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April 20, 1925 – Aug. 17, 2014

NATCHEZ — Services for Howard N. French, 89, of Natchez, who died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014, at his residence, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mickey Alexander officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Mr. French was born April 20, 1925, the son of Oscar and Lillian Dove French.

He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He was stationed on the U.S.S. Hopewell DD681 in the South Pacific.

He returned to Natchez in 1946, and worked as a general contractor until he founded French and Rand Construction Company, Inc., in 1978. He was president of the company until it closed in 2007.

Mr. French served from 1965 to 2006 on the Natchez Planning Commission. He was one of the original founders of Calvary Baptist Church in Natchez. He was a member of the Masonic Order for more than 50 years and served as president in 1995.

Mr. French was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Tommy French and Morris French; six sisters, Nobie Cuave, Estelle Barr, Lovie Adams, Ruth Alexander, Mary Belle Guillory and Johnnie Beryl French; the mother of his two daughters, Bobbye Nell Pickering French; brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Dorothy Pickering; his second wife, Angeline Engstrom French; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Survivors include two daughters, Diane French Wells and husband, Michael, of Monroe, La., and Deborah French Emfinger and husband, Wesley, of Franklin, Tenn.; four grandchildren, Kimberly Morrison and husband, William, of West Monroe, La., Stacye Mange and husband, Robbie, of Monroe, Christopher Emfinger of St. Louis and William Emfinger and fiancée, Luyan Zaho, of Franklin, Tenn.; four great-grandchildren, Hannah Morrison and Julia Morrison of West Monroe, Jacob Armand and Olivia Armand of Monroe; three stepchildren, Thomas Templeton and wife, Paulette, of St. Francisville, La., Jackie Templeton of Lake Charles, La., and Toby Burnett and husband, Mike, of Jackson; two step-grandchildren, Rachel and Josh Burnett of Jackson; one sister, Dorothy French Beach; and a number of loving nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Allan Smith, Kevin Smith, Jim Hill, Billy Floyd, Lenray Smith, Jay Sanders and Jeremy Sanders.

Honorary pallbearers will be Christopher Emfinger, Tommy Smith, William Emfinger, Tommy French Jr., Jack Cupit, Jack Scott and members of the Natchez Shrine Club and Wahabi Shrine Temple.

The family extends a special thanks to Jerry and Norma McDaniel, Roger and Betty Smith, J.J. Whitehead, and niece, Katherine Bates and Doris Jones.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, La.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.