The last known World War II veteran in LaSalle Parish passed away last week as Burl Clark succumbed at his home in Jena at the age of 100.

Officials at the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs cannot confirm Clark is the last WWII veteran of LaSalle Parish, but research following Clark’s death on Thursday, June 20, has yet to provide any evidence that any other veterans from America’s Second World War are still living in the parish.

Clark would have turned 101 on his birthday, July 31. He was born in 1923 to Issac and Louelle Clark.

Burl and his wife, Mary, have been honored and recognized by the Louisiana Family Forum during the past couple of years as one of the state’s Top Ten Longest Married Couples.

He met Mary Martin, originally from Opelousas, at Foster Air Force Base in Victoria, Texas, while she and her mother were visiting her brother stationed there.

They communicated through letters until he left the service, which included World War II.

The Clarks were married in Opelousas on March 10, 1946, at the Rectory because Burl was Baptist and they could not get married in the Catholic Church.

The Clarks lived in Opelousas when they first married and then two years later moved to Lebeau, where he worked in a filling station and she worked in a cafe. They moved to Jena, where he worked in department stores and the telephone company before beginning his career at Hunt Oil Company, from which he retired after 35 years. They had a daughter, Gayle, and a son, Glenn, born into their union, but both children are deceased.

This past March, the couple celebrated their 78th Wedding Anniversary.

The couple was faithful members of East Jena Baptist Church where Burl served as a deacon for over 65 years.

Friends of Burl noted that all of his life he was a beacon of hope and a steadfast example of a Godly man. His acts of kindness and faithfulness in serving others made an impact on countless lives in the Jena area.

He is remembered as a devoted husband with close friends noting that since his retirement from Hunt Oil Company when he was in his mid-50’s, he was always at the side of his wife. They went everywhere together and both were very active in their church and community.

Clark’s service to his country was a reflection of his unwavering dedication and bravery and was an example of a truly patriotic, yet God-centered man. His life will be cherished by those who knew him as a man who exemplified the attributes of a true Christian.

(Burl Clark’s full obituary may be found on the Obituary Page, 10A.)