JUANITA AGAN

Juanita Louise Murphy Again died peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008, in Shreveport. As had been her fervent prayer, she just slipped away to be with the Lord.

Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m.  Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, at First Baptist Church of Minden, where she had been a member for over 70 years. The Rev. Wayne DuBose, the Rev. Bill Ichter and the Rev. Leland Crawford will be officiating.

Juanita Louise Murphy was born June 28, 1923, in Cedar Grove, then a community just south of Shreveport. She was the only child of Louannie Longino Murphy and James Allison Murphy. After the death of her father in 1926, Juanita and Louannie lived a very difficult life during the Great Depression, always moving to seek a job. Juanita attended many schools during those growing up years, including five different schools in a single year. However, in 1937, they settled in Minden, which would become Juanita’s home for the rest of her life.

Juanita was a graduate of Minden High School Class of 1939, where she was an honor student and the unanimous recipient of the American Legion Award by the faculty. Over the last 30 years she was instrumental in organizing and planning the mini-reunions held by the class members several times each year, a practice they continued until increasing health problems for class members made them too difficult to schedule.


After completing courses at Meadows-Draughon Business College in Shreveport, she went to work for Andress Motors Company in Minden as a bookkeeper. This began a lifelong friendship with the Andress family and also allowed her to work with another employee there, a young man she already knew and admired from activities at First Baptist Church, J.C. Agan, Jr.


They eventually began dating after J.C. returned from fighting in World War II. They were married on June 12, 1948, and enjoyed almost 41 years together until his death on May 5, 1989. Juanita and J.C. had two children – Suzanne and John and a member of that household for nearly 35 years was Juanita’s mother, Louannie, whom Juanita cared for in her declining years.


Over the years Juanita worked at various bookkeeping jobs while being a homemaker, doting mother and active member of First Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School, served as a Sunday School Department Director, Vacation Bible School teacher and director, choir member and longtime member of many church committees.


After Louannie’s death, Juanita returned to full-time employment eventually serving 12 years as Financial Secretary for First Baptist Church. She operated a bookkeeping business out of her home for the last 21 years of her life, serving as the bookkeeper for W.J. Penton Construction Co., Inc.


But Juanita was best known for two things – her love and compassion for people and her writing. For the past 15 years, she wrote a weekly column for the Minden Press-Herald called “Cameos of Minden” about as she put it “an old lady’s memories.”


Perhaps that is how she was best known to many in Minden. But even before the Cameos became a “fixture,” she had been named “Minden’s Woman of the Year” in 1995 for her overall contribution to the community.


Juanita is preceded in death by her parents and her husband. Survivors include her daughter, Suzanne Jameson and husband Bob of Minden; son, John Agan of Minden; three grandchildren, John Jameson and wife Faith of Macon, Ga.; David Jameson of Salatiga, Indonesia; and Paul Jameson of Minden.


Pallbearers will be Mike Burton, Dr. Richard Campbell, Tracy Campbell, Charlie Hortman, John Jameson, Paul Jameson, Keith McClung and Aldrick Penton.


Honorary pallbearers will be members of Minden High School Class of 1939.