Lester Holland

Lester Lambert Holland, age 82, of Provencal, LA, passed away Wednesday, July 4, 2007, at his home after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born in 1924 in Vowells Mill and resided in Natchitoches Parish his whole life. He served in the Navy during World War II on the USS Holland, a submarine tender. After the war, he attended Northwestern State College where he received a Masters Plus 30. Mr. Holland taught high school for 10 years and later served on the school board for 28 years in the Natchitoches Parish School System where he served as president for several terms. He was an insurance agent for State Farm for 33 years. Mr. Holland loved to garden and fish. He was very fond of his family and lived to please them. He was also a Deacon at the Vowells Mill Baptist Church in his early years. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Holland and Annie Foshee Holland; two sons, Duane and Gregory Holland; one daughter, Charlene Holland; one sister, Lola Pitts; and one brother, Lois Holland. He is also survived by his wife Pat Holland; one daughter, Cheryl Shivers and husband Lawney of Provencal, LA; four grandchildren, Tanya Holland, Sonya Grigg, Lawna Afong, and Shaun Shivers; six great-grandchildren, Chase Durr, Forrest Grigg, Adrian Grigg, Cheyenne Grigg, Abigail Afong, and Cary Light; a daughter-in-law, Sandra Holland; two sisters, Laverne Sharp of Austin, TX and Lois Craig of Vowells Mill, LA; and one brother, Leroy Holland of Lake Jackson, TX. Arrangements are being handled by Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Friday, July 6, 2007. The funeral service will be held at Bellwood Baptist Church at 10:00 AM Saturday, July 7, 2007 , with Rev. Larry Vaughn officiating. Interment will be at Bellwood Cemetery in Bellwood, LA.