Continuation of tree (2nd child of Antoine Emmas Pitre/Elizabeth Lezida Deville); all known surname descendants:
10 Pershing Earl Pitre b: 23 February 1920 Mallet, St. Landry, LA; d: 19 July 2017 Ormond Beach, Volusia, FL
+Mary Kathryn Freeman b: 23 April 1924; m: 21 June 1949 Eunice, St. Landry, LA [Wiley Hartwell/Nora Hollingsworth]; d: 3 October 2003 Plaquemine, Iberville, LA
Notes for Pershing Earl Pitre:
Census
- 1930
- 1940 St. Landry, LA: Emar Pitre 47 farm laborer/farm, wife Lezadie 42, Percy 20, Philip 18 farm laborer/farm, Denis 13, Elise 12, Etta Mae 10.
- 1950
Obituary: The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), Thursday 27 July 2017: Rev. Pershing E. Pitre, 97, went on to be with the ONE he loved and served all his life on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Born in Mallet, LA, on February 23, 1920, to Amos Antoine and Lezda Elizabeth (Deville) Pitre, he was raised in rural French communities learning to speak English upon entering the first grade of school. By the grace of God, he began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith at the age of 10. At age 15, while plowing his father's field behind the family mule, Liza, he felt the call of God upon his heart to "preach the gospel". His first sermon, preached in the French language at age 18 at Prairie Ronde Baptist Church, lasted five minutes and his text was John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." After graduating from Acadia Baptist Academy High School in Eunice, LA, he attended Louisiana College in Pineville, LA, graduating with majors in French and Bible. He then attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for two years where he met and married his "mission minded" wife, Mary Kathryn Freeman. He spent most of his ministry building up small churches in rural south Louisiana among the French speaking people. His great passion was leading others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. At age 65, he retired from full-time pastoral ministry and moved to Port Allen, LA, in 1990. He was an integral part of the First Baptist Church of Port Allen where God used him to preach on occasion, visit the sick, and always "let his light shine" for Christ. At age 93, he moved to Ormond Beach, FL, to live with his daughter Kaye and her husband Hamp. He always told God he would "serve Him as long as He gave him the strength to serve". To that end, he faithfully attended the services at Riverbend Community Church and was an active member of their ministry at Avante Nursing Home, where every Thursday morning he opened and closed in prayer and on occasion preached the Word of God. At the time of his death, he was the oldest member of Riverbend Community Church in Ormond Beach, FL. His wife of 54 years, Mary Kathryn Freeman Pitre; sons, John Pershing Pitre and Paul Douglas Pitre; brothers, Phillip and Dennis Pitre; brothers-in-law, Jack Smith and Huey Kleinpeter, predeceased him. Left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Kaye (Dr. Hamp) Johnson of Ormond Beach, FL, and Trudy (Rev. Matt) Marsh of Bryan, TX. His pride and joy were his grandchildren and great-grandchildren that he prayed for many times daily. James 5:16b, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Grandchildren, Kathryn (Benjamin) Schonveld, Elizabeth Johnson (fiancé Scott Meachum), Ashley (Tyler) Tedcastle, Hampton (Kelly) Johnson, Jeanne Pitre, Jay Pitre, Lindsay (Brandon) Jung, Kathryn (Michael) Cannon, Elliott Marsh (fiancé Luke LeBoeuf); great-grandchildren, Maya and William Schonveld, Emery and Ella Cannon; sisters, Mrs. Elsie Smith and Mrs. Elta Mae "Tim" Kleinpeter; and many "favorite nephews" and nieces, cousins and church families from Louisiana, Florida, and Texas. Visitation will be from 5pm to 7pm on Friday, July 28, 2017 at the First Baptist Church of Port Allen, and will resume on Saturday, July 29th at 9am until the services at 10am. Interment will follow at Grace Memorial Park, Plaquemine, LA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Pershing E. Pitre Ministerial Endowed Scholarship, Louisiana College Institutional Advancement, Pineville, LA. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Back one generation to parents of Pershing Earl 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).
Last updated: 7 February 2026.