Former educator, civic leader
NATCHITOCHES – Services for retired educator, dietitian and civic leader Maxine Southerland will be Friday.
She was a home economics teacher at Boyce and Bolton High Schools and was head dietitian at Huey P. Long Memorial Hospital, Pineville and at several Natchitoches nursing homes.
She was a home economics professor and teacher/educator at Northwestern State University, where she is a member of its College of Education’s Hall of Fame. She was president of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches for 12 years.
During her tenure as Association president, she refurbished Melrose Plantation, reacquiring plantation furniture and accessories that had been lost when the plantation was sold to Southdown Corporation in 1971. She remodeled the Front Street Bridge in Natchitoches, keeping the authentic iron grillwork look while paving the way for a more modern and larger bridge. She fought to retain the city’s historic brick streets and to move the remarkable Roque House to a central downtown location.
In the 1970’s, Mrs. Southerland served as the Director/Curator for the Museum of Educational History for Louisiana, centered in Natchitoches.
Mrs. Southerland served on the Natchitoches/ Northwestern Symphony Society, the Natchitoches City Planning Commission, and she founded and for many years directed the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival. She was most recently twice chairperson of the Annual Historic Pilgrimage of Homes.
Survivors include her husband Tom Paul and two children.
Civic leader
NEW ROADS – Services for civic leader Frances Bartee will be today. She died March 10 at age
She had been active in the Point Coupee /chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Board, New Roads Team City, The Main Street Program, Keep New Roads Beautiful and the USDA Rural Conservation and Development Board.
Survivors include her husband George, a son and two daughters.
Arrangements are by Niland.
Corps Atchafalaya overseer
LAFAYETTE – Services will be Friday for retired Corps of Engineers construction representative Joseph Valentour, Jr. He died March 8 at age 65.
He was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War (two tours). He worked with the Corps for more than 40 years. As the Mississippi Valley Division construction representative he was instrumental in maintaining the Atchafalaya River and the resulting marsh and land creation during the dredging process. An island in the Atchafalaya Delta bears his name.
Survivors include his wife ail and two daughters.
Arrangements are by Fountain.
LSU Animal science prof
BATON ROUGE – Services for retired LSU animal science professor Paul Humes will be Friday. He died March 9 at age 71.
He joined LSU in 1968 and retired in 2009 as director of the School of Animal Sciences. He was a judge at numerous livestock shows across the South.
Survivors include his wife Tamra and a son.
Arrangements are by Rabenhorst.