Blanche J. Laren

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 29, 2013 at a 10 a.m. Service in La Chapelle de Martin & Castille for Blanche J. Laren, 92, who died on Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Courtyard Manor in Lafayette. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Crowley. Reverend Luther Burney, Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, La., will conduct the funeral services. Karyn Laing, organist, and Luther Burney, soloist, will sing "Haven of Rest" and "Until Then" for the services. Blanche J. Laren, born May 13, 1920, died peacefully on Friday. She was an active member of First Baptist Church, Joyful Friends Bible Class, Joy Club, AARP Chapter 4197, and Gamma Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. A native of Crowley, La., she moved to Little Rock, Ark. during World War II, where she met her husband and raised her family. She retired in 1986 from Arkansas State Department of Education in Little Rock with 32 years of service and has been a resident of Lafayette, La., since 1987. Survivors include two daughters, Barbara Marshall of Lafayette, La., and Becky Fink and her husband John of Sherwood, Ark.; one sister, Yvonne Nice and her husband Frank of Bryan, Texas; four grandsons, Tom Fink, Kevin Fink and his wife Stephanie, Jeff Marshall, Doug Marshall; four great-granddaughters, Zanna Fink, Presley Fink, Taylor Marshall and Amelia Hudson-Marshall. Mrs. Laren was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Jones of Crowley, La.; two sisters, Lottie J. Faulk of Crowley, La., and Lucille J. Brodbeck of Hilton Head Island, S.C.; one brother, Louis Jones of Crowley, La.; and her husband, Harold E. Laren of Little Rock, Ark. Pallbearers will be John Fink, Kevin Fink, Jeff Marshall, and Doug Marshall. The family requests that visitation be observed in Martin & Castille's DOWNTOWN location on Sunday, April 28, 2013 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Monday from 8 a.m. until time of service. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com. Martin & Castille-DOWNTOWN - 330 St. Landry St., Lafayette, La. 70506, 337-234-2311.