Saidee Watson Newell

Funeral services for Mrs. Saidee Watson Newell, 70, of Natchitoches, LA will be held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, March 28 at 10:00am. The services will be followed by the burial in the Catholic Cemetery in Natchitoches. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 27 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at the Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. A Rosary will follow at 7:00pm. Saidee was born in Natchitoches on August 10, 1937 and attended Tulane University in New Orleans. She spent time in Boston, Maryland, New Orleans, and Houston before relocating permanently "home" to Natchitoches in 1987. For many years, she has worked tirelessly on many historic preservation projects both in Natchitoches, and across Louisiana and the country. Saidee passed away peacefully on March 23, 2008. She was preceded in death by her father, Arthur Chopin Watson, of Natchitoches, LA, and her mother, Marion Eugenia "Gene" Watson, of Colfax, LA. She is survived by her son, Arthur Watson Newell and his wife, Pamela Lynn; her daughter, Emily Marie Feiner and her husband Robert "Bob" Feiner; as well as her sisters, Marion Watson Bienvenu and her husband Oscar Joseph "Joe" Bienvenu, II, and Eugenie Chopin of Johannesburg, South Africa; and five grandchildren, Ashley, Brandon, and Connor Newell of Houston, and Austin and Jacob Feiner of Austin, TX. Saidee is also survived by her devoted housekeeper and long-time friend, Mary Casson.  Pallbearers will be Bill Crews, Ed Dranguet, James Durham, John Geiser III, Steve Horton, Chris Maggio, Hunter Mulligan, and Shaun Steckler. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Bob Key and Tom Murchison.  Saidee's contributions to Natchitoches and Louisiana include serving as Chairman for the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN), President of the Louisiana Preservation Alliance (LPA), Co-Chair on the Cane River National Heritage Area Commission, Secretary of the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, Vice President of the Northwestern State University Foundation, as well as earning a long list of awards, honors, and recognition for her work in all of these areas. Most recently, Saidee was one of the recipients of the first ever Mayor's Awards as a "Natchitoches Treasure" for her selfless devotion and hard work to the city of Natchitoches. The family requests that donations be made to the Campaign for Capital Contribution to the "St. Mary's School" and sent to Attn: Mr. Alan J. Powers, Principal at 1101 E. 5th St, Natchitoches, LA 71457.