Obituaries: Gillis Long, 1985, Winn Parish, LA. Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: January 23, 1985 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American Gillis Long Rites Set Funeral services will be held in Alexandria Thursday afternoon for U. S. Congressman Gillis Long, a Winnfield native. The 61 year old Long died at his Washington, D. C., home Sunday night after an apparent heart attack. He suffered a massive heart attack and had bypass surgery in the spring of 1979, but appeared to be in good health until recently. The 1 p.m. services will be held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church and subsequent military graveside services and burial will be in the National Cemetery in Pineville. The Rev. Lynn Clayton will conduct the services and Hixson Brothers is in charge of the arrangements. Friends may call from 5 to 9 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home and from 11 a.m. until time for services at the church. Long had just recently requested that, upon his death, memorials be made to a scholarship fund at Louisiana State University, is alma mater. He is survived by his wife, Cathy; one son, George Long of New Orleans; one daughter, Janis Long, a law student at Tulane; and one brother, Floyd Long of New Orleans. Long was born May 4, 1923, in Winnfield, the son of Birdie Shumake and Floyd Harrison Long, Sr. He attended public schools in Winnfield and Alexandria and graduated from Louisiana State University, where he was the student body president, in 1949. He received his law degree from LSU in 1951. He was first elected to Congress in 1962 and served one term before being defeated in a bid for re-election. He was elected to Congress again in 1972, where he served until his death. He had just been sworn into the 99th Congress on January 3. He was the second ranking democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee and chaired that committee's Subcommittee on Legislative Process. He was also recently named chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.