In Loving Memory. October-December 2024

October-December, 2023

Memory IN LOVING

OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE TRIBUTE FEATURE

During a family's time of sorrow, we want to reflect on the lives of those who have recently passed.

The American Press offers a special quarterly feature to commemorate and honor those we have lost in our community.

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REMEMBER ME

Don't remember me with sadness, Don't remember me with tears, Remember all the laughter, We've shared throughout the years. Now I am contented

That my life is was worthwhile, Knowing that I passed along the way I made somebody smile. When you are walking down the street And you've got me on your mind, I'm walking in your footsteps Only half a step behind. So please don't be unhappy Just because I'm out of sight, Remember that I'm with you Each morning, noon, and night.

Curating Community & Comfort

Almost 14 years ago, Funeral Director and Owner Kelli Brown Johnson and her husband, Joe, founded Johnson and Brown Funeral Home in Iowa. Today, they have nurtured not only an integral community institution, but a family.

She originally was in the banking and insurance business, but found herself wanting to find new avenues to provide for people.

“I felt like there was more that could be done, that I could serve better in some other capacity.”

When she found out that the funeral home in DeRidder that her brother worked at had an opening for an office manager, she jumped

Johnson and Brown Funeral Home is the first funeral home in Iowa. The Johnson’s chose the location because it is an ideal central location that connects it to many of the surrounding areas - Lake Charles, Welsh, Bell City, Kinder, Fenton, Hayes, Woodlawn, to name a few. They even have people from Cameron Parish come to Iowa for funeral services. Johnson said that they attribute their wide clientele reach to not only their location, but also their personalized and hands-on service. “It’s the way we interact with our families, the way we interact with them on visitations. It’s a continual flow of meeting with the family at arrangement time to the final goodbye at the cemetery. We stay involved and we stay connected with the family throughout the entire process.”

The formality of a funeral service can be daunting, so the Johnson and Brown team takes a personal approach to put those that walk through the funeral

their shoes. … They’re at their most vulnerable, and we are very sensitive to that.” The job is demanding, but the sacrifice is

Combined, they have over 130 years of experience in the funeral service field. They all agree, the work is rewarding, humbling and satisfying. From early mornings to late nights to sensitive situations, the unique experiences that they share have created a family within a family that is housed in Johnson and Brown, she said. “It’s a lot of missed holidays with our own personal families, a lot of missed birthdays, a lot of missed weddings. … As with any relationship, it ebbs and flows. When one is feeling weak, the other is strong. We can just look at each other and know what needs to be done without even speaking.”

Johnson said that working in funeral services is a “path that chooses you.” This inherent desire to help people during a difficult and sensitive moment in their lives unties the Johnson and Brown team. Together, they are able to support those that use their services. “We’ve all experienced loss in our lives, and so when we meet with families, we can bring our personal experience to the tables and put ourselves in

Through their efforts to curate a community-driven and comforting feeling of home during funeral services, Johnson and Brown has become more than a funeral home. It is a community touchstone for many locals. “We see families at their lowest, and yet we get invited to their birthday celebrations, weddings, community gatherings. There is just this sense of family. That’s why we do what we do, we love serving others. It’s more of a ministry for us.” They provide more than just funeral services. They help sponsor local sports teams, support community events and provide for the local senior center.

Being deeply integrated into a small town’s community makes a significant difference. Ninety-five percent of the people that walk through that door know at least one of the Johnson & Brown team members. Sometimes, people even stop by in the morning for just a cup of coffee.

“Our doors and hearts are always open.”

Kelli Brown

Why Place An Obituary?

1) To pay tribute to your loved one. Everyone has a unique life story that should be told and preserved. Your loved one’s obituary should include what made their life special -- hobbies, favorite foods, sports, work history, or any other accomplishment that made them stand out.

2) Sharing your loss with the community. The community should know that one of your loved ones has passed away. They might have known them and would like to share in your grief, reach out with condolences, prayers, offers of help, or tell you a story about your loved one that you didn’t know.

3) Help with the grieving process. Remembrance is an important part of grieving. Recounting that person’s history and remembering why that person was important to you and others will help you to get through a difficult time.

4) History. Your loved one is a part of history. Future generations may want to know more about that person and their history. The American Press has been in the SWLA community for more than 125 years and is the local resource for learning about individuals residing in this area.

Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room I am I and you are you

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me in the easy way which you always used

Put no difference in your tone,

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was, Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, Just around the corner.

All is well.

-Henry Scott Holland

She’s in the Sun, the Wind, the Rain

She’s in the sun, the wind, the rain, she’s in the air you breathe with every breath you take.

She sings a song of hope and cheer, there’s no more pain, no more fear.

You’ll see her in the clouds above, hear her whisper words of love, you’ll be together before long, until then, listen for her song.

-Christy Ann Martine

In Memoriam

For a second you were flying

Like you always wanted to

Now you’ll fly forever

In skies of azure blue

James Vickers

71 10/03/2023

Johnson Funeral Home

We’ll see your smile in every ray

Of sunshine after rain

And hear the echo of your laughter

Over all the pain

The world’s a little quieter now

The colours have lost their hue

The birds are singing softly

And our hearts are missing you

Each time we see a little cloud

Or a rainbow soaring high

We’ll think of you and gently

Wipe a tear from our eye.

To create a special commemorative keepsake on Birthdays, Passing Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Grandparent’s Day to share with friends & family

We’re sending a dove to heaven, with a parcel on its wings. Be careful when you open it, it’s full of special things. Inside are a million kisses, wrapped up in a million hugs, to say how much we miss you and to send you birthday love! A piece of us left with you, the day you went away! We miss and love you more than you could ever know Mom!

6th Year in Heaven

March 5, 1943 ~ April 20, 2013

We thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new. We thought about you yesterday, and days before that too. Now all we have are memories, and your picture in a frame. Your memory is our keepsakes, with which we’ll never part. God has you in his keeping, we have you in our hearts. Kiera, Glen Jr, Greg, Debra and Kelly

Glen, (Strings)Sr

Love, Sammy, Crystal, and Mitch

Your First Birthday in Heaven

Judy Smith 2/12/64 ~ 6/17/19

We would like to thank and recognize We would like to thank and recognize our funeral home partners our funeral home partners

ARDOIN FUNERAL HOME • 337-738-2526

ARDOIN FUNERAL HOME • 337-738-2526

CHADDICK FUNERAL HOME

337-460-5945

CHADDICK FUNERAL HOME • 337-460-5945

COMBRE FUNERAL HOME

COMBRE FUNERAL HOME

FONDEL FUNERAL HOME

FONDEL FUNERAL HOME

HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME

HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME

337-436-3341

337-436-3341

337-433-1707

337-433-1707

337-214-4443

337-214-4443

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (LAKE CHARLES) • 337-439-2446

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (LAKE CHARLES) • 337-439-2446

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (MOSS BLUFF)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (MOSS BLUFF)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (SULPHUR)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (SULPHUR)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (WELSH)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (WELSH)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (WESTLAKE)

HIXSON FUNERAL HOME (WESTLAKE)

337-855-2929

337-855-2929

337-625-9171

337-625-9171

337-734-2111

337-734-2111

337-436-5507

337-436-5507

HIXSON-SNIDER FUNERAL HOME (DEQUINCY)

HIXSON-SNIDER FUNERAL HOME (DEQUINCY)

JAMES FUNERAL HOME

JAMES FUNERAL HOME

JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME

JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME

337-786-6000

337-786-6000

337-439-4173

337-439-4173

337-478-8687

337-478-8687

JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME OF MOSS BLUFF

JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME OF MOSS BLUFF

JOHNSON & BROWN FUNERAL HOME

JOHNSON & BROWN FUNERAL HOME

JOHNSON & ROBISON FUNERAL HOME

JOHNSON & ROBISON FUNERAL HOME

KINGS FUNERAL HOME

KINGS FUNERAL HOME

MIGUEZ FUNERAL HOME

MIGUEZ FUNERAL HOME

337-426-8006

337-426-8006

337-582-2291

337-582-2291

337-528-0240

337-528-0240

337-439-7729

337-439-7729

337-824-1862

337-824-1862

LABBY MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME

337-463-7428

LABBY MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME • 337-463-7428

LAKESIDE FUNERAL HOME

LAKESIDE FUNERAL HOME

337-656-2628

337-656-2628

MATTHEWS & SON FUNERAL HOME

MATTHEWS & SON FUNERAL HOME

337-824-4420

REED FUNERAL HOME

REED FUNERAL HOME

RILEY SMITH FUNERAL HOME

RILEY SMITH FUNERAL HOME

RUSH FUNERAL HOME

RUSH FUNERAL HOME