free
Methodist Church, and interment was at the Chickasaw Cemetery.      

The following ministers officiated at the funeral services: H.T. Isgitt,
Methodist evangelist from Converse: H.G. Harvey, paster of the Nazerene Church
at Springhill; J.W. Stennett, paster of the Chickasaw Church; H.P. Smith,
district superintendent of the Free Methodist churches, Jena; C.E. Baker,
pastor Free Methodist Church; and J.B. McCann, paster of the Paradise
Methodist Church, Pineville; music was rendered by friends from different
churches.         

Pallbearers, all grandsons of the deceased were Frank Kees, Jr., mayor of
Natchitoches; Herman Chapman, Houston, Tex.; Q.T. Ford, Pineville; Voyle
Floyd, Pineville; Nolan Whidden, New Orleans; and Onree Chapman, Jena. There
were a large number of honorary pallbearers.      

Mr. Sills was born January 20, 1861 in Catahoula Parish. He was a lifetime
resident in the vicinity of what is now the Olla Oil Field in LaSalle Parish.  
   

In 1878, Mr. Sills married Miss Tilitha Ann Cupples. To this Union was born
five boys and eight girls. The three sons and six daughters who survive are
Millard Sills of Grayson, John Sills of Clarks, Mose Sills of Clarks, Mrs. Doc
Simmons of Olla, Mrs. Dottie Smith of Olla, Mrs. Charles Kerlin of Pineville,
Mrs. Homer Floyd of Jena, Mrs. Vannah Whidden of Summerville and Mrs. Allen
Chapman of Rosefield.  Also surviving are ten grandsons, 18 granddaughters, 19
great-grandsons, 18 great-granddaughters and many frields.      

Mr. Sills was always interested in the betterment of churches, the schools and
any other thing that was upbuilding to his community, parish and state.  He
lived a Christian life and was active in church work.  All who knew him as
Uncle Tom remember how he prayed and how his prayers reached the throne of
grace and touched the hearts of hearers.      

After becoming too weak to speak aloud, as death was upon him, his lips began
to move and observers bent low to hear him whispering of the beauties of
Heaven.  "Beautiful Mansions" were the last words whispered as he passed on to
the Great Beyond.  The first funeral song, "I Have A Mansion", carried the
theme of his dying words.      

Riser Funeral Home of Columbia was in charge of all the funeral arrangements. 
                                           (Reproduced by John L. Sills, Clarks, LA)