Alice Berniece Heath

Alice Berniece Heath left this life for a better one on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at Myers Colonial Funeral Home in DeRidder. Bro. Lynn Clayton will officiate.

Mrs. Heath was born October 6, 1920 to James Thomas and Alice Onstott Holland. She graduated from DeRidder High School and Northwestern State University. She met and married Ransom “Hap” Heath during World War II. They lived near Frankfurt, Germany for several years after the war before returning to DeRidder.

Three children were born to them: Harold Thomas Heath, Peggy Ruth Williams and Alice Jo Griffin. They also reared a foster son, Charles Alloway. Berniece was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and four siblings: Dean Holland, Ruth Stout, Victor Holland and Grace Breaux.

She is survived by her four children, as well as her sister, Helen Jenkins of Oberlin, Louisiana and 8 grandchildren: Hunter, Clay and Shane Heath; Jacob and Ransom Heath Williams; Janis Perkins; Aaron Alloway and Ashley Elliott. Also surviving are 13 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Berneice was a business teacher at Singer High School and an elementary teacher at Evans. She was secretary to the Beauregard Parish Superintendent of Schools. Well past retirement age, she served as Interim Director of Beauregard ARC and later as administrative assistant there. The family request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Beauregard ARC P.O. Box 13 DeRidder, Louisiana 70634.

Berniece had an amazing life journey and kept growing and maturing as a Christian as long as she lived. She attended First United Methodist Church the first half of her life and New Life Baptist Church in later years. Regarding New Life Church, she said “If the Lord has put a church at my door I had best go!”