PRESTON DUNCKELMAN Obituary: Terrebonne Parish, La. Submitted by: Louis Lavedan Source: Houma Courier, Houma, Terrebonne Parish, La. 30 Oct 2005 ================================================== ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ================================================== NOTES: 1. The date preceding the obituary is the date of posting on the WWW, not the date of death. ============================= October 25. 2005 11:50AM Preston Dunckelman [Photo] Preston Henry Dunckelman, 89, a native of Natchitoches, a former resident of Houma for 28 years and resident of Lafayette, died at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005. Wake service will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday at Chauvin Funeral Home and from 8:30 a.m. to funeral time Friday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Houma. Mass will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church. He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Rose Landreneau Dunckelman; four sons, John Walter and wife, Leslie Regan, of Cape Coral, Fla., William Henry and wife, Geralyn Bergeron, of Houma, Samuel Vienne, of Cape Coral and Kerrie Dunckelman of Milton; two daughters, Elfrieda Bayhi and husband, William "Rick" Bayhi, of St. Gabriel and Mary Marlene Cook and husband, Lennis F. Cook, of Katy, Texas; 13 grandchildren; one step-grandson; and numerous nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Scott Dunckelman and Wilhelmina Sompryac Vienne Dunckelman; and 14 Dunckelman and Vienne half-brothers and sisters. He was a retired USDA research agronomist, a graduate of St. Mary's Academy in Natchitoches, valedictorian of his class and a member of the school's Academic Hall of Fame. He was also a graduate of Louisiana State Normal College (Northwestern State University) in Natchitoches, where he was inducted into the academic honor societies Demeter (agriculture) and Phi Delta Epsilon (biology). Continuing his education, he graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a master's degree in plant pathology. After graduating from Louisiana State University he volunteered into the USNR and served actively in the U.S. Navy Air Force Training Program at bases in New Orleans and Corpus Christi, Texas, prior to and during the early part of World War II (1941-42). He was a member of the American Legion Posts in Baton Rouge, Houma and Lafayette for more than 45 years, the American Phyto-pathology Society, the American Sugar Cane League and the organization of Professional Employees of the USDA. He was also a member of the national Association of Federal-State retirees, having served three years as Louisiana Division chairman of this organization and was also a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. He served terms as second vice president of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and chairman of the Agricultural section of the society. He was awarded honorary life membership in both the Louisiana and Florida divisions of the society, the first person to receive this honor. He also served for many years as a member of the Standing Committee on Sugarcane Breeding and Germ Plasma of the International Society of Sugarcane Technologists. He was the recipient of several outstanding service awards from the Louisiana and Florida sugar industries, in recognition and technological contributions in the breeding and superior new germplasm of commercial sugar-cane varieties for the United States and other sugar-cane production areas of the world. His research career spanned a period of 38 years including cooperative research with many sugar-producing countries throughout the world. He conducted basic and applied research at Louisiana State University and Federal Experiment Stations in Baton Rouge, Houma and Canal Point, Fla., and with sugar-cane research scientists at the University of Florida Experiment Station at Belle Glade. He was a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma for 28 years and was an usher for 20 years. At the time of his death, he attended the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the National Polysystic Kidney Foundation. Chauvin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. October 26. 2005 12:54PM Preston Dunckelman [Photo] Preston Henry Dunckelman, 89, a native of Natchitoches, a former resident of Houma for 28 years and resident of Lafayette, died at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005. Wake service will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday at Chauvin Funeral Home and from 8:30 a.m. to funeral time Friday at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Houma. Mass will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church. He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Rose Landreneau Dunckelman; three sons, John Walter and wife, Leslie Regan, of Cape Coral, Fla., William Henry and wife, Geralyn Bergeron, of Houma and Samuel Vienne, of Cape Coral; two daughters, Elfrieda Bayhi and husband, William "Rick" Bayhi, of St. Gabriel and Mary Marlene Cook and husband, Lennis F. Cook, of Katy, Texas; one daughter-in- law, Kerrie Dunckelman of Milton; 13 grandchildren; one step-grandson; and numerous nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Scott Dunckelman and Wilhelmina Sompryac Vienne Dunckelman; and 14 Dunckelman and Vienne half-brothers and sisters. He was a retired USDA research agronomist, a graduate of St. Mary's Academy in Natchitoches, valedictorian of his class and a member of the school's Academic Hall of Fame. He was also a graduate of Louisiana State Normal College (Northwestern State University) in Natchitoches, where he was inducted into the academic honor societies Demeter (agriculture) and Phi Delta Epsilon (biology). Continuing his education, he graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a master's degree in plant pathology. After graduating from Louisiana State University he volunteered into the USNR and served actively in the U.S. Navy Air Force Training Program at bases in New Orleans and Corpus Christi, Texas, prior to and during the early part of World War II (1941-42). He was a member of the American Legion Posts in Baton Rouge, Houma and Lafayette for more than 45 years, the American Phyto-pathology Society, the American Sugar Cane League and the organization of Professional Employees of the USDA. He was also a member of the national Association of Federal-State retirees, having served three years as Louisiana Division chairman of this organization and was also a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. He served terms as second vice-president of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and chairman of the Agricultural section of the society. He was awarded honorary life membership in both the Louisiana and Florida divisions of the society, the first person to receive this honor. He also served for many years as a member of the Standing Committee on Sugarcane Breeding and Germ Plasma of the International Society of Sugarcane Technologists. He was the recipient of several outstanding service awards from the Louisiana and Florida sugar industries, in recognition and technological contributions in the breeding and superior new germplasm of commercial sugar-cane varieties for the United States and other sugar-cane production areas of the world. His research career spanned a period of 38 years including cooperative research with many sugar-producing countries throughout the world. He conducted basic and applied research at Louisiana State University and Federal Experiment Stations in Baton Rouge, Houma and Canal Point, Fla., and with sugar-cane research scientists at the University of Florida Experiment Station at Belle Glade. He was a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma for 28 years and was an usher for 20 years. At the time of his death, he attended the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the National Polysystic Kidney Fo undation. Chauvin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.