The Marksville Weekly News from Marksville, Louisiana • 2

ng 2, Section I. Thursday. September 24, 200, tit MKRLSMLLE WEEKLY NEWS Avoyelles historian Dr. Sue Lyles Eakin dies in Bunkie at age 90 Louisiana Farm Festival moved from March to May Alexandria Daily Town Talk, the Opelousas Daily World, and the Sew Orleans Tunes-Picayune. She as preceded in death by her husband and a son, Russell Lyles Eakin.

She is survived by four children. Dr. Paul M. (Scottye) Eakin of Lexington. Kentucky; Dr.

Sara Eakin (Stephen) Kuhn of Signal Mountain. Tennessee; Sam (Joan) Eakin of Gaffney, South Carolina; and Frank (Jan) Eakin of The Woodlands, Texas. In addition, surviving her are grandchildren Dr. Guy (Michelle) Eakin. Libby Eakin, Dr.

Susan (Jonathan) Blank, Gretchen (Jason) Burgess, Walter Kuhn. John-Paul Kuhn, Kate Eakin, Kelly Eakin, Hudson Eakin, Amanda Eakin, and Paul Eakin; and six great-grandchildren. Her si sisters survive her: Mrs. Betty McGowen of Alexandria. Mrs.

Manie Culbertson of Alexandria, Mrs. JoAnn (Paul) White of Alexandria, Mrs. Grace (Ken) Uffman of Baton Rouge. Mrs. Nancy Durham of Wallis, Texas and Mrs.

Kitty (Gerry) Coleman of Laguna Niguel, California. Numerous nephews and nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces, and cousins also celebrate her memory. People may sign the guest book and offer online condolences to the Eakin family at authored with Norma nd Ferachi with the photography by her husband; and An Illustrated History of Rapides Parish. She wrote the history of central Louisiana for both the 1958 Sesquicentennial Edition and the 1983 two volume edition of The Centennial Album of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk. She is the author with her sister.

Manic Culbertson, of the Louisiana history textbook, Louisiana: The Land and Its People. Though she retired as a professor, she didn't stop writing history or weekly newspaper columns until her health prevented her from continuing. She was bom as Myrtle Sue Lyles on December 7, 1 9 18 in Lyles (Loy Bridge), which is just north of Chenyeville. Her parents were the late Samuel Pickets Lyles and Mary Myrtle Guy. The Lyles family was prominent in the history of the Bayou Boeuf area.

Her mother was descended from the Keller family of Mississippi, and the Pickles family originally of Virginia, who migrated to settle in antebellum Avoyelles Parish. She graduated from Lecompte High School and Louisiana State University, marrying Paul Mechlin Eakin of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1941. They made their home in Bunkie, where Mrs. Eakin worked as a professional freelance journalist and regular columnist for the donations. Gormson wouldn't allow the donation request to be added to the agenda.

This time, the item was added to the agenda. Lemoine explained the school is a public school and they are seeking donations for garden equipment to be used by the kindergarten class. The Moreauville Milage Council unanimously approved a S50 donation for the equipment Gormson asked the council if any school asking for a donation could approach the council. Mayor Bordelon replied all requests ould be considered. In a separate issue, Lemoine complimented the council on the resurfacing of Couvillion Street "Y'all did a good job on the road," Lemoine expressed.

Lemoine did say the road does have a "wash-board" effect, but cautioned against use of additional heavy machinery which may do more harm than good. Lemoine's requested the village consider removing loose gravel from the roadside to help hen cutting grass in yards. The council renewed the tax millage for 2009 at the same current rate of 4.82 mills. The council also approved an adjustment to the sewer portion of a resident's watersewer bill after a water leak was detected underneath her house steps. Councilman Kenneth Farbe stated the resident is responsible for the ateT bill, but a three month average ould be used to compute her portion of the sewer bill.

By TERRY LABORDE The Moreauville Milage Council met cm Monday. September 14 and one issue at hand as changing the month in which the 2010 Louisiana Farm Festival would he held. Councilman Reginald Ducote's rationale tor changing the date from March to May was to have warmer weather. Ducote' explained past festivals had been hampered by cold weather and rain in the month or March Ducote went on stating although there was nothing to be done about rain, warmer weather should enhance participation. Ducote.

ho is chairman of the festival, also saiJ Father Marc Noel ai Sacred Heart Catholic Church had expressed concern about the camiul atmosphere so near Easter. The new proposed date for the festival was Thursday. May 13 through Saturday May 15. following the Man sura Cochon de Lait Festival. Because the item was not on the agenda.

Ducote requested permission to add the farm festival issue to the agenda. Earlier in the meeting, after a discussion by Penn Lemoine. the council had added a donation request to A oyelles Public Charter School to the agenda. Last month. Moreauville resident Eric Gcrmson had objected to bringing the donation issue up after Mayor Lionel Bordelon requested adding it to the agenda.

The mayor had a letter from the Avoyelles Public Charter School seeking doing research for her many historical projects. Her doctorate in History as earned at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1980 at the age of 60. Honors include a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in 1972 when she traveled the South interviewing people asking the question. "What makes the South different?" and becoming a Fellow of the AAUQW in 1985 when she spent a year doing research on outstanding Blacks of Louisiana. Dr.

Eakin was recognized over her professional career with many grants, awards and honors, including 1970 Outstanding American History Professor of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Distinguished Faculty of the LSU System in 1987. 1985 Citizen of the Year by Bunkie Rotary Club, 1980 Distinguished Artist of Avoyelles Parish, grand marshal of the Festivale du Courtableau in 1995, and 2001 membership in the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame. She as honored as a author-historian at the 1977 Avoyelles Festival of Arts and Artists. One of her most important works is Twelve Years a Slave. 1841-1853 by Solomon Northup which she co-edited with Joseph Logsdon of the University of New Orleans.

The story was of a free black man who was kidnapped in New York and was brought against his will to New Orleans where he was auctioned off as a slave into the Rapides and Avoyelles parishes area. He was eventually freed at the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse. His twelve years were recorded in a book and Dr. Eakin documented his work. The book led to musical plays as well as a television movie broadcast nationally on PBS.

The story is acclaimed by authorities to be one of the most accurate insights into slavery in the South. Dr. Eakin also authored and edited Avoyelles Crossroads with La Commission des Avoyelles, an organization which she co-founded. She has been active in historical preservation and has coordinated numerous workshops, panels, tours, and speeches promoting the rich history of the state, as well as Avoyelles. Among her other books are Vanishing Louisiana which she co- Moreauville turns unpaid bills over to collection agency ators, and communication equipment The grant is available due to the aftermath of hurricanes Gustav and Ike last ear.

The council went into executive session for eight minutes and returned to appoint Mike Dufour as the new WaterSewer Operator for the Village of Moreauville. Councilman Farbe abstained from the complete issue the appointment of Dufour. Family and friends pay their last respects to Dr. Sue Lyles Eakin at Trinity Episcopal Church in Cheneyville on Monday. Dr.

Eakin was laid to rest in the church cemetery next to her husband. The Rev. P. Donald White (in white) a nephew of Dr. Eakin, led the serv ice.

Dr. Sue Lyles Eakin, professor, historian and author, died Thursday, September 17, 2009. at her home in Bunkie. She was 90 years old. Dr.

Eakin was one of the most respected nonfktion writers in the stale. Her works have preserved Louisiana history- in book form from school text books to local histories, including several concerning Dr. Sue Ly les Eakin Avoyelles Parish. She also was a popular weekly columnist for the Bunkie Record, a newspaper which she and her husband themselves once published from 1957 to 1959. Funeral services were held at 1 1 a.m.

on Monday, September 21, 2009 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Cheneyville. Burial was in the church cemetery under the direction of Melancon Funeral Home. Dr. Eakin retired from LSU-Alexandria where she was professor of history and that year received the LSU Foundation Distinguished Faculty Award, one of five in the Louisiana State University system. In the 1950s while working as a free-lance journalist she wrote and photographed the North St Landry Parish area for the Opelousas Daily World, writing a column "Bunkie Main Street" She contributed to the papers "History of St.

Landry Parish" edited by Ruth Fontenot in 1955. She returned to LSU graduate school in 1962 under a fellowship awarded by the American Association of University Women, receiving a master's degree in History in 1964 and in Journalism in 1965. She then began her teaching career at LSU-Alexandria, also kfhlzJ-hisiD1 b9 1 HWO aDWCt Ui I i i i i aji i ill 35 A3 SfflJOCL united states Stilfntrt of Ownership, Managtmmt, and Circuit lion postal service 1" PeriodteaH Publications Except Rxymttr Publications) 3ca a tea a rw tM satwm to; I WANT Qi FOR MY MS MS tasks 170 CHAIN SAW i99 14 bar 179! THIS TIME -iifr- IE Ilk Yf Designed for occasional wood-cutting around the home After a short discussion, the Moreauville Village Council voted unanimously to tum over an extensive list of outstanding "uncol-lectibles" to a collection agency. The council took the action during its monthly meeting on Monday, September 14. Moreauville Mayor Lionel Bordelon estimated the sum of the bills listed as to up to $5,000 with the individual bills ranging from $8 to SI.

105.22. In other items, Mayor Bordelon as proud to announce the advancement to automation by the recent acquisition of "hand-held meter reading devices." John Guidroz explained the data from the water and gas meters will be entered directly into the portable units and then the data will be dumped into the new computer which will generate the bills. Councilman Kenneth Farbe explained the plans for this year's Halloween night on October 31. 'The kids will go booth to booth around the Avoyelles High Walking Track from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

"We hope this will keep tlie kids off the streets." Farbe explained. "Halfway around, the kids will be able to use a ticket given to them at the beginning for a hot dog. Candy and treats will be provided at the booths around the track. This has worked wonders in Mansura. It's a safer way for the kids." Farbe continued his explanation saying there would be no cost to the town and police officers would be on patrol.

Farbe did add parents would still have the option to continue traditional house-to-house trick or treating. Farbe publicly thanked Paragon Casino for a S7(X) donation to the Moreauville Police Department. The funds will go toward the purchase of training equipment for CPR and AED certification for anyone interested in being trained. Moreauville Police Chief Scott Lemoine is a certified instructor. Councilman Reginald Ducote and Ken Malveaux were appointed by the mayor to a Plaucheville Elementary School Advisory Council to express the views of the community in regard to a $5 million renovation project planned by the Avoyelles Parish School Board.

Councilman Oscar Goody requested the repair of holes in culverts in the village restricting drainage. Mayor Bordelon announced that Centurytel will change to Century Link providing additional services. The mayor informed the council of the possibility to apply for a portion of a $30 million grant to purchase material such as tools, gener -Tl. vo-k 1 ft Mcflyc Iff a-y la ism iaaiaml-WKtfwtwi (J ft 'I '-m 3ati Pit a i -wr wgww jqtJ a Hi ii 0369! 1 Our 290 ST1HL FARM BOSS 199 16" bar 1 selling cnain saw model J70 VALUE! With purchase of MS290STIHIFAHM BOSS Chain Saw OVER A Offer through 11109 Promotion only available in store at participating dealers while supplies last. Free chain loop corresponds with bar length of chain saw purchased.

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