Lottie Wilkins

Funeral services for Mrs. Lottie T. Wilkins, age 84, of Columbia will be held 2pm Sunday, April 18, 2010 from the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Columbia. The Rev. Stuart Sherman will officiate with Shirley T. Salley delivering the eulogy. Interment will follow in the Wilkins Family Cemetery, east of Columbia. Born Lottie Delane Tarver on June 17, 1925 to her parents, the late Theo Barber and Vanner (Taylor) Tarver in Franklin Parish , she passed from this life on Friday April 16, 2010 at her residence. Mrs. Wilkins graduated from Columbia High School in 1942, Northwestern State University in 1945 and received her Masters from Louisiana Tech in the 1960's. Mrs. Lottie Wilkins was preceded in death by her husband , Boyd Wilkins, Jr., her mother, father, and her brother, Buck Tarver, and her sister, Irma Lewis. She spent her entire life in Caldwell Parish serving her community as an educator in the Caldwell Parish School System where she served as Business Education Teacher, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, and President of Louisiana Visiting Teacher Association. She loved teaching and said she made a mistake when she left the classrooms for the Central Office. She missed teaching her students. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Daughters of American Revolution, Colonial Dames and Magna Charter Dames. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Columbia, Louisiana and taught children's Sunday School when her children were young. She was Chairman of Weslayn Services Guild and President of the United Methodist Women. She enjoyed swimming and water skiing and teaching the children in the community how to water ski. She was an avid golfer. Most of all she loved her family and was a true inspiration and example of how a lady should lead her life. Mrs. Wilkins is survived by her two sons, Phillip D. Wilkins and Paul B. Wilkins and daughter Gaylne D. McIlwain, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Serving as pallbearers will be Dr. E. D. Coates, W.M "Hoot" Reitzell, H. Neil Riser, Charles E. "Buster" Mullin, C.W. Lewis, and Dr. Mark Meredith. Visitation will be on Saturday evening at Riser Funeral Home located at 7131 U S Hwy 165, Columbia,LA from 5pm until 8pm.