Funeral services will be held Wednesday March 3, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in the Raymond Methodist Church in Hathaway for Nathan T. Avant, Jr. who died Friday February 25, 2011 at the Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Winnfield LA.

 

Nathan Thomas Avant Jr. was born in Atlanta LA on March 13, 1922 he Crossed the Bar to be with the Lord on February 25, 2011.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife Ethyl Katherine Lindsey Avant, his 16 year old daughter Stephany Avant, his second wife Lola Rosfeld Avant, and his third wife Ruth Girthel Morgan Avant. Nathan is survived by his son Thomas and his wife Romona Avant of DeRidder, LA., his son Torphy and his wife Barbara Avant of Hemphill, Tx., his daughter Marsha and her husband Bobby Corbello of Rye, CO., his son John and is wife Judy of Hathaway, LA., his son Hugh Avant of Carlsbad, NM., his daughter Audrey and her husband Sam Dunbar of Church Point LA., eleven grandchildren, and twenty two great grandchildren.

 

Nathan graduated from Atlanta High School and attended trade school in Winnfield, LA. One of his teachers, who was a graduate of SLI in Lafayette, LA. asked him if he would be willing to attend college provided a job could be found for him. Nathan quickly accepted and attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute. He met and married Ethyl there and joined the Navy, attended school at Annapolis and served in WWII as a second lieutenant. At the  end of WWII he was discharged a changed man and never quite got over his war experiences.

 

Upon being discharged from the Navy, Nathan finished his BS degree in Vocational Agricultural Education. He obtained his first job working for the Veterans Administration in Jeff Davis Parish where he taught veterans how to farm. When the agriscience teaching job came open at Hathaway High School, Nathan applied for and obtained that job and retired from that job with 37 years of service. During those years, Nathan and his family were active members of of the Raymond Methodist Church. Music was a big part of Nathan’s life and he encouraged all of his children to make music part of their lives. He then became a Methodist minister and served in that capacity until he retired a second time.

 

After the death of his third wife he returned to Atlanta, LA., where he built a home where he and his children’s mother had discussed building a home many years before. He spent his last years happily where he spent his first years.

Visitation will be held Tuesday March1, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Duhon Funeral Home in Crowley, and then Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until services at the Raymond Methodist Church.

Burial will be held in the Raymond Methodist Cemetery in Hathaway under the direction of Duhon Funeral Home of Crowley.

Condolences may be sent to the Avant family at www.duhonfuneralhome.com