The passing of Mrs. Jacqueline Marie Andre’ Hall has been announced, marking the loss of a beloved woman whose life was defined by grace, kindness, and quiet strength.
Born in France, Mrs. Hall was known for her warmth and compassionate spirit, touching the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her life stood as a testament to love, resilience, and unwavering care for others.
She leaves behind cherished family members and dear friends who will continue to hold her memory close in their hearts. Though she is no longer with us, her legacy of love will endure for generations. As loved ones say their final farewell, they honor her with the words, “Adieu et repose en paix” — farewell and rest in peace.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony Catholic Church, located at 911 5th Street in Natchitoches. The service will follow from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with a rosary beginning at 11:00 a.m. and Mass to follow until 12:00 p.m.
Graveside services for Robert L. Wilson of Robeline will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Weaver Cemetery in Flora with Rev. Roger Matkin officiating.
Robert was born on October 2, 1942 in Madison, Ohio to his parents James Wilson and Margaret Parker Wilson. He passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Provencal, LA. Robert was raised in Greenfield, Ohio. He left there in his 20’s driving semi-trucks and later in his life he moved to Jefferson, Texas. He began working as a heavy equipment operator in west Texas where he worked until he was 78 and he began his retirement. He enjoyed his retirement in Louisiana.
He is preceded in death by his parents and 2 brothers Jim and David Wilson.
Left to cherish his memory is his brother Charley Wilson; sisters Alice Wilson and Sally Miller; sister in-law who he spoke to often Mary Wilson; he is also survived by his friends of 15 years who quickly became family Curtis Ferguson and wife Dawn, Bellwood, LA; James Ferguson and wife Amanda, Flora, LA; Tyler Ferguson, Natchitoches, LA; J.D. Ferguson and wife Allee, Natchitoches, LA; Kaylee, Avaree, Laycee Ferguson, Natchitoches, LA; Brandon Ferguson and son Jasper, Bellwood, LA; and Dakota Leone, Zwolle, LA.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Curtis Ferguson, Tyler Ferguson, Brandon Ferguson, J.D. Ferguson, Thomas Self, and Dakota Leone.
NATIONWIDE – March 31, 2026 Scammers are now sending unsolicited packages containing medical supplies, including diabetes-related items, from a New York-based medical supply company. Recipients who did not order the items are advised to call 1-800-MEDICARE to report the situation. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services reminds the public that nothing is free and someone may be billed.
LOUISIANA – March 31, 2026 Open testing is now available at the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Academy (FEDA) for after-hours certification. This initiative allows fire service personnel to complete required certifications outside regular hours.
Sessions begin tomorrow and will continue on April 2nd and 4th, and then on the Wednesday of each month from 5–7 p.m. and 7–9 p.m., respectively. Courses are offered in Alexandria, Minden, and West Monroe. For more information, contact FEDA at 225-372-6944.
NATCHITOCHES PARISH, LA – March 31, 2026 The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office has reported the following arrests. All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law:
DeMarcus Williams, 37 – Charges include blackmail, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance with a child, resisting an officer, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, modification of exhaust system, and required signals, second or subsequent offense.
Christopher Jordan, 33 – Approaching an emergency vehicle, resisting a police officer with force or violence, windshield obscuring view, no proof of insurance, and public intimidation and retaliation.
Carolyn Mitchell, 44 – Possession of Schedule I with intent, possession of Schedule I, possession of drug paraphernalia, weapons for violence, and flight from an officer.
Justin Smith, 45 – Violation of fire marshal’s order.
NATCHITOCHES, LA – March 31, 2026 Honors for Jonathan Parrish, a teacher at Natchitoches Magnet Junior High School, who has been named a semi-finalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year by the Louisiana Department of Education. Parrish will represent the school district at the state level as part of the semi-finalist group. Finalists will be named in May, and overall honorees will be recognized in July at the 20th annual Cecil J. Picard Education Awards.
Join us for Picnic in the Park Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 from 6pm to 7:30 pm. You can get hotdogs, a drink, chips and a cookie! A fun time with food, games, and live music! Call today and reserve your plate at 318-238-9224!
Closing reception for ‘In Between: Quiet Acts of Renewal’ set for April 10
By Katharine D. Scherff, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Art History
Orville J. Hanchey Gallery Director
NATCHITOCHES – The Orville Hanchey Gallery at Northwestern State University invites the public to attend the closing reception for “In Between: Quiet Acts of Renewal,” featuring visiting artists Benjamin H. McVey and Lindsey Hurd.
The reception will take place on Friday, April 10, from 5-8 p.m., and will include an artist talk and a final opportunity to experience the exhibition before it closes on April 11.
On view since March 2, the exhibition explores themes of stillness, reflection and renewal. Through their work, McVey and Hurd suggest that stillness is not absence, but a powerful space for regeneration and quiet resistance in an increasingly fractured world.
The event is free and open to the public. Hanchey Gallery is located at 140 Central Avenue, Natchitoches.
McVey is a multidisciplinary artist who focuses on drawing, painting and sculpture. His current work is influenced by architecture, design and his direct surroundings exploring spaces and objects. He received his BFA from Texas State University in Communication Design and his MFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio in Studio Art. Previously, he studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League and National Academy School. Since graduate school he has taught studio art courses at multiple universities and colleges along with working with local art institutions. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, where he maintains a vigorous studio practice.
Hurd is a self-taught mutildisciplinary artist who collects objects and detritus from nature and urbana and produces creations that highlight the resilience of the natural world.
“My arrangements of found objects seek to enshrine these lost things, infusing them with new life and highlighting not only the resilience of the natural world, but also of our own private lives,” she writes. “This work can be read as a prayer, a rebirth, a cry for help, a renunciation, or as the ever-renewing reimagining of hope. This project is a search for the love of the world and for what it means to be to be at home here.”
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic Learning and Global Education will offer a Notary Public Exam Prep Course starting Monday, April 20. The class will be taught via Zoom on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The fee is $519.
In partnership with Louisiana State University-Shreveport, this 52-hour course is an introduction to notary public fundamentals. The instructor, attorney and notary Jennifer Brown, will distribute significant course study guides and materials to assist in preparation for the exam. This course will be delivered via online video conferencing.
Participants must have broadband access, a camera and sound. The test is based on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s newest edition of “The Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice,” only available at www.sos.la.gov. For more information call (225) 922-0507. Participants must have this book before the end of the course. Those in the class will also need the “Louisiana Notary Exam Sidepiece” to the 2026 Study Guide by Steven Alan Childress.
Please visit the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Notary and Certifications website for qualifications to take the notary exam at www.sos.la.gov or call (225) 922-0507.
For more information or to register, go to checkout.nsula.edu or call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355. Stay up to date with course offerings by following NSU Electronic Learning and Global Education on Facebook at facebook.com/NSULA.ece.
Colleen Vashti Lancaster August 25, 1926 — March 24, 2026 Natchitoches,LA
Colleen Vashti Lancaster was born August 25, 1926, in Greenville, Mississippi to Archie and Ruby Lancaster. As one of 8 children, she was highly competitive, resulting in her lifelong dedication to education and personal excellence, ultimately breaking many “glass ceilings.”
She gave birth to four sons, Jeff G. Nelken, Robert M. Nelken “Buddy”, Sam W. Nelken and George Irion Nelken.
She was preceded in death by her sons Jeff Nelken and Buddy Nelken, as well as two of her grandsons, Jeff’s children, Paul C. Nelken and Jeffrey M. Nelken.
It is difficult to pinpoint the first of her extensive accomplishments, as evidenced by her recognition as the person to have earned the most degrees by the time of her 20-year, senior class reunion. Despite the rarity of women pursuing higher education at the time, Colleen graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches in 1948, earning herself a place in “Who’s Who Among Students in Universities and Colleges.” She went on to pursue a Master of Arts degree in dance at the Texas Women’s University, followed by a teaching position at Memphis State University alongside Miss Elma Roane, the then only female teacher in 1948.
Two years later, she entered the University of Indiana where she earned the Director of Physical Education degree, a Master of Science degree in Recreation and Doctor of Physical Education. She continued her illustrious career, which included serving as the Health Education Director of the YWCA in Evansville, Indiana, Professor at Northwestern in LA, where she spent thirty years from 1956-1986. She also served as Dance Chairman of the Louisiana Committee for the Division of Girls and Women’s Sports, Director of the Louisiana College Dance Symposium, as President and Secretary of the Louisiana College Conference, as Chairperson of the National Dance Association Heritage Committee, and she was inducted into the CAPA Northwestern Hall of Fame in 2016.
In 1986 she began the position of Recreation Director at Silverlake Nursing Home in Staten Island, New York where she spent the next ten years, before returning to Louisiana in 1996.
Colleen was also a revered member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and in 2016, in honor of her 90th birthday, the DAR decorated her home in their red and blue colors with a similarly themed cake to honor the occasion of the birthday of their Honorary Chapter Regent for the Natchitoches Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She was also a lifelong member and supporter of the First Presbyterian Church.
Colleen is survived by her sons, Sam W. Nelken and his wife, Selma and George Irion Nelken, her granddaughters, Toni Lynette Nelken and her children, Amelia, Lincoln, Naomi, and Abram; Jennifer Nelken Yezak, husband Michael, and their son, Driggs Irion Yezak, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will take place on April 11th at 11am at the First Presbyterian Church. Visitation will begin at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Natchitoches.
