TALLULAH, La. – Services for Elmer Vaden Schepers, 86, who died Wednesday, March 9, 2011, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Melbourne Baptist Church with the Rev. Butch Goodman officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park under the directions of Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home of Tallulah, La.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the church.

He grew up on a dairy farm in the Natchez area. He left for the military to serve four years in the Navy on a merchant marine ship. Upon his honorable discharge he returned to work on the dairy farm. After meeting Flora, his milk truck always conveniently broke down near the school she was attending. Her pencils continued to break and she had to sharpen them by the window while he “worked” outside. Later, he drove an oil field truck for a time before relocating to Alsatia, La., in 1966. He ws the long-time farm manager for Sandy Soils, a thoroughbred horse farm owned by George Lensing of Lake Providence, La. He had a love for all animals that treaded throughout his whole life. He retired, but continued to stay busy in the local pecan orchards spraying, shaking, and gathering the crops as well as raising Shep Boer goats. He was a member of Melbourne Baptist Church where many special friendships began. He was always ready to lend a hand to a friend or spend time with his family.

Mr. Schepers was preceded in death by two brothers, Ralph and “Buck”; three sisters, Caroline, Mary, and Katie; and an infant daughter, Pamela Kay.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Flora Schepers of Alsatia; one daughter, Eva Holmes and husband, Shelby; one son, Chris Schepers and wife, Cindy, all of Tallulah; two grandsons, Lynn Holmes and wife, Janine, of Grand Rapids, Mich. and Steven Holmes of Tallulah; four granddaughters, Beth Mitchell and husband, Mike, of Ruston, La., Sharon Crawford and husband, Jamie of Anchorage, Alaska, Nikki and Kristen Schepers of Tallulah; five great-grandchildren, Calum and Lilly Mitchell, Savannah and Austin Holmes and Calista Crawford; two sisters, Jeanette Tisdale of Kingston and Gertrude Winans of Pine Plains, N.Y.