Althea Marie James

St. Martinville - A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am, on Monday, July 20, 2015, at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Althea Marie James, 59, who passed away on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at Dauterive Hospital. The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 7:00 am until 10:30 am on Monday, at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 201 Gary St., St. Martinville, LA. A rosary will be prayed at 9:00 am on Monday. The Very Reverend Thomas James, SVD, VE will officiate at the Funeral Mass with Rev. Michael Sucharski, SVD, concelebrating. Interment will follow at St. Michael Cemetery in St. Martinville. Althea served as the Choir Director of Expressions at Notre Dame Catholic Church for many years. She once traveled to Paris, France for a singing engagement and also sang for celebrations such as weddings, funerals, and political events with the James' Family. Music and singing was her passion in life, but she also loved to help others organize events and doing volunteer work for various organizations. Because of her dedicated contributions to her community, she was selected as the "Woman of the Year" by the Kiwanis Club of St. Martinville. She never met a stranger... once you met Althea, you just loved her. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends. She is survived by her brothers, Curtis James, Sr. and wife, Rose, of Lafayette, and Chris Christopher James and wife, Peggy, of St. Martinville; her sisters, Helen Bourda of St. Martinville, Felicia Mercier and husband, Walter, of St. Martinville, Philomena James of Inglewood, CA, Joanne Pratt and husband, Alexander, Jr., of St. Martinville, Myrtle St. Julien and husband, Conrad, Sr., and Carmella Marshall and husband, Ed, of Harvey; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by parents, Elias James, Sr. and Anita Wiltz James; her daughter Jenna Lynne James; her sisters, Anita Mae James and Carmen Ann James; her brother, Elias James, Jr.; and her brother-in-law, Joseph Bourda. Pallbearers will be David Mercier, Michael Mercier, Carl Pratt, Terrance Phillips, Courtney Martin, and Steven Mercier. Honorary pallbearers will be Curtis James Sr., Alexander Pratt Jr., Walter Mercier, Conrad St. Julien Sr., and Ed Marshall. Pellerin Funeral Home (337-332-2111) is in charge of arrangements. To view on-line obituary, sign guestbook and view video tribute, go to www.pellerinfuneralhome.com