Verdell Wiltz Francis

St. Martinville - Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Monday, September 22, 2008, at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville, for Verdell Wiltz Francis, 79, who passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 in Sunset. Interment will follow at St. Michael Cemetery in St. Martinville. Msgr. Ron Broussard will conduct the services. Readers will be Sonya J. Gilbert and Erica Hardy. Gift Bearers will be Andrea Hardy, Brianne Fruge, Kirsten Johnson and Mariah Francis. Verdell along side her husband, Ben were the owners and operators of Bens Goebel Club. She was a member of the Union Benevolent Society and the Ladies Auxillary Court #54. She enjoyed singing. This led her to joining the Notre Dame Womens Choir. Survivors include her sons, Benjamin Francis, Jr. and his wife, Ginger of St. Martinville, Ronald Francis and his wife, Franca of St. Martinville, Lennis Francis and his wife, Tina of Fairfield, CA, Jason Francis and his wife, Gail of St. Martinville and Crenel Francis, Sr. and his wife, Michelle of Tallahassee, FL; her daughters, Vernell Johnson and her husband, Jeffery of Lafayette, Hilda Rose Hardy and her husband, Harold of Beaumont, TX and Prinella Fruge and her husband, Stephen of Sunset; her sisters, Melba Hypolite of Lake Charles, Verna Narcisse and her husband, Herman Narcisse, Sr. of Chicago, IL, Bertha Gillard of Chicago, IL and Dorothy Johnson of Port Arthur, TX; eighteen grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren and a host of loving nieces, nephews, friends, relatives, sisters and brothers in law. She was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Ben Francis, Sr.; her parents, Colbert and Lavrina Wiltz; her son, Hayward Francis; her three brothers, Robertson, Robert and Gabriel Wiltz; her two sisters, Mable W. Mitchell and Hilda W. Valsin; her two grandchildren, Zoe Clarice Francis and James Ray Francis; several aunts, uncles and sisters and brothers in law. The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2008 and continue at 7:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Monday. A rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Pallbearers will be Jeffery Christopher Johnson, Deontae Bonhomme, Johnathan Andrus, Mitchell Francis, Jr., Gerald Landry, Alvin Dale Guillory and Jarod Francis. Honorary pallbearers will be Benjamin Francis, Jr., Ronald Francis, Lennis Francis, Jason Francis, Crenel Francis, Sr., Mitchell Francis, Sr., Jeffery Johnson, Sr., Harold Hardy, Stephen Fruge, Herman Narcisse, Sr., Henry Johnson and Alcee Valsin. Pellerin Funeral Home of St. Martinville is in charge of arrangements.