By Lenonard Gray-Staff Reporter

St. John the Baptist Parish

BRAXTON

RESERVE – Eddie Braxton, 65, a native of Central and resident of LaPlace, died Oct. 17. He was the husband of Earline Braxton and father of Cynthia Cook, Marlene Williams, Ezekiel, Robin and Severa Joseph.

He ws also the son of the late Danny and Cecilia McNeal Braxton, and brother of Freddie Braxton.

He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services were Oct. 23 at New Rescue Mission Baptist Church, Reserve, with interment at Zion Travelers Cemetery, Lions.

BUSH

RIVER RIDGE – George Bush, 75, a native of Amite and resident of St. Rose for 33 years, died Oct. 15. He was the husband of Mildred Netter Bush and father of LeRoy Nicholson Sr. and Anita Bush.

He was also the brother of Eva McKnight.

He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

He was a retired employee of the Jefferson Parish Drainage Department.

Services were Oct. 24 in the chapel of Richardson Funeral Home, River Ridge, with interment at Jefferson Memorial Gardens, St. Rose.

CLEVELAND

HAHNVILLE – John H. “Admiral” “Skeeze” Cleveland, 80, a native and resident of Hahnville, died Oct. 21. He was the son of the late George Sr. and Lucy Keller Cleveland, and brother of Marguerite Landeche and Lucy Duhe, and the late George Jr., James and Robert Cleveland.

He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and a Purple Heart recipient. He was also a member of VFW Post 131 and a retired Shell Oil employee.

Services were Oct. 24 at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Hahnville, with interment at the church cemetery, Taft.

COMARDELLE

DES ALLEMANDS – Philip A. Comardelle, 46, a native and resident of Des Allemands, died Oct. 19. He was the son of Ethel Adams Comardelle, and the late Clifton Comardelle, and brother of Ruby Hackman and Wayne Comardelle.

Services were Oct. 22 at Des Allemands Mennonite Church.

DUMAS

VACHERIE – Bernard “Track-Down” Dumas, 73, a native and resident of Vacherie, died Oct. 16. He was the husband of Esther Saul Dumas and father of Trudy Steib, Myra Allen, Geralyn Banford, Stacey Efird, Andrea, Bernard Jr., Dwight Sr., Mark and Terrance Dumas.

He was also the son of the late Elphege and Eva Lewis Dumas, and brother of Priscilla Gros, Velma Calloway, Cecilie Esteen, Helen Jeffery, Lois Batiste, and the late Eva James, Maude Lemieux, Essie Thornton, Mildred, Eddie, Claude and Ralph Dumas.

He is also survived by nine grandchildren.

He was a crane operator at Avondale Shipyard.

Services were Oct. 22 at St. Philip Catholic Church, Vacherie, with interment at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Cemetry, South Vacherie.

GAUTHREAUX

LAPLACE – Marguerite S. Haydel Gauthreaux, 87, a native of Vacherie and resident of Reserve for 70 years, died Oct. 21. She was the wife by first marriage of the late Lawrence Haydel and by second marriage of Eddie Gauthreaux, mother of Kathy Hauk, Trent Haydel, and the late Billy Haydel.

She was also the daughter of the late Flagile and Anita Schexnayder, and sister of Alma LeBlanc, Thelma Boe and Nolan Schexnayder, and the late Dorothy Chauvin, Mable Stein, Walter, Flagile “Butch,” Claude, Norbert, Herman and Larry Schexnayder.

She is also survived by three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Services were Oct. 23 in the chapel of Millet-Guidry Funeral Home, LaPlace, with interment at St. Peter Catholic Cemetery, Reserve.

GRAVOIS

METAIRIE – Wilfred Jean Gravois Sr., 84, a native of Vacherie and resident of New Orleans, died Oct. 21. He was the husband of 60 years of the late Margaret Estrade Gravois, and father of Margaret Holwill, Jean Thibodeaux and Wilfred “Bill” Gravois Jr.

He was also the son of the late L. Theodore and Clothilde Rodrigue Gravois, and brother of Theodore Gravois.

He is also survived by three grandchildren.

Services were Oct. 24 in the chapel of Lake Lawn Funeral Home, Metairie, with interment at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, South Vacherie.

MELANCON

PAULINA – Priscilla Louque “Prissy” Melancon, 73, a native and resident of Paulina, died Oct. 19. She was the wife of J. Edgar Melancon Sr. and mother of Cynthia Brignac, DoraLisa Jarreau, Desirie Sander, Wyade, Garrett Sr., Jason and Joy Melancon, and the late James E. Melancon Jr.

She was also the daughter of the late Carlo and Emiliana Deslattes Louque, and sister of Earline Von Hassel, Tracy Poche, Bernice, Hudson and Melvin Louque, and the late Herman, Sherman, Murphy, Garfield, Logan and Percy Louque.

She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by one grandchild.

Services were Oct. 22 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Paulina, with interment at the church mausoleum.

PATTERSON

NEW SARPY – Leona D. “Toot” Patterson, 69, a native and resident of New Sarpy, died Oct. 15. She was the wife by first marriage of Walter Patterson Jr. and mother of Shelia Smith and Floyd Patterson.

She was also the daughter of the late Isiah and Leona Phillip Douglas, and sister of Willie Lee Miller, Grace Lewis, Mary Joseph, “Lou” Ethel Mae Douglas, Roosevelt and Isiah Douglas Jr. and Cardell Short, and the late Walter Patterson Jr.

She is also survived by seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was a retired cafeteria technician and housekeeper for Barry Landry and Chaisson and Chaisson law firms.

Services were Oct. 22 at St. Matthew Baptist Church, New Sarpy, with interment at New Sarpy Cemetery.

PULLEN

LAPLACE – Babalin D. Pullen, 52, a native of Chalmette and resident of LaPlace, died Oct. 23. She was the mother of Trista Pullen.

She is also survived by grandchildren Nicolas Pullen and Christian Bychurch.

She was employed at A Storage Inn.

In lieu of flowers, a college fund has been established at Bank One for her grandchildren.

Services arrangements are incomplete. Buriel will be at Greenwood Cemetery.

STEIB

SOUTH VACHERIE – Joyce Schexnayder Steib, 72, a native and resident of Vacherie, died Oct. 19. She was the wife of the late Marion Steib Sr., and mother of Geralyn Millet, Simone Hamilton, Nettie Amedee, William, Lucien, Stephen, Damian and Marion Steib Jr.

She was also the daughter of the late Claude Sr. and Simone Webre Schexnayder.

Services were Oct. 21 at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, South Vacherie, with interment at the church cemetery.