Obituaries: Mary Ila Riser, 1984, 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: March 7, 1984 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American Services Held For Mary Riser, Former Winn Enterprise Publisher Miss Mary Ila Riser, 77, who was publisher of the Winn Parish Enterprise at Winnfield, La., for 40 years, and spent nearly 60 years in the weekly newspaper business, died Thursday, March 1, 1984 at 10:10 p.m. at Schumpert Medical Center, Shreveport after a short illness. Services were held Saturday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m., at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Marshall Street, with burial in Forest Park Cemetery, Shreveport. Dr. Calvin Phelps, pastor of Winnfield First Baptist Church, officiated. Miss Riser was born March 26, 1906 in Winnfield. She grew up in the printing trade and the weekly newspaper business, working with her father, Henry Clay Riser, and her mother, Sara Ethleen Riser. She became a skilled linotype operator and handled most back shop operations, including commercial printing and the hand fed newspaper press. She converted the Enterprise to off-set printing in the 1960s. She was a superb country editor with a keen sense of news. Under her guidance the Winn Parish Enterprise became one of the state's outstanding weeklies. She retired in 1978 with sale of the Enterprise. Miss Riser attended Winnfield schools and was graduated from Winnfield High School. She was a member of First Baptist Church, Winnfield. Survivors include one sister, Ruth Larson; four nieces, Mrs. Ann Derr, Winnfield, Mrs. Jennie Whitaker and Miss Sara Larson, Baton Rouge, and Mrs. Mary Sue Baird, Jackson, Miss.; two nephews, Dr. Paul Larson, Shreveport, and B. G. Newton, jr., Katy, Texas; and many great nephews and nieces. Pallbearers were B. G. Newton, Jr., Dr. Paul Larson, Warren Hall, Andre Derr, Jacque Derr, Walter Whitaker, George H. Larson, and Chester Derr.