Celebrating the Life and Homegoing of
Lela Catherine Mitchell
Slaughter Sunset May 31, 2014
Sunrise September 14, 1912
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Visitation: 9:00 am * Mass: 10:00 am
St. Raymond – St. Leo the Great Catholic Church 2916 Paris Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119
Father Anthony M. Bozeman, SSJ, Pastor / Celebrant
My Story A grand lady like a beautiful cluster of roses that closes its petals at sunset, entered into her eternal rest in her home on the evening of May 31, 2014. Her devoted daughter, Catherine, dedicated caregiver, Lori and the Eucharistic Deacon and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hull were at her bedside. It has been a very long journey, one hundred one years and eight months that I lived on this earth. It was a wonderful life! God saw me; Lela Catherine Mitchell Slaughter had fought a very good fight and I had begun to grow weary. After all, God blessed me to live way beyond my normal lifespan. He reached out in love and touched my hand and told me that the battle was over and the victory was won. I humbled myself and entered into the Master’s joy where the pains of death had past and my life’s long earthly journey had ended. I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye, but I’ll share the last glimpses of my life as a keepsake for you to treasure. I was born on September 14, 1912 in Port Pleasant, Louisiana to my beloved belated parents, Peter and Olivia Mitchell. My five siblings, Bessie, Julia, Mamie, Evelyn and Delmar preceded me in death, but God blessed me to have a family to continue this legacy. My formal years of schooling were that of your typical school years as a child as well as into my Junior and High school years. They were fun years as I recalled. I was quite the social butterfly with a few friends in my circle of outings. I moved to New Orleans and found new interest. I started planning for my career.
My Story continued… I attended the Poro Beauty School. I mastered the Marcel wave, a favorite hair style I liked and chose to wear to capture the interest of my clientele. They loved the look and wanted me to style their hair the same way so they could boast about their new look to their friends. Oh how my clientele grew! My interest in caring for the physically challenged led me to enroll in a Nurses’ Aide program to learn the skills necessary for those who needed my help during my time off from my Beauty Salon. On one of my weekend excursions, I met the love of my life, Howard Slaughter. We married and to this union my daughter, Catherine was born. We moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to start our lives together. Shortly thereafter we grew apart and the marriage ended, but we remained friends until his death. When you look at Catherine you don’t see any features of me; she looks exactly like her father. She was a constant reminder of him whenever I looked into her face. Well, that was my secret. That prolonged look of just staring at my daughter’s face was how I kept his memory alive in my mind. I was a devout Catholic. When I returned to New Orleans, I joined St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Later I moved my membership to Saint Raymond – Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church which was closer to where I lived. As my spirituality grew I began to recite my rosary every day, sometimes more than once a day and even at bedtime. I became a member of the Ladies Auxiliary Knights of Peter Claver and the Happy Hearts Senior Club. My unwavering faith in God gave me the strength and enablement to face each day as I traveled through life’s journey. His sweet fragrance surrounded me with his love and gave me the strength to rejoice in whatever circumstance befell me. I had a strong will to fight until the very end.
I lived through many storms, but my worst storm was in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans practically destroying Everything in her path. I was separated from my daughter and it seemed like an eternity. Eventually with the help of a Caucasian woman on the rescue team in Lafayette, Louisiana, she located my daughter. We were reunited in Texas. It was only God’s grace and mercy that brought me safely to my destination. My fondest memory was my surprise one hundredth birthday party on a Saturday evening at Babin’s Seafood House. It was a gathering of family and friends that helped me celebrate this momentous occasion. I even got a special birthday greeting from President Barack Obama. Oh, what a beautiful celebration to behold! I looked at my cards every day, and later I had them posted on my wall in my bedroom so I could admire the birthday love that my family and friends had shown me on that day. Wow! God blessed me to see another year! When I turned one hundred one years old, my niece, Alfreeda, and her son Demetrius, my little boy as I often called him, sent me a check for one hundred one dollars for my birthday and a basket of fruit from Edible Arrangements. I shared just a little of my fruit, but I munched on it until it was all gone. What a special treat! I look forward to my weekly Eucharistic visits with Deacons Hull and Broussard and my Sunday visits with Leticia and her daughter. By the way, Pastor Sam paid me a special visit too. He sang my favorite songs and, oh, what a good time we had singing praises to the Lord. I clapped my hands and sang along with him. Many thought I was an excellent cook. You could find me in the kitchen on any given day stirring up my favorite home cooked meal for anyone who stopped by to savor and enjoy. Oh, how you enjoyed it! There wasn’t a morsel of food left. You might say that the plate was licked clean.
If you really knew me, you knew I loved my dogs, Buttons, Pepi and Rustic. We all fell in love at first bite. Then there were the sounds of the chirping birds. They were like music to my ears, and oh, how I loved the beauty of the trees. The feel of the gentle breeze blowing against my face brought coolness on a hot summer day. Finally, it is said that you are once an adult and twice a child. Well, I demanded lots of attention like a spoiled brat. My tongue was sharp. It could cut you like a razor if I didn’t get my way. Sometimes my choice of words were not so kind nor clean, but I knew I could get away with it, because who’s going to chastise an old lady who has lived way beyond her years. That’s all behind me now. No more nonsense. God gave me my reasonable portion of health and a memory like an elephant. I have been truly blessed. What more could you ask for when I think about God’s goodness? I bequeath you my good times, and a long life of family togetherness. My soul is at peace. Families joined by love and God are never diminished by time, distance, fate, or even sadness, for “Love is Eternal.” Those left to cherish my memories are my daughter Catherine Wade, my grandson, Mark Wade, my great-grandchildren, and my nieces, nephews, other relatives, and dear friends. God has smiled on me. He has set me free, so at days end and when tomorrow comes, don’t grieve for me. He gave me longevity to spend with you. Find laughter and joy in my memories. They are your keepsakes to behold. I have a new home waiting on me where everyday will be Sunday and pain and suffering don’t exist. I haven’t been given a new address, but I just know it will be grand!
Order of Celebration Visitation Processional …………..………….….......... Soft Music Final Viewing .…………… Majestic Mortuary Services Solo: His Eye Is On the Sparrow ………............................ Pastor Sam Young, Jr. Reading of Obituary ……………...…….…………………………… Alfreeda Fowler Words of Remembrance ………………...…………………………… Kierahn Cyres Solo: This Little Light of Mine ………….……………………. Pastor Sam Young, Jr. Closing Ritual ………….... ……………… Ladies Auxiliary Knights of Peter Claver Mass …………………………………….……………………………….. …………….. Entrance Hymn ……………………………………...... …………….. Clark Knighten
Old Testament Reading ……………………….……………………… Kierahn Cyres New Testament Reading …………………...……………………… Phillip Pusateria Celebrant ……….………….…………………… Father Anthony M. Bozeman, SSJ Gospel Homily (Eulogy) Prayer of the Faithful Responsorial Psalm ………………………………………………….. Clark Knighten Procession (Preparation of Gifts) ………………............................... Shawn Pierre Communion ………………………………….…………………........................ Hymn Meditation ……………………………………………....................................... Hymn Closing Prayer Recessional ……………………………………………………………………… Hymn
Fond Memories
Active Pallbearers Skilar Pierre Shawn Pierre Fellman Pierre Darryl Short Bennett Williams Barry Williams
Acknowledgements We, the family of Lela Catherine Mitchell Slaughter., would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the
visits, telephone calls and other gestures of kindness extended to us. May God return to you in great measures all that you have given
Sincerely, The Family
Arrangements Entrusted to Majestic Mortuary Service 1833 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70113
Internment Saint Raphael Cemetery Plaquemine, LA 70764
Program Design: Our Celebrations of Life (504) 338-8753 or (504) 453-2186