Rose Mary Abshire,

Rose Mary Abshire,

August 15, 1925 ~ August 3, 2009

KAPLAN — Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at a 3 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church honoring the life of Rose Melancon Abshire, 83, who died Monday, August 3, 2009 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

She will be laid to rest at Kaplan Cemetery with Reverend Ed Degeyter officiating the services.

Ms. Abshire delivered baskets of food to the poor for the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary at Christmas and Easter. She belonged to the “Come, Lord Jesus” group and the Ladies Altar Society, and was also a member of the Catholic Daughters for 50 years. She taught religion for 25 years and was a substitute teacher at Maltrait Memorial Catholic School for many years. She had the pleasure of painting in oils.

She is survived by one son, Joseph Ted Abshire and his wife Jola of Abbeville; three grandsons, Jeffrey, Jacques and Jason Abshire of Abbeville; one granddaughter, Shaira Elizabeth Abshire of Abbeville; three brothers, Carrol Melancon of Lake Charles, Harold Melancon of Phoenix, Arizona and Paul Melancon of New Iberia; and two sisters, Irene Melancon of Parks and Mable M. Kernan and her husband Kern K. Kernan of Connecticut.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Donald W. Abshire; her parents, Theobald Melancon and the former Ida Mary Thibodeaux; one brother, T.B. Melancon; and one sister, Mary Darnell.

The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Avenue, on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 from 1:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. with a rosary to be prayed at 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday, August 5, from 9 a.m. until the procession departs for the church.

All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276. [FOR SERVICE INFORMATION DIAL 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Abshire family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.