Obituaries published Aug 1998 in the Opelousas Daily World, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Don Johnson, DW9Johnson@aol.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Note: Dates of Obituaries have been approximated. Actually date may vary by a few days. Rev. Willie Actlis, 14 Aug 1998 ELTON - Funeral services for the Rev. Willie Actlis, 43, were held at 10 a.m. Monday in Holiness Unto the Lord Church. Burial will be in the Chataignier Cemetery. Fondel Memorial Chapel of Kinder was in charge of arrangements. Edna Aucoin, 15 Aug 1998 Funeral services for Mrs. Edna Eleanor Aucoin, 82, will be held at 2 p.m. today in Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Opelousas with burial in Sacred Heart Catholic Church Cemetery in Prairie Ronde. The Rev. Angelo Cremaldi will conduct the services. Mrs. Aucoin, a resident of Opelousas, died at 10:35 a.m. Friday, August 14, 1998, in Opelousas General Hospital. Survivors include: two foster sons, Bradley Ortego of Denham Springs and Amperman Ortego of Eunice; and two foster daughters, Jackie Nguyen of Cedar Hill, Texas, and Elvina Venable of Opelousas. Mrs. Aucoin was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome Aucoin. Visiting hours were observed from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. today until time of services. A rosary was recited at 7:30 p.m. Sibille Funeral Home of Opelousas is in charge of arrangements. Dolores Conque, 15 Aug 1998 CARENCRO - Funeral services for Mrs. Dolores Kay Bergeron Conque, 53, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Evangeline Memorial Chapel with burial in Evangeline Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Conque, a resident of Lafayette, died at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 1998, in Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. until the time of services Monday. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday. Melancon Funeral Home, Evangeline Memorial Gardens Chapel, 4117 N. University Ave., Carencro, is in charge of arrangements. Prescott Darbonne, 15 Aug 1998 FRILOT COVE - Funeral services for Mr. Prescott Darbonne, 84, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday in St. Ann's Catholic Church here with burial in the church cemetery. Mr. Darbonne, a resident of Opelousas, died at 4:30 a.m. Friday, August 14, 1998, in Opelousas General Hospital. Survivors include: a brother, Robert Darbonne of San Antonio, Texas; and a host of nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be observed from 1 p.m. Monday until time of services in St. Ann's Catholic Church in Frilot Cove. Sibille Funeral Home of Opelousas is in charge of arrangements. Agnes Fitzgerald (PIC), 14 Aug 1998 Funeral services for Mrs. Agnes Fitzgerald, 83, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Opelousas. Burial will be in Bellevue Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Fitzgerald, a resident of Opelousas, died at 3:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, 1998, in Senior Village Nursing Home. She and her husband, Alex, owned and operated Fitzgerald's Grocery Store in Opelousas for 37 years. Survivors include two sons, Johnny Fitzgerald and Carroll Fitzgerald, both of Opelousas; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Mrs. Fitzgerald was preceded in death by her husband, Alex Fitzgerald. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Tuesday and from 8 a.m. Wednesday until the time of services. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Sibille Funeral Home of Opelousas is in charge of arrangements. Don Franks, 15 Aug 1998 VILLE PLATTE - Funeral services for Mr. Don Garrett Franks, 64, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church here with burial in the church mausoleum. Mr. Franks, a resident of Ville Platte, died at 10:45 p.m. Thursday, August 13, 1998, in Lafayette General Hospital. He was a veteran of the Korean War; retired from Cabot, and was the owner and operator of The Bargain Mart. Survivors include: his wife, Mrs. Lena Marie Landreneau Franks of Ville Platte; two sons, Paul Franks and Allen Franks, both of Ville Platte; three daughters, Mrs. Dwight (Claudia) Ortego, Mrs. Nick (Freida) Cantu and Mrs. Duane (Virginia) Comeaux, all of Ville Platte; a brother, Jim R. Franks of Tulsa, Okla.; four sisters, Mrs. Virginia Harris of Muskogee, Okla., Mrs. Betty Barton of Oklahoma City, Okla., Mrs. Sue Schopper of Tallequah, Okla., and Mrs. Greta Correia of Germantown, Tenn.; and ten grandchildren. Visiting hours were observed from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. Monday until time of services. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Ardoin's Funeral Home of Ville Platte is in charge of arrangements. Brace Godfrey, 14 Aug 1998 Funeral arrangements for Mr. Brace Godfrey, 72, are incomplete. Williams Funeral Home of Ville Platte is in charge of arrangements. Ella Guillory, 14 Aug 1998 Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Ella M. K. Guillory, 66, are incomplete. Williams Funeral Home of Opelousas is in charge of arrangements. Vernel Guillory, 15 Aug 1998 VILLE PLATTE - Funeral services for Mr. Vernel "Lash" Guillory, 62, were held at 10 a.m. Saturday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church here with burial in the old Ville Platte Cemetery. Ardoin's Funeral Home of Ville Platte was in charge of arrangements. Mayfield Jackson (Pic), 15 Aug 1998 WASHINGTON - Funeral services for Mr. Mayfield Jackson, 44, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Emma Zion Baptist Church. Burial will be in Mohorn Baptist Cemetery in Plaisance. The Rev. Willie Pitre will officiate. Mr. Jackson died at 3:20 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 1998, in Opelousas General Hospital. Survivors include two sons, Tyron Jackson of Opelousas and Mayfield Tezeno of Mamou; a daughter, Angel Jackson Papillion of Lake Charles; two brothers, Joseph Lionel Jackson of Virginia, Rayfield Jackson Jr. of Angelo and Lionel Joseph Jackson of Lake Charles; 10 sisters, Jessie Lee Gibbs of Lake Charles, Rosa Lee Young of Houston Texas, Mercy Lee Colston, Burnerdean J. Malveaux, Murline Minor, Joyce Marie Carriere, Muvray Malveaux, Re E. Arvie, Lortta Collins and June Ella Jackson, all of Opelousas; four grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Visitation will be held from 5-10 p.m. Monday in Williams Funeral Home of Opelousas, which is in charge of arrangements. Ella Joseph, 14 Aug 1998 Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Ella Mae Joseph, 67, are incomplete. Williams Funeral Home of Ville Platte is in charge of arrangements. Jess Mason, 14 Aug 1998 Funeral arrangements for Mr. Jess Mason, 77, are incomplete. Williams Funeral Home of Opelousas is in charge of arrangements. Adam Reney, 15 Aug 1998 EUNICE - Funeral services for Mr. Adam Reney, 79, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Mathilda Catholic Church with burial in the church cemetery. Mr. Reney died Thursday, Aug. 13, 1998, in his Eunice residence. Survivors include his wife, Mable Reney of Eunice; two sons, the Rev. Ernest Reney of Pine Prairie and Lawrence Reney of Los Angeles; two daughters, Versie Shilon of Eunice and Theresa Sherman of Houston, Texas; a brother, John Reney of Ville Platte; two sisters, Ethyl Bellard of Lake Charles and Lillian Miller of Eunice; a great-aunt, Carolyn Rougeau of Eunice; a great-uncle, Cleveland Leday of Lafayette; 12 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 5-10 p.m. Monday in the Bishop Ceaser Hall in Eunice. Owens-Thomas Funeral Home of Eunice is in charge of arrangements. Jeanne Soileau, 14 Aug 1998 VILLE PLATTE - Funeral services for Mrs. Jeanna F. Soileau, 82, of Ville Platte, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church with burial in the church mausoleum. Ardoin's Funeral Home of Ville Platte is in charge of arrangements. Matthias Stelly (Pic), 15 Aug 1998 GRAND COTEAU - A funeral Mass for Mr. Matthias Stelly, 81, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, August 22, in St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church here with burial in the church cemetery. A memorial service was also held in Madison, Wisc. Mr. Stelly, raised on a 20-acre farm near Sunset and a resident of Madison, Wisc., died Sunday, June 14, 1998, of pancreatic cancer. In 1934, he graduated from Sunset High School, and encouraged by his FFA teacher, enrolled in Southwestern Louisiana Institute. He completed his B.S. in three years, and in 1937, entered Louisiana State University (LSU), from which he received his M.S. degree. In 1942, he received his Ph.D. in soil fertility at Iowa State University and then accepted a faculty position at LSU. In December of that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a chemical munitions specialist. After World War II, he served as a reserve officer for 20 years and attained the rank of Lt. Commander. From 1946 to 1957, he was a professor at the University of Georgia. He took a one-year leave to work on a special assignment with the British Colonial Office in Kenya in 1953. In 1957, he returned to LSU as a faculty member. In 1961, Matt assumed leadership of the "Tri-Societies" (American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America and Crop Science Society of America), and served for 20 years as their common Executive Vice President in Madison, Wisc. He retired in 1981. During his career, he actively participated in numerous professional and honorary societies, including AAUP and Sigma Xi. Survivors include: his wife, Thelma T. Stelly; one of his sisters, Elia (Sidney) Stelly; and four children: Mary (William) Niedermeier, and their two sons, David and Michael; Julia (Andre) Pernet; David (Linda) Stelly and their two sons, Jameson and Phillip; and Carol Jaime, and her two children, Matt and Alexa. Mr. Stelly was preceded in death by his parents, Felix and Adoisca Stelly; and three sisters, Celanese (Otto) Stelly, Evelyn (Thomas) Meche, and Agnes (Joseph) Stelly. Donations may be made to a favorite charity. Gertrude Thomas, 15 Aug 1998 CARENCRO - Funeral services for Mrs. Gertrude Begnaud Thomas, 81, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Peter's Catholic Church with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Michael J. Arnaud, pastor of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Leonville, will officiate. Mrs. Thomas died at 12:20 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, 1998, in her daughter's Carencro residence. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. until the time of services Monday. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday. Melancon Funeral Home of Carencro is in charge of arrangements.