Extracted from The Ruston Daily Leader (Ruston, LA)
Friday, February 28, 1997

LaVerne Emmons Pyburn

Funeral services will be held for LaVerne Emmons Pyburn on Saturday, March 1, 1997, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Ruston with Rev. Mike Benefield officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Ruston under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston.

Mrs. Pyburn died Thursday, February 27, 1997, in a Shreveport hospital following a brief illness.

Mrs. Pyburn was a native of Dodson, where she graduated from high school. She had degrees from Louisiana Tech University and Texas State Women's University in Denton, Texas.

She returned to Ruston as a Supervising Teacher at A. E. Phillips Laboratory School, Louisiana Tech, and retired from that position in 1977.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, Longleaf Pine Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Lincoln Parish Retired Teachers, and Louisiana Tech Faculty Wives Club.

Mrs. Pyburn was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Paul Turner, and her husband, Hiram Culpepper Pyburn.

She is survived by her daughter, Carol Turner Matthews and her grandson, Jackson Pyburn Matthews of Ruston; one brother, Morelle Emmons of Ruston; one sister, Mavis Emmons Bickley of Bastrop; and several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

The family will receive friends on Friday, February 28, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Planned memorials may be made to the LaVerne E. Pyburn Scholarship, College of Education, La. Tech Alumni Foundation, La. Tech Alumni Foundation, P.O. Box 3183, Ruston, LA 71272.

Pallbearers will be Dr. John Winters, Dr. Jason Owen, John Miller Green, Dr. James Whitfield Logan, Mr. Tom Judd, and Mr. Jim Bickley.