June 15, 1931 – June 24, 2012

FERRIDAY — Services for Edith Tarver Latham, 81, of Ferriday, who died Sunday, June 24, 2012, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Ferriday with the Rev. Wayne Gray officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday.

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

Mrs. Latham was born June 15, 1931, in Harrisonburg, La., the only child of John Glover and Cleo Chapman Tarver. She graduated salutatorian of the 1948 Harrisonburg High School and was named to the Louisiana All-State Basketball Team of 1948. She attended Northwestern State University, graduating in 1951. She was also a member of Pi Kappa Sigma Sorority.

Mrs. Latham was a retired home economist with Louisiana Power and Light Company and later Entergy with more than 30 years service, having worked in nine parishes in north and central Louisiana. She also taught school when her children were small. She was active in the First Baptist Church in Ferriday, having taught Sunday school and discipleship training as well as a member of the choir.

Her latest ministry was home Bible study for the older ladies. They had Sunday school Monday school each week. She was also past president of the Concordia Parish CowBelles Association, past president of the 5th District Louisiana Federation of Women’s Club and chairman of the Huntington School Board. She was also a member of the Ridgecrest Love Circle. She was named as a member of the Outstanding Young Women of America and was presented the 1969, 1970 and 1971 national awards for her writings and work by the American Home Appliance Manufacturing Association.

Mrs. Latham also authored a number of cookbooks and educational programs.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Latham after 49 and one half years of marriage and her parents.

Survivors include four daughters, Melody Breland and husband, Marshall, of Alto, La., Jill Brown and husband, Dr. Raymond Brown, and Penny Moak and husband, Dr. Huey Moak, all of Lake Concordia and Mittie Tregre and husband, Jesse, of Des Allemands, La.; nine granddaughters, April Newman of Monterey, Emily Lehigh and husband, Dusty, Candice Giles and husband, Zachary, all of Vicksburg, Nanci Kemp of Vidalia, Jessi Jones of Monroe, La., Katie Moak of Shreveport, La., Julie Moak of Ruston, La., Heather Wilkinson of Vidalia, Jami Blanchard of Gonzales, La.; one grandson, Shane Breland and wife, Heather, of Madison; 13 great-grandchildren, Blake Walsworth, Jessie Mount, Adam and Jillian Kemp, Matthew and Hannah Breland, Julia and Hudson Lehigh, Eli Jones, Zoie Kramer, Noah Kenny, and Blayden and Autumn Giles; one great-great-grandchild; and a number of step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Raymond Brown, Dr. Huey Moak, Marshall Breland, Dustin Lehigh, Shane Breland and Zachary Giles.

Honorary pallbearers will be Marion Newman, Bill Colvin, Wayne Miley, Robert Dodd, Donnie Daye, Steve Sanders, Alfred Hamby, Warren Enterkin, Ronald Manchester, Red Robertson and Brant Barnette.