Margaret Whiteside Ackel

Funeral services will be held at 10 A.M. Tuesday, August 24, 2010, for Margaret Whiteside Ackel of Natchitoches. Mrs. Ackel died Sunday, August 22, 2010 at the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center after a lengthy illness. She was 82 years of age. Dr. Tommy Rush will conduct funeral services in the Chapel of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home of Natchitoches. Mrs. Ackel’s nephew, Father Craig Scott, of Alexandria, will assist. The family will welcome visitors at Blanchard St. Denis from 5 PM – 7 PM on Monday, August 23, 2010. Mrs. Ackel was born in Bernice, Louisiana on March 6, 1928. She attended Northwestern State College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Vocational Home Economics. She was the first graduate student to earn a Master’s Degree in Home Economics from NSC. She began her teaching career at Marthaville High School. She was also the first teacher of the NSC Nursery School, now known as the Dr. Marie Dunn NSU Child Development Center. She retired from NSU in 1984 as an associate professor of Home Economics. Through her years at Northwestern her generous nature touched many lives of students and brought to many a love of family, home, decorating and entertaining. She was a member of The First Baptist Church of Natchitoches, and was a member of Chapter AG of the P.E.O. Sisterhood since 1963. She later was also a member of Chapter AU in Natchitoches. She was also a long-time member of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches. Her love for restoration and preservation was evidenced in 1982 as she, along with her children, restored the oldest brick house in Natchitoches. She renamed the structure The William and Mary Ackel House. Mrs. Ackel loved beautiful flowers and enjoyed flower arranging, cooking, and preparing meals for her family, and anyone else that was present at meal time. The epitome of the true Southern lady, she authored a cookbook in honor of her children, with recipes and dishes created by herself and her mother. She is preceded in death by her husband, William (Bill) Andrew Ackel; her father, Louis Perry Whiteside; and her mother, Velma Key Whiteside. She is survived by, and will be greatly missed by her two devoted children, William Whiteside Ackel, and Mary Ackel Odom, both of Natchitoches. She is also survived by her only grandchild, and the light of her life, Mary Catherine Ackel, also of Natchitoches. The family would like to thank those that cared for Mrs. Ackel in her last year of illness, especially Farrah, Jackie, Glenda, Essie, Joyce, and her physician, Dr. Kathleen Kautz. Their care, concern and affection for Mrs. Ackel is deeply appreciated. The family also owes a deep debt of gratitude to family friend and Margaret’s adopted daughter, Rebecca Wood, of Ft. Worth. Your kindness and generosity will forever be remembered. Pallbearers for Mrs. Ackel’s services will be Hall Adams, Jarrod Cox, Dr. Jerry Ferguson, Brad Ferguson, Philip Ackel and John Ackel. Burial will be in the Bernice Cemetery in Bernice, Louisiana. The family has also established the Margaret Whiteside Ackel Scholarship Fund, to benefit a deserving Family and Consumer Science major at NSU. Donations may be made to the NSU Alumni Center, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497, in her memory.