Howard Joseph Duplantis

St. Martinville - Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Howard Joseph Duplantis, 88, who passed away on Monday, August 10, 2009 at his residence. Entombment will follow at St. Michael Mausoleum in St. Martinville. Msgr. J. Douglas Courville will officiate at the funeral Mass. Scripture readings will be read by Danielle and Emily Duplantis. Mr. Duplantis was a veteran of World War II, having proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign and ;was honorably discharged from service on October 30, 1946. He loved farming and raising cattle and in his spare time he enjoyed gardening and fishing. Mr. Duplantis enjoyed visiting with his many friends and spending time with his family. Survivors include four sons, Richard Duplantis and his wife, Pauline, Raymond Duplantis, Ronald "Tony" Duplantis and his wife, Kelly, and Randy Duplantis and his wife, Dana; one daughter, Roberta Landry and her husband, Reynolds; all of St. Martinville; ten grandchildren, Pamela Krueger and her husband, Patrick, Michael Duplantis and his wife, Alicia, Aaron Duplantis, Danielle Duplantis, Jeffrey Duplantis, Emily Duplantis, Rebecca LeBlanc and her husband, Jacques, Rachael Poirier and her husband, Kyle, Ross Landry, and Justin Duplantis; and two great grandchildren, William and Matthew Krueger. ; He was preceded in death by his devoted and loving wife of 66 years, Irene Vincent Duplantis; his parents, John W. and Celeste Martin Duplantis; four brothers, Walmot, Homer, Harold Armond, and Whitney Duplantis; and six sisters, Eloise Broussard, Cecile Lasseigne, Mable Boudreaux, Irene Thibodeaux, Zolide Duplantis, and Lillian Kennedy. The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Tuesday and continue at 7 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Pallbearers will be his sons, Richard, Ronald and Randy Duplantis; son-in-law, Reynolds Landry; and his grandsons, Michael Duplantis and Aaron Duplantis. Honorary pallbearer will be his son, Raymond Duplantis. ; The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to ;all his caregivers, especially Ms. Beatrice Tolliver, who was with Mr. Howard until the end. ; Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.