Janette Elaine Lewis Messenger

A celebration of the life of Janette Elaine Lewis Messenger will be held Sunday, January 8th, 2023, at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, La., Bro. Danny Forsythe of Marthaville First Baptist presiding. A visitation will begin at 1 p.m. with a service following at 3 p.m. A private interment will follow at the family gravesite. Janette entered into eternal rest in the comfort of her home on January 4th, 2023. Janette was born on August 31st, 1946, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Bennie Wesley and Gwendolyn Lucille Fraley Lewis. She attended Valley View High School and was a member of the graduating class of 1964. Following her graduation, she attended Arkansas State University until she met her future husband, Paul, while visiting her sister Sue in Louisiana. She and Paul were married on December 11th, 1965, and enjoyed 33 years of marriage. They had four children together and ran a family farm in Natchitoches, Louisiana, that Janette continued for more than 20 years following Paul’s death in 1998. She remained a respected member of the Red River and Natchitoches Parish farming communities after his passing. She enjoyed working in her yard, tending to her farm, caring for her family, and racing horses. In her leisure time, she also enjoyed fishing on Toledo Bend and bowling. Her skills in the kitchen were legendary, and her family, especially her grandchildren, enjoyed sharing delicious, home-cooked meals at her table. She poured love into the lives of three generations who followed her, and her family will continue to cherish her memory and will miss daily phone calls and visits. Janette was preceded in death by her husband Paul Edmond Messenger of Boyce, Louisiana; her parents, Bennie and Lucille Lewis; and her brother, Ronnie Lewis, of Otwell, Arkansas. She is survived by her daughter Rebecca Messenger (Boc Capps), daughter Karen Messenger, son Casey Messenger (Shonda), and son Clay Messenger (Ashlie); sister, Sue Simpson of Natchez, Miss.; brother, Stanley Lewis (Sherrie); sisters, Joyce Phillips (Raymond) and Judy Lewis, of Otwell, Ark.; sister-in-law, Rita Nichols, of Cloutierville, La.; grandchildren Katie, Madison, Tyler, Nicholas, Samantha (Jay), Maci, Paul, Jake, and Jonathan; great-grandchildren Jared, Casey Paul, Maddyee Kay, Raven, JeMiya, and Ash; and a host of nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to Marthaville First Baptist, Riverdale Academy, or St. Jude