Obituaries: Ovey Trahan, 1976, 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: October 20, 1976 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American Last Rites Held For Ovey Trahan Ovey Trahan, 82, of Winnfield died October 14, 1976 in Winnfield General Hospital. He was a native of Maurice. He was a charter member of the board of directors of First Federal Savings and Loan of Winnfield founded in 1934. Trahan was elevated to chairman of the board in 1962 and named director emeritus in 1975. He was influential in establishing a public library here in 1937 and served as a member of the library board and as chairman of that board for many years and was elected president of the Louisiana Library Board Association. During World War I, due to his knowledge of the French language, he assisted with the Armistice cease fire negotiations. For three days and nights Sgt. Trahan translated cease fire messages over a telephone from French, used by German officers, into English and back into French. He was operations sergeant first class with the 185th Aero Squadron, the only American night pursuit squadron in France. As part of the First Pursuit Group at Rembercourt, the 185tgh took part in the Argonne-Meuse offensive. He joined the Tremont and Gulf Railroad as a stenographer and clerk in Winnfield in 1916 and returned after the war. He was traffic manager until he was made executive vice president and general manager in 1947. He retired from the railroad when it consolidated with Illinois Central in 1960. Trahan was ordained a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church of Winnfield in 1923, became an Elder and a trustee in 1927. He served as Sunday school superintendent and church treasurer for many years. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Agnes Long Trahan of Winnfield; two brothers, Bienvenue Trahan of Baton Rouge and Gustave Trahan of Lafayette; two sisters, Mrs. John LeBlanc of Lafayette and Mrs. Gabriel Roussel of Kaplan; and numerous nieces and nephews. Services were held Friday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Southern Funeral Home of Winnfield with the Rev. W. R. Gage officiating. Burial was in the Winnfield City Cemetery. Pallbearers were Eddie Russel, A. B. White, Carroll Hatcher, James Machen, Stuart Storey, and Claude Murphy.