Continuation of tree (5th child of Paul Odeah Pitre/Armina Pitre); all known surname descendants:
9 James Clyde Pitre b: 24 May 1923 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA; d: 15 December 1997 Lafayette, Lafayette, LA
+Marie Ruby Fontenot b: 4 February 1925 Grande Prairie, Grande Prairie, St. Landry, LA; m: 20 June 1943 [Alfred B./Pearl Dupre]; d: 15 July 2011 Opelousas, St. Landry, LA
10 Benjamin Dale Pitre b: 18 August 1945 New Orleans, Orleans, LA; d: 29 June 2024 Lafayette, Lafayette, LA
+Suzanne Catherine Hebert m: October 1973 [Harry J./---]; d: Aft. June 2024
Notes for James Clyde Pitre:
Census
- 1940 St. Landry, Louisiana: Odea Pitre 47 [$300 house value] farmer/farm, wife Mina 44, Celeste 18, Clyde 17, Theresa 12, Odeya 8.
- 1950 St. Landry, LA: Clyde Pitre 25 electrician helper/electric shop, wife Ruby 25, Benny 4
WWII Records: Clyde James Pitre, res. Opelousas, LA; b. 24 May 1923 St. Landry, LA; contact Odeah Pitre (same address); 5'4", 109 lbs., brown eyes & black hair, ruddy complexion; 30 Jun 1942 Opelousas, LA.
Obituary: Daily World (Opelousas, LA), 16 December 1997: Funeral services for Mr. Clyde James Pitre, 74, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas with burial in St. Peters Cemetery in Grand Prairie. The Rev. Nicky Trahan will conduct the services. Mr. Pitre, a resident of Opelousas, died at 6:40 p.m. Monday, December 15, 1997, in Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. He was the owner and operator of Pitre Electric for 30 years and a retired cattleman. Survivors include: his wife, Mrs. Ruby Fontenot Pitre of Opelousas; a son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Suzanna Pitre of Prairie Ronde; a brother, Nolan Pitre of Opelousas; two sisters, Mrs. Ellie (Celeste) Latiolais and Mrs. Seldon (Theresa) Dupre, both of Opelousas; four grandchildren, Natalie P. Gaudin, Alison Pitre, Benjamin Pitre and Joseph Gerard Pitre, all of Prairie Ronde; and a great-granddaughter, Victoria Gaudin of Prairie Ronde. Mr. Pitre was preceded in death by his parents, Odeah and Minna Pitre Sr.; a brother, Odeah Pitre Jr.; and a sister, Ena Pitre Vige. Visiting hours will be observed from 3 to 11 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. Wednesday until time of services. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home in Opelousas is in charge of arrangements.
Tombstone Inscription, St. Peter Cemetery, Grand Prairie, LA: PITRE / James Clyde / May 24, 1923 / Dec. 15, 1997 / June 20, 1943 / Marie Ruby F. / Feb. 4, 1925 / July 15, 2011 / know that I am with you always, yes even to the end of time / Matthew 28:26
Notes for Marie Ruby Fontenot:
Obituary: Daily World (Opelousas, LA),
Sunday, 17 July 2011: Opelousas - (photo) A Mass of Christian Burial
will be celebrated for Ruby Fontenot Pitre, age 86, at 2:00 p.m. on
Monday, July 18, 2011 in the St. Landry Catholic Church followed by interment in
the St. Peter Catholic Church Cemetery in Grand Prairie. Mrs. Pitre died
after a lengthy illness on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 8:13 p.m. in the Opelousas
General Health System. Ruby was a 1942 graduate of Grand Prairie High
School, a 1962 graduate of the T. H. Harris Trade School bookkeeping course, and
a member of the Catholic Daughters of America from 1970 to present. She
retired from the Singer Sewing Machine Company of Opelousas in 1981 and
immediately became active with numerous other organizations for which she
volunteered her time. Survivors include her son, Benjamin "Benny" Pitre
and wife Suzanne "Sue" Pitre of Opelousas; four grandchildren, Natalie
Suzanne Pitre Gaudin and husband Stephen of Crowley, LA, Alison Marie
Pitre Garcille and husband Eric of Carencro; Lt. Benjamin James Pitre,
U.S. Navy of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Joseph Gerard Pitre of
Opelousas; a sister, Ernestine F. Joubert; two great-granddaughters,
Victoria Marie Gaudin and Lauren Ann Gaudin. She is preceded in death
by her husband, James Clyde Pitre; parents Alfred B. Fontenot and
Pearl Dupre Fontenot; brothers, Ammel Fontenot and Marion Fontenot;
sisters, Maudrey F. Roberie, Audrey F. Fontenot and Excel F. Bellow.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. W. Briley, Dr. Lana
Metoyer, Dr. Derick Metoyer, Dr. Dana Miller, Heritage Manor Nursing Home,
Opelousas General Hospital and all of the support given by numerous family and
friends. Visiting will be held in the Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of
Opelousas beginning on Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
and will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. A rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m.
on Sunday. LaFond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas has been entrusted with
the funeral arrangements.
Obituary for the son:
Benjamin Dale Pitre: Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home (Opelousas, LA): Benjamin "Ben" Dale Pitre, a beloved figure in the community, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana surrounded by family and receiving the Last Rites of the Catholic Church to include the Apostolic Pardon. Born on August 18, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ben led a wonderful life with complete dedication to God and family. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Benjamin "Ben" Dale Pitre at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, LA. Father Ben Pitre, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, will celebrate the Mass. Father Neil Pettit will concelebrate the Mass. The Rite of Committal will take place at St. Peter Catholic Cemetery in Grand Prairie, LA. Visitation will take place in the Skip Montet Memorial Chapel at LaFond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM. A Rosary Service will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday evening by Deacon Dwayne Joubert with a eulogy following. The funeral home will re-open on Wednesday, July 2, 2024, from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM. As a young man, Ben served his country with honor as an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force, reaching the rank of Captain, with principal duty stations in Minot, North Dakota and Okinawa, Japan. His military service was a testament to his bravery and patriotism during the Vietnam War era. A graduate of the 1963 class at the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Opelousas, he went on to get a bachelor's degree in microbiology from USL, working as a Medical Technologist after his military service at Savoy Medical Center in Mamou for 40+ years. With great devotion to his Catholic faith and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inherited especially from his mother Ruby, Ben served as the coordinator for First Friday Adoration at St. Landry Catholic Church for 35 years. A loyal parishioner of St. Landry, he was an inspiration to many and an integral member of the parish's Come Lord Jesus community. Ben cherished his wife and children, selflessly arranging his time to be with and support them, even after long hours at work. Many of the family's best memories come from their moments with their father at the annual family vacation to the beach. Ben had a myriad of interests that brought him joy. For one, he was an avid horseman, knowing nearly every equestrian bloodline in the nation. While his family was young, he bred and trained quarter-horses at the family farm for racing. Each of his sons and daughters got a horse or two named after them. He adored flower gardening, famously tending to his Crown of Thorns. Through his military career and then following his children, he traveled the world, living life to the fullest. Ben leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness that will be cherished by his surviving family members. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Suzanne Hebert Pitre of Opelousas; his sons, Father Ben Pitre of U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Joseph Pitre of Opelousas; his daughters, Natalie Gaudin and her husband, Stephen of Crowley; and Alison Garcille and her husband, Eric of Carencro; his grandchildren, Victoria G. Bertrand and her husband, Shea; Lauren Gaudin, Caroline Garcille, and Sadie Garcille; his 2 great-grandchildren, Atlas Bertrand and Ella Gaudin; and a host of other beloved family members and dear friends. Ben is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde Pitre and Ruby Fontenot Pitre. Pallbearers will be Joseph Pitre, Stephen Gaudin, Eric Garcille, Roderick Latiolais, Victor Parks, and Randy Morales. Honorary pallbearer will be James Bellow. Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.
Back one generation to parents of James Clyde Pitre
Items in RED verified from transcriptions in the following:
- Southwest Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records of Parishes of Acadia, Allen Beauregard, Cameron, Calcasieu,
Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St Landry, St Martin, St Mary and Vermillion.
- Some Louisiana deaths in RED taken from obituaries or the Louisiana Deaths collection (which includes spouses/parents).
- Some birthdates in RED taken from Social Security records based on obituary/tombstone inscription deathdate.
Last updated: 16 January 2026.