Mr. Delbert Lafitte Estess

Shreveport, LA- Funeral services celebrating the life of Delbert Lafitte Estess, 93, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2013 in the chapel of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home. Officiating will be Rev. Mckee Williams. Interment will follow in Centuries Memorial Park. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 5, 2013 from the hours of 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Estess was born on October 15, 1919 in Cotton Plant, LA and passed away on April 1, 2013 in Shreveport, LA. Delbert served his country proudly in the original U.S. Army/Air Force from June 1941 until October 1979, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. During his military career he served two tours in World War II. He fought proudly among his fellow soldiers in the South Pacific, the Philippines Liberation Campaign, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, the American Theater Campaign, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Luzon and the Battle of Layte.

Mr. Estess attended LSU Baton Rouge and received degrees such as a BS in Agricultural Education (1941), Master’s Degree in Dairy Nutrition (1949) and an ABD for Phd in Dairy Nutrition. Delbert also graduated from the School of Banking of the South in 1964 for Rural Appraisal.

Along with his career in the U.S. Army/Air Force Mr. Estess also worked for the LSU Agricultural Extension Service in Bienville and DeSoto parishes for 5 ½ years, Commercial National Bank in the Agricultural Finance Department for 15 years, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture for 12 years, the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service in Greece, 1975, and as a notary public for Caddo Parish.

Delbert was involved in many civic organizations in his lifetime including, the Alpha Gamma Rho Agriculture Fraternity (LSU), the Arklatex Agriculture Council, the Optimist Club of Shreveport (served as Club President and District Lt. Governor of LA), the LSU Alumni Association, the LSU Dairy Science Club, the VFW, the Military Officers Association, the LA Cattleman’s Association, the Rural Appraiser’s Association, Charter member of the World War II Museum, the Farm Bureau Association and the LSU Block and Bridle Club.

Honors that Mr. Estess received were the FFA Honorary State Farmers Degree (1963), Small Beef Producer Award by LA Forage and Grassland Council (1983), Outstanding President of Downtown Optimist Club (1966), Outstanding Leadership-District Lt. Governor of the Optimist Club, Veteran’s Medal of Honor awarded by Gov. Jindal, also honored for his continuous service to the LA State Fair Junior Livestock Show, having volunteered for over 50 years and received the coveted “Director’s Chair,” the Arklatex Agriculture Council “Man of the Year” (2009).

Mr. Estess was a current member of Kingston Road Baptist Church and a former member of Broadacres Baptist Church and Brookwood Baptist Church. A deeply spiritual man who served as an inspiration to those around him, he was happiest working on his farm in DeSoto Parish, supplying family and friends with peaches, strawberries, vegetables, humor and great stories.

Preceding Mr. Estess in death were his parents, Robert Illey Estess and Eula Mae Womack Estess.

Left to cherish beautiful memories of Delbert are his wife, Barbara Ellen Debose Estess of Shreveport, LA; children, Gary Noel Estess and wife Gelly of Kingwood, TX, Jo Ann Estess Ziller and husband Henry of Hammond, LA; grandchildren, Karr Shannon IV and wife Susan of Hattiesburg, MS and Jennifer Estess Lockhart and husband Nathanael of Starkville, MS; great grandchildren, Kade Stephenson Shannon, Ellie Elizabeth Shannon and Anna Karr Shannon of Hattiesburg, MS.

Honoring Mr. Estess as pallbearers will be: Karr Shannon, Jim Mason, Nathanael Lockhart, Hall Burford, James Pickett and Henry Ziller. Honorary Pallbearers will be: Jon Lowe, Jack Dillard, Andy Loftus, Howard Wilcox, Ed Dark, Rudy Estess, Rodney Hopkins, Claude “Corkie” Corbett, George McGovern, Jr. and the Kingsmen Sunday School Class of Kingston Road Baptist Church.

The family suggests that donations be made to the First Southern Methodist Church of Stonewall, the Kingston Road Baptist Church Bereavement Committee or St. Joseph Hospice of Shreveport, LA.