Funeral Card Friday: Louise Benson Lasiter

Funeral Card of Louise Lasiter, Fort Smith, AR - Privately held by Ginger R. Smith, September 2009.

This is the Funeral Card of my Great-Grandmother Louise Benson Lasiter.  The card reads as follows:

In Memory of
Louise Lasiter

Born
January 1, 1912
Avant, Oklahoma

Departed this life
December 27, 1996
Fort Smith, Arkansas

Services
Fentress Mortuary Chapel
Tuesday, December 31, 1996
10:00 A.M.

Officiating
The Reverend Andy Allen

Interment
Forest Park Cemetery
Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fentress Mortuary
Fort Smith, Arkansas

Louise was buried beside her husband, James Putman "Put" Lasiter in Forest Park Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  He had died about 22 years earlier in 1974 and had a double headstone placed on the plot he purchased for he and his wife.  Here is a picture of their headstone that I highlighted in a Tombstone Tuesday post.  James' Putman family was also buried in this cemetery, however James and Louise were not buried with them, probably because the family plot had already been filled. Check out this huge stone marker his Putman family had placed at the site of their family plot. James and Louise weren't buried too far away from his family plot though. Click here and here to see photos of James' Grandparents, Thomas A Putman and Martha Ward Putman's, grave markers that I highlighted in previous Tombstone Tuesday posts.

As you can see, my Great-Grandmother, Louise Lasiter, died shortly after Christmas.  I wasn’t able to visit with the family that Christmas, but my Mother had made the trip.  I do not remember if Louise had been hospitalized during the Christmas holiday or not, but I believe so.  My Mother got to spend some time with her before she passed, which was good because they were close. Unfortunately, Louise passed away as my Mother was making the 15 hour drive back home to Atlanta.  Needless to say, she had to turn around and go back.  This time I think she flew.  I didn’t go to the funeral either.  I had never been to a funeral and I still wasn’t ready to go to one either.  The last visit I had with Louise was about 5 years earlier in 1992. 

I’ve written about my Great-Grandparents in previous posts.  Here is a post from Wordless Wednesday with pictures of them shortly after they were married and about 40 years later.  And my favorite is a 5-generation picture taken when I was born of me, my Mother, my Grandmother, Great-Grandmother Louise, and her Mother, Grandma Benson (Eva Dennis Benson).

This post is part of a Monthly First Friday blogging theme called Funeral Card Friday suggested by Dee Akard Welborn. Dee encourages geneabloggers to highlight our funeral card collections on the first Friday of each month. You can join the fun on Facebook here as well!