Obituaries

Carl Lee Brown, 63, of Jena, passed from this life on Monday, August 31, 2020, in Jena.

He was born September 9, 1956 in Jena to the union of his parents, Gemes Ivy Brown and Beatrice Robbins Brown.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jason Brown; brother, James Ray Brown; and sister, Donna Kay Brown.

Those left to cherish in his memory include his girlfriend, Wanda Price of Jena; son, Carl Lee Brown, Jr. of Jasper, TX; daughter, Rachael Lewis of South Carolina; brother John Brown of Oklahoma; two grandchildren, Ollie and Ataline; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Jean Westbrooks, 73, of the Nichols Community, passed from this life on Saturday, August 29, 2020.

She was born Monday, March 31, 1947 in Olla to the union of Elisabeth Matill Ford and Charlie Shipton Foshee.

Jean was a homemaker and business partner to her husband, Raymond E. Westbrooks, Sr. They were married just shy of 56 years, raised two children and successfully ran a logging business for 41 years.

She loved to read books and the newspaper, and liked to be informed about her family and her community.

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Westbrooks-Swilley Cemetery of Aimwell under direction of Magnolia Funeral Home of Alexandria.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Charles Ray Foshee and his wife Barbara; and one sister, Brenda Joice Foshee.

Raymond Leo Miller, 74, of Jena, passed from this life on Friday, August 28, 2020 at LaSalle General Hospital of Jena.

He enjoyed a career as a carpenter and after retiring, spent a lot of time doing woodwork. He was a veteran of the Air Force Reserve.

He and his wife, Donna, are members of East Jena Baptist Church.

Services will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 3, at East Jena Baptist Church with the Revs. Daniel Breithaupt and Shad Tibbs officiating.

Interment will follow in the Tidwell Cemetery of Nebo under direction of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home of Jena.

A complete obituary will be published in next week’s paper.

Tameka Fair, 50, passed away Monday, August 24, 2020, peacefully at her home.

The world’s strongest woman, Tameka loved her kids and her grandkids. Her favorite color was emerald green.

Handpicked sunflowers from her granddaughters were her favorite . A rough rider, always down for a family roadtrip. She was big on family, definitely the glue to hers.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Tranesian Lewis (Pooh), Tyrrence Wallace (T), Tierra Lewis (Woodia), T’Onia Johnson (Black), Johneshia Fair (Jayy), Anya’ Williams (Yae), and Jon’Nell Fair (Nell); two sisters, a brother, 14 grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.

Sonja Marie Reynolds Wells, 61, passed from this life on Sunday, August 16 at University Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.

She was a beloved mother and grandmother, and faithful member of Christ Temple Pentecostal Church in Jena.

As a mother, pastor’s wife, and Christian, Sister Wells touched the lives of many through her hospitality and genuine love for people. She was a mother to all she met. She loved sharing old books and decorating houses.

She was an excellent hostess, and prepared thousands of ministering meals over the years. She will be sorely missed by all those who received her ministry.

Services were held at 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21, at Christ Temple Pentecostal Church in Jena with the Revs. Zach Wells, Zane Wells, and Greg Wilbanks officiating.

Interment followed in Woodland Cemetery, east of Jena, under direction of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home of Jena.

Violet Marie “Austin” Keen, 82, of Tullos, passed from this life on Friday, August 14, 2020.

She was born February 6, 1938 in Jena.

Mrs. Keen was a superstar for the Jena High School Lady Giants basketball team in the 1950’s.

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, at Pine Hill Cemetery of Urania with Rev. Cory Fowler officiating.

Interment followed under direction of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home of Jena.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Keen, Sr.; parents, Richard Austin and Nancy Trotti Austin; one brother and three sisters.

Those left to cherish in her memory include her sons, Jerry Keen, Jr. (Patricia), Lane Keen (Nancy), and Jimmy Lynn Keen; daughter, Connie Tucker (Phillip); eight grandchildren; and 13 great grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Jeff Keen, Jr., Justin Keen, Matt Madsen, Matt Keen, Shaun Keen, and Turner Carr.

Billy Wayne Denton, 89, of the Mt. Sinai Community, passed from this life on Monday, August 24, 2020.

He was born November 8, 1930 in Whelen Springs, Arkansas to the union of his parents, Larkin Denton and Martha Terral Denton.

Graveside services were held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 26, in the Mt. Sinai Cemetery with Rev. Gary Norris officiating.

Interment followed under direction of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home of Jena.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rheta McCartney Denton; his parents; and a brother, Terral Denton.

Survivors include one brother, Bobby Denton of Jena; and a host of friends.

Pallbearers were Jack Zeagler, Andrew Clark, Mickey Cockerham, Paul Daily, Terry Knapp, Alex Schopp, and Brayton Reeves.

Honorary pallbearers were Lynn Duke, Lewis Paul and Jack Cockerham.

The Jena Community mourns the passing of one its prominent religious and civic leaders, the Reverend Jimmy Ray Young.

Rev. Young, 79, passed on August 21. This native son returned to Jena and was appointed pastor of the L&A Missionary Baptist Church in 2007. He and his wife of 57 years, the former Sylvia Anderson of Shreveport, instantly became stalwarts in the Jena community, often advocating for those whose voices were faint.

As consensus builders, they were sought out for wise counsel and advice on critical issues such as educational enhancements, economic disparity, and social justice.

Rev. Young was born to Booker T. Young and Magdalene Washington Young on April 4, 1941, in Robeline. His formative years were spent at Good Pine School in Jena. Upon moving to Bossier Parish, he attended Charlotte A. Mitchell High. He was degreed by Detroit Bible College and William Tyndale Seminary in Detroit.

Robert Alva Plunkett, 83, of Pasadena, Texas, and a native of Jena, was called home by our Lord and Savior on August 20, 2020.

He was born on December 7, 1936 in Bear Creek, Louisiana to Robert Clifton and Carrie Mae Plunkett. He grew up alongside his brother James and his sister Shirley in Good Pine.

Robert was a 1955 graduate of Jena High School, where he achieved the honor of Valedictorian, and was given the nickname “The Jena Spike” for his athletic ability on the football field. He was halfback on the 1954 Giants football team, which was the first Jena team to win a district championship.

After high school he attended Louisiana Tech and earned the degree Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts. Though this was a huge accomplishment, marrying his high school sweetheart was what Robert was most proud of during his college years. Robert and Tasca were married on August 17, 1957 and spent 63 years selflessly devoted to one another.

James Todd Patterson, 55, of Minden, a former coach and teacher in the LaSalle Parish School System, passed from this life on August 17, 2020 in Shreveport.

He was born September 27, 1964 in Phoenix, Arizona to the union of his parents, John I. Patterson and Joy Darden Patterson.

Todd was a man who “wore many hats” in his daily life. He was an educator as well as serving as a paramedic and deputy coroner for Webster Parish. During his career as an educator, Patterson, who was lovingly referred to as “Coach Pat”, was a softball coach, served as Vice-Principal at Minden High School and recently served as Principal of Doyline High School.

He was well-respected and loved by those he worked with. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minden.

Patterson was teaching at Grayson Elementary School and assisting with coaching at Caldwell Parish High School when Superintendent Cary McGuffee recruited him for the LaSalle School System in 1994.