Denise Veuleman McAlpin

On Friday morning, May 22, 2020, Denise Veuleman McAlpin passed away at the age of 65. If you were lucky enough to know Denise, you knew of her affinity for coffee, how much she enjoyed criticizing the accuracy of historical fiction, and her love of her family. Denise was born September 16, 1954, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. She graduated from Northwestern State University in 1976 and began her teaching career at Hickory Grove school in Natchitoches teaching Spanish. After teaching for several years, she committed to raising her children full time. Denise welcomed her first child in 1981 and her sixth in 1991. Her life was defined by motherhood, and she was a loving and sacrificial mother. While her six children kept her busy, in her free time she enjoyed participating in historical reenactments at Fort St. Jean Baptiste in Natchitoches. She returned to teaching in the early 2000s, where she taught high school Spanish at Converse and Pleasant Hill High Schools. Denise retired from teaching in 2017. She is preceded in death by her father Melvin “Doc” Veuleman and her mother Charlene Crump Veuleman, and her grandparents, Charlie and Exie Crump and Mary and Joseph Veuleman. She is survived by her long-time companion, Mike Copeland, of Hornbeck, her six children, John McAlpin of Provencal, Charlie McAlpin and wife Isabel of Hammond, Joseph McAlpin and wife Jillian of Bossier City, Jim McAlpin of Natchitoches, Katy LeMaire and husband Paul of Little Elm, TX, and Jacob McAlpin of Tampa, FL and grandson, Anderson McAlpin. Funeral services will be held at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home on Friday, May 29 at 11:00AM. The family will receive friends from 9:00 AM to 11:00AM preceding the service. Burial will follow at Beulah Cemetery in Marthaville.