Mary Anne Erwin Giering

A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Mary Anne Erwin Giering will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Principal celebrant will be Rev. Derek Ducote, with concelebrants Rev. Blake Deshautelle, and Rev. John Cunningham (who married Anne and Ed and blessed their marriage on their 50th Anniversary). Burial will follow at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 16 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be at 7:00 p.m. An angel, wife and mother who brought grace and love to every life she touched, Anne passed away in her home surrounded by her family on Saturday, March 12, 2022, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on November 18, 1945 in Lake Providence, Louisiana, to William Joseph Erwin Sr. and Frances Nelle Avery Erwin. After graduating from Lake Providence High School in 1963, she attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute and Northeast Louisiana State College and graduated from Bish Mathis Institute. She worked for William King Stubbs, Architect and Associates in Monroe, Louisiana. Anne was introduced to Ed Giering by mutual friend, Gene Hutson, and they began their life-long relationship at the Walgreen’s soda shop in the Bernhardt Building in Monroe where they both worked. Anne married Ed, the love of her life and her soul mate, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Lake Providence, Louisiana, on July 29, 1967, and they began their lives together in West Monroe. She was a member of St. Paschal Catholic Church, the Pentatura Book Club, the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, and the National Guard Wives Club. Upon moving to Natchitoches in 1980, Anne became a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church where she served as a Eucharistic Minister for many years. In 1986, Anne began working at St. Mary’s Catholic School as the secretary and bookkeeper. She devoted 22 years to enriching the lives of so many that walked the halls at St. Mary’s. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, St. Mary’s Foundation, St. Mary’s Parents Club, and St. Mary’s Athletic Association. Anne was also a member of Service League of Natchitoches, The Nakatosh Pokeno Club, and Museum Contents, Inc., and organized a book club with her friend and neighbor, Marva Cunningham. Anne was a kind, sweet, gentle, beautiful person who touched the hearts of all she met. She was devoted to Ed, supporting him in both his military career and civilian career as an engineer. A loving mother to her three children and a doting grandmother (“Gee Gee”) to her four grandchildren, she enjoyed nothing more than spending time with them and supporting their activities, sports, and lives. Baking, puzzles, and basketball games on Stephens Avenue will not be the same without Gee Gee. She will be dearly missed by the “girls of the Pokeno Club” and her “lunch bunch”. Her favorite color was raspberry pink, and as an avid gardener who “loved playing in the dirt,” there was not a flower or plant that she did not appreciate. Her family will miss her signature fragrance (White Linen,) her flawless skin, loving hugs, fantastic cooking, and their favorite dishes. As Anne often said, “The magic must be in the hands.” Anne is survived by her husband of 54 and a half years, Edmund “Ed” Jacob Giering III; her son, Edmund Jacob Giering IV and his wife, Cathy, and their children, Edmund Jacob "Jake" Giering V and Catherine Kieffer "Cate" Giering; her son, Jeffrey Lawrence Giering and his wife, Melissa, and their children, Parker Joseph Giering and Tyler Jacob Giering; her daughter, Lillian Anne Giering; her brother, Joseph “Joe” Avery; her brother-in-law, Francis “Buddy” Giering and his wife, Beverly; her brother-in-law, Dr. David A. Lee and his wife, Maria; her sister-in-law, Katherine "Kay" Giering; her sister-in-law, Melanie Lee; and many beloved nephews and nieces. Anne’s loving voice, listening ear, and ability to say the perfect words at just the right moment will be deeply missed by all. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Joseph “Joe” Erwin Sr. and Frances Nelle Avery Erwin, her brother, William Joseph “WJ” Erwin Jr., and her sister, Frances Nelle Erwin Evans. Those honored to serve as pallbearers include Roger Cunningham, Mark Flores, Greg Giering, Markley Huey, Joshua Kidd, and Jason Osterberger. Honorary pallbearers will be Paul Alford, Phil Arthur, Bill Dickens, Will Erwin, Mark Hager, Billy Moore, and Clint Perot. The family would like to thank Dr. Mary Long and her nurse, Crystal Robinson, for their many years of care, Dr. Dan Bosser and Dr. Salahadin Abdi of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Ulla Ule, NP Kasey Gill, all the nurses and staff in the Chemotherapy Treatment Clinic with Christus St. Francis Cabrini, the nurses and aides at Hand in Hand Hospice, and Jim McDonald with Pilots for Patients. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Anne’s name to St. Mary’s Catholic School or the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.