Claudine Love Risdal

Claudine Love Risdal 

A Celebration of Life and Visitation will be held for Claudine Gregory Risdal, remembered so fondly by her students as Mrs. Love.

Funeral services will be Sunday, 4:00 PM, January 22, 2023, in the Chapel of Riser Funeral Home, Columbia with Pastor Brian Mercer officiating. Interment will follow at Welcome Home Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00 PM until service time Sunday, January 22, 2023.

Claudine Risdal was born on April 29, 1927, to Sebron and Onie Gregory and she passed peacefully at her home surrounded by family on January 20, 2023.  She was the youngest and last remaining of ten children, a survivor of The Great Depression and WWII, hard times that forged her character.  She was truly a Steel Magnolia, determined, tenacious, yet full of grace, beautiful inside and out, exemplifying joy, love and a zest for life.  She was married to Howard Allen Love, Ross Williamson, and George Risdal, all who are deceased. Family that will greatly miss her presence in their daily lives are her three daughters, Sherry (John) Crick from Monroe, Nancy Love (Clive Mitchard) from Farmerville, Kathy (Ray) Jackson from Trout; step-son, Larry (Sonya) Risdal from West Monroe; five grandchildren: Scott (Leah) Mars, Sara (Christian) Burney, Curt (Tara) Nickels, Kate (Josh) Pittman, and Kim (Jeff) Fitzgerald; eight step grandchildren, including Lexie (John) Pitre, Bob (Denise) Daily, and Erik (Helen) Risdal, 10 great-grandchildren: Luke and Colbie Mars, Jackson and Emma Burney, Addyson and Fallyn Nickels, Alec and Pierce Pittman, Kinley and Kora Fitzgerald; 10 step great-grandchildren, and 4 step great-great-grandchildren.We will forever be grateful to our extended family member, Debbie White Jones, who lovingly cared for our Mama during the last years of her life.  Everyone knew how much Claudine loved spending time with all of her family and they will miss her gracious, fun-loving presence.  Everyone knew how much Claudine loved spending time with all of her family and they will miss her positive, fun-loving presence.

Claudine was a graduate of Columbia High School, Louisiana Tech University, with an additional elementary education degree from University of Louisiana at Monroe.  Claudine, known by her students as Mrs. Love, touched countless lives as a high school teacher at Olla and Kelly, high school teacher and State Championship basketball coach at Grayson, and first grade teacher at Columbia Elementary. She was very social and active in the church and community.  Claudine always gave credit to Lea Joiner for her baptism and influence on her Christian Life.  She was a member and Sunday School Teacher at Columbia Heights Baptist Church.  When she married George and moved to West Monroe, she was a member at Claiborne United Methodist Church in West Monroe.

She was Worthy Matron in Eastern Star in Columbia, an officer in Columbia Garden Club, and member of Kappa Sorority in Monroe. They had numerous friends that they danced and socialized with at the Monroe VFW and enjoyed Pokeno with a group in West Monroe.  Claudine loved beautiful flowers, bird watching, the outdoors, and gardening was a favorite hobby.  One of her greatest joys in life was traveling to places around the world with family, creating memories of a lifetime and making lifelong friends.  She made this world a better place and she will be forever in our hearts.