The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • 16

1 March 27, 2004 TOWN TALK C3 Raft survivors tell of ordeal Rueal Balthazar Families and friends of the deceased have prepared these obituarles. They are a tribute to their loved ones accomplishments and service to friends who would like to pay their respects. For more information please contact your funeral director or call The Town Talk at (318) 427-1236 or (318) 1487-6363. Today's Funerals Bates, Rev. Charles, of Natchitoches, 4 p.m., Westside Baptist Church.

Bernard, Sylvia, of Mansura, 1 p.m., St. Paul's Catholic Church. Bookman, Ruby, of Alexandria, 12 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church, Alexandria. Dyer, Mary Belle, of Oakdale, 2 p.m., Glenmora United Pentecostal Church. Eggins-Collins, Androna, of Alexandria, 12 p.m., The Pentecostals of Alexandria.

Humphries, Carl, of Pineville, 2 p.m., Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Pineville. Hyams, Robert, of Natchitoches, 11 a.m., Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home, Natchitoches. McMorris, Rev. Sidney, 11 a.m., Seale Funeral Home, Livingston.

Metoyer, Clotilde, of Cane River, 1 p.m., St. Augustine Catholic Church, Cane River. Miles, Herbert, 11 a.m., Mount Zion Baptist Church, Alexandria. Stoker, Martha, of Alexandria, 3 p.m., First Presbyterian Church in Alexandria. Angvie Edwards Prudhomme Angvie Edwards Prudhomme, age 90, of Natchitoches, died Friday, March 26, 2004 in Natchitoches Parish Hospital Long Term Care Unit.

Arrangements are under the direction of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home, Natchitoches. Charlotte Fay Normand Services for Charlotte Fay Normand will be at 10 a.m. Monday, March 29, 2004, in St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church with Fr.

Patrick Braquet officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul's Cemetery, Mansura under direction of Melancon Funeral Home, Bunkie. Ms. Normand, age 27, expired on Saturday, March 20, 2004, in Seattle, Washington.

She was a resident of Seattle and a former resident of Bunkie. Survivors include her parents Faye B. and John Marshall Normand of Bunkie; two brothers Blake Normand of Mansura and John F. Normand of London, England; one sister Rosemarie Bordelon of Bunkie; her birth mother Julieanne Banks of Shreveport and her beloved pet dog Visitation at Melancon Funeral Home from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m Sunday and 8 a.m.

until 9:30 a.m. Monday with a Christian Wake Service at the funeral home at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Manna House, P.O. Box 6011, Alexandria, LA 71307 or St.

Anthony Bereavement Fund, 406 S. Sewell, Bunkie, LA 71322. Lucinda Robinson Lucinda Robinson, of Alexandria, died Thursday, March 25, 2004 in Lexington House. Arrangements are under the direction of Gonzaque Funeral Home, Alexandria. Christopher Purdion Christopher Purdion, age 39, of Forest Hill, died Friday, March 26, 2004 in Forest Hill.

Arrangements are the direction of White Oaks Funeral, Home. Mr. Rueal Balthazar, age 78, of Natchitoches, LA' died in the presence of his family at Rapides Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, March 25, 2004. He was born July 02, 1925, in the city of Natchitoches, to the late Lawrence and Vivian Long Balthazar. Rueal served in the U.S.

Navy during WW II where he attained the rank of Seaman 1st Class. In June of 1955, he was united in marriage to Jimmie Lee Walker in Natchitoches Parish. They were married for 46 years. Mr. Balthazar held many positions while raising his family.

He started as a delivery driver for. Conant's Cleaners after military service and also drove a milk truck for the Bernard Dairy. He subsequently worked for over 36 years in the culinary arts, most notably as a Master Butcher at Ackel Brother's Store in Natchitoches Parish. Upon retirement, he provided custodial care for the Dimension Development Group. was a member of the Bayou Rod and Gun Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post He was an avid fisherman and supporter of local collegiate and high school athletic activities.

He was particularly fond of baseball which he enjoyed as a youth with many friends in the Natchitoches area. Mr. Balthazar is survived by his wife, Jimmie Lee, his son and his wife, Larry W. Balthazar, Leslie; his daughter and her husband, Emily Sue Balthazar and Morris Tillis; sons Ruben Walker and Otis James Walker. Eight grandchildren: Airman 1st Class Christopher M.

Tillis, Kristen G. Tillis, Larry W. Balthazar, Lance Balthazar, Robin Balthazar and Ashley Walker, all of Houston, Valencia Sarpy of Baton Rouge, LA and Nikita Presely of Atlanta, GA. one sister, Emily Balthazar Bunn, Las Vegas, NV, one aunt, Ola Long Metoyer of Natchitoches, LA. and cousins Nolan Jones, wife Yvonne Jones of Cane River.

He is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Eugene Balthazar and Lawrence Balthazar and two sisters, Sadie Balthazar Clark and Vera Kate Bernstein. Funeral services for Rueal Balthazar will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, March 29, 2004 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 704 Fifth Street in Natchitoches. The Reverend James A. Graham, pastor, will officiate.

Entombment will be in American Cemetery. Relatives and friends are welcome at the Winnfield Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA, on Sunday from 1 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and at the church, on Monday, from noon until the hour of services. We would like to thank all of the staff of the Rapides Regional Medical Center Emergency departments, Avoyelles Parish Hospital at Marksville and especially Dr.

Pilot, Dr. McClure Wood Didier and Pauline Ackel for their compassion and medical expertise. We also thank Mr. and Mrs. Sam FriedMr.

and Mrs. David Moore, Sharon Thomas, employees of Dimension Development and the entire Asbury United Methodist Church family for their encouragement and support. Vaudie Lee Kelly Services for Vaudie Lee Kelly will be held at Riser Funeral Home on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Denver McBroom officiating.

Burial will be Beech Creek Cemetery under the direction of Riser Funeral Home. Visitation will be Saturday, March 27, 2004 from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. in the funeral home. Mrs.

Kelly, age 83, of Olla, died Friday, March in Autumn Leaves Nursing Facility. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Olla and was a homemaker. Mrs. Kelly was the daughter of the late. Richard Meredith and Lillie Hodges Meredith.

Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Bessie Kelly of Olla; one son, Mr. Alton Kelly of Olla; one brother, Cecil Meredith of Olla; grandson Jason Williams and wife Courteny and their daughter Emilie of Greenbriar, Arkansas. Arrangements are being handled by Riser Funeral Home, 500 Hwy 165, Olla, LA. Hazel Barnes Sampite' Service for Hazel Barnes Sampite' will be held 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 28, 2004 in The Church of the Immaculate Conception with Rev. Stephen Scott Chemino officiating. Burial will be Memory Lawn Cemetery at' Natchitoches, La. under the direction of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home.

Visitation will be Saturday, March 27, 2004 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. with a rosary at- 6:30 p.m. in the funeral home. Mrs.

Sampite' was born November 26, 1937 and entered into eternal rest on Thursday, March 25, 2004, at Wilis-Knighton North Medical Center in Shreveport, La. She was a graduate of N. S. U. and was employed by Louisiana Office of Family Services until her retirement.

She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Delta Zeta, secretary from 1957-1959 and president 1959- 1960. She was preceded in death by her parents, Berton a Barnes and Margaret Cowan Barnes; brother, Arvel Barnes; sister, Patsy Haley. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Joe Sampite' of Natchitoches, three daughters, Sharon Sampite' of Natchitoches, Michaela 'Sampite' of Natchitoches, and Sheila Hardin and husband, Alan of Victorville, one son, Chris Sampite' and wife Daphne of Natchitoches, two sisters, Verna Wuster and husband Charles of Jonesville, La. and Margaret Pierson and husband Joe Natchitoches, one brother, Dwight Barnes and wife Laura of Natchez, brother-inlaw, Jimmy Haley of New Orleans, grandchildren, John VanHoof, Allison VanHoof, Michael Sampite, and Ryan Sampite.

The family request in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to: N. S. U. Foundation for the Hazel Barnes Sampite' Family and Consumer Sciences Scholarship Fund. Pallbearers will be Dr.

Robert Alost, Dr. Don Hatley, Randall Webb, Teddy Speir, Gary DeBlieux, Jerry Pierce, Lester Lee, and Tom Murchison, Sr. Rufus Curtis Broussard Retired Program Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture a resident of Alexandria, Louisiana, he died at noon Thursday, March 25, 2004, in Alexandria. He was a 93 and a native of Prairieville, Louisiana, and a U. S.

Army veteran of World War II. Visitation will be at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home on Jackson Street in Alexandria on Saturday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. with a Rosary and small Prayer Service at 7 p.m. conducted by Father Dan O'Connor.

Visitation at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Prairieville will be from 10 a.m. until the funeral Mass at 12 noon Monday, March 29, conducted by Father Jon Koehler. Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Camille Marie Blouin Broussard, Alexandria; two sons, Kevin Broussard of Alexandria, Virginia, and Keith Broussard of Sugar Land, Texas; three sisters, Magdaline Cowart of Albany; and Ruby Chaney both and Ganell Knippers, of Baton Rouge; four brothers, Pearlie Broussard of Prairieville, Louis Broussard of Gonzales, Oakley Broussard of Walker, and D. L.

Broussard of Baton Rouge; and three grandchildren, Gene, Kyle, and Jenny Broussard of Sugar Land; and a daughter Michelle Broussard, wife of Keith. He was a member of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or a charity of your in choice. Rev.

Charles Bates Service for Charles Bates will be held 4 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2004 in Westside Baptist Church with Rev. Jim Thomasee, Rev. Dwight Andre, Rev. Mike Honzell and Rev.

Ren Todtenbier officiating. Burial will be in Memory Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home. Visitation will be 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m.

in Westside Baptist Church at Natchitoches, La. Bro. Bates, 85, of Natchitoches, died Thursday, March 25, 2004, at Natchitoches Parish Hospital in Natchitoches, La. He was a native of Hanna, La. He was a Baptist Minister and retired letter Carrier in Natchitoches, La.

He pastored Westwind Baptist Church in Campti, La. Creston Baptist Church in Creston, and First Baptist Church in Provencal, La. and served as interim pastor of numerous other churches. He was a member of Westside Baptist Church. He was a veteran of World War II serving in U.

S. Army. He was preceded in death by his wife, Corrie Bates; parents, Robert Fleming Bates and Ollie Waters Bates; sister, Della Pardue; brothers, Walter Bates, C.D. "Deacon" Bates, and Ray Bates. He is survived by two daughters, Cathy Spurlock and husband Steve of Alexandria, La.

and Charlotte Mobley of Salem, Oregon; grandchildren Ashley Mobley, Scott Sprulock, and Emily Spurlock; two sisters, Laura Lavespere of Natchitoches, La. and Bobby Odom of French Settlement, La. Pallbearers will be Ed Stewart. J.W. Kelly, Norman Hicks, Wayne Walker, Dr.

G. E. Wetherington, David Richardson, Warren Massia, and Harold Faust. Honorary pallbearers will be the Senior Adult Men Sunday School Class and All Deacons of Westside Baptist Church. In Lieu of Flowers memorials may be made to The Women's Resource Center 107 North Street Natchitoches, La.

71457 or Westside Baptist Church. Angela D. Brezinski Brezinski, age 24, Thursday, March 25, 2004 as the result of an automobile accident. Arrangements to be announced by Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Pineville. Banned LSU frat to return BATON ROUGE (AP) A fraternity banned from Louisiana State University for the 1997 drinking death of a pledge is being allowed to bring a chapter back to the campus.

The university's interfraternity council gave Sigma Alpha Epsilon permission this week to start organizing. Full recognition could come by the SAE has had no presence on campus since LSU officials banished the fraternity in early 1998 following the August 1997 death Benjamin Wynne, 20, of Covington. Wynne was found to have a blood alcohol content several times the legal threshold for drunkenness following a fraternity party at an LSU area bar that closed in the fallout of Wynne's death and the hospitalization of three other pledges. Wynne's death sparked a wave of changes in rules of conduct for fraternities and sororities at LSU. Victor Felts, director of Greek Affairs for LSU, said a group of SAE fraternity members who transferred to LSU from other schools formed an interest group" last fall.

The fledgling chapter is made up of four students, said Adam Rich, who transferred from Louisiana Tech and acts as the group's president. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Three Cuban immigrants who survived a harrowing voyage to Florida lashed to rafts made with inner tubes said 10-foot swells and the lack of food and water nearly drained all their strength and hope. In hospital interviews Friday, the survivors said they lost all their food two days into the trip, which began March 18 from Jibacoa, Cuba, and were forced to drink their own urine. The wind played games with us.

A strong wind came and overturned the raft," William Villavicencio Perez, 31, said in Spanish. We lost everything that fell in the water. And we had only one oar." I was losing my grip in the final moments before I was found." he said, adding: had faith in God and that faith allowed me to be rescued." Villavicencio and Carlos Lazaro Bringier Hernandez, 38, were helped to shore by beachgoers Thursday as they approached the South Florida coastline. The same day, Milena Isabel Gonzalez Martinez, 37, was plucked from the ocean by a diver and a rescue helicopter. They were in stable condition Friday at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.

But five members of the group disappeared at different times during the trip; the Coast Guard ended the search for their bodies Friday. Gonzalez's, husband was the first to disappear, probably Tuesday, Bringier said. was acting normally, then all of a sudden he says, 'I'm So he jumped into the water," Bringier said. we noticed that he had really jumped, we had lost him behind a large wave." The group realized the sea had claimed its second victim woke and he was just not there," Bringier said. A decision was made to separate the raft into two, with the stronger members of the group Villavicencio, Bringier and a third man -using one of the rafts to row ahead and look for land or passing boats.

Company recalls diet supplement WASHINGTON (AP) A weak and tired, and may sufTexas company is recalling fer headaches and flu-like 1,600 bottles of a dietary sup- symptoms, including nausea plement sold nationwide after and diarrhea. In severe cases, receiving three reports that vitamin toxicity can lead to people who took the capsules a change in mental status or a were hospitalized, sick from coma. too much vitamin the gov- Solutions International ernment said Friday. Aloe Commodities Inc. of which sells the supplement, Carrollton, Texas, is asking received the three complaints consumers who bought bottles of illness within the past of Solutions IE Ageless month, the FDA said.

Formula II, with the lot num- The lot numbers appear on bers P2207 and P2221, to the bottom of the bottle. The return them to the stores FDA said consumers with where they bought them, the questions may call Mark Food and Drug Admin- McKnight, president of Aloe istration said. Commodities, at (972) 241-4251. The bottles contain much They also may call Brian more vitamin D3 than the Larson, president of labels show. The recalled botSolutions International, at (801) 785- tles were marked as containUnits in 4002.

ing 400 International each serving of six capsules, the FDA said, but instead On the Net: were found to have 188,640 Food and Drug Administration: International Units. http://www.fda.gov Someone who ingests too Aloe Commodities: much vitamin may feel http://www.aloeonline.com/ POLICE, FIRE Rapides Parish Jail Bookings on date listed. Arresting agency key: APD Alexandria Police Department; LSP Louisiana State Police, Troop RPSO Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. Arrests The following suspects were charged with felonies at Rapides Parish Jail. Names and addresses were provided by the Rapides Parish Jail.

March 25 Bayonne, Kimberly R. of Roscommon Drive, Alexandria; simple burglary; APD. Dorsey, Marcus Candel of Vance Avenue, Alexandria; entry of an inhabited dwelling, possession of CDS I with intent to distribute, possession of stolen goods less than $100, resisting an officer; APD. Kirk, Alfred James of Hickory Street, Lecompte; second-degree battery; RPSO. Pearson, Cynthia Louise of Colfax; unauthorized use more than APD.

Smothers, Derrick D. of KilKenny Street, Alexandria; second-degree battery; RPSO. Wallace, Thomas Kevin of Mansford Road, Pineville; issuing worthless checks $101- $500; RPSO. DWI's The following suspects were charged with driving while intoxicated. Names and addresses were provided by.

the Rapides Parish Jail and Louisiana State Police. March 23 Brumfield, Ricky P. of Espoir Drive, Leesville; DWI, improper lane usage; LSP. March 24 Edwards, Wanda G. of Daniels Road, Pineville; DWI, improper lane usage, possession, distribution, manufacture of CDS III; LSP.

Rachal, James of La: 127, Jena; DWI, speeding; LSP. Alexandria Fire Dept. March 25 Emergency medical run: 15 Theft charge dropped against victim's son PORT ALLEN (AP) The wife of abduction the son of victim an appar- has asked that a felony theft charge be dropped, prosecutors say. John Pritchett, the son of Mari Ann Fowler, was arrested in early March on a complaint of stealing a diamond ring. West Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Becky Chustz said Thursday that Sheila Pritchett dropped the complaint.

Officers had booked John Pritchett, 44, with a felony theft count. Chustz said Pritchett's former wife acted the advice of prosecutors. "She was a victim of a crime, and I think we can prove it," Chustz said. Fowler 1 is the victim of an apparent abduction on Christmas Eve 2002 on the outskirts of Port Allen. She has not been found.

Fowler is the wife of former state insurance commissioner Jerry Fowler, who is in federal prison. The St. Francisville Police Department also had booked Pritchett with illegal possession of stolen things, based on an allegation that he took the ring to St. Francisville to be altered. Authorities there said the case will be reviewed.

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