Obituary: Jeanette Henderson Dugas, 90, of Marksville — Beloved Teacher, Mentor, and World Traveler

Funeral services celebrating the life of Mrs. Jeanette Henderson Dugas will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Homes with Pastor Billy Tingle officiating. Burial will follow at Cushman Cemetery in Marksville, LA.

Services are entrusted to Hixson Brothers Funeral Home.

Mrs. Dugas, age 90, of Marksville, LA, passed away on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, in her residence in Marksville, LA. She is preceded in death by her husband, A.J. Dugas; parents, Harold, Sr. and Violet Moncla Henderson; brother, Harold Henderson, Jr.; and grandson, Jeremy Dugas.

Jeanette knew that she wanted to be a teacher from a young age. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Louisiana College, a Master of Education Degree from LSU, plus 30 Graduate Hours from various universities, and Supervisor of Student Teaching from LSU.

She then went on to teach 3rd through 5th grade students at Marksville Elementary School for 30 years, one year at Mansura Middle School, and four years at Sacred Heart Catholic School. She had a passion for educating children. She cared for each of her students and made sure that they were loved, and that they knew it. Her goal was to teach other people’s children as she would want other teachers to teach her own.

Another aspect of her life as an educator was supervising student teachers. She took great pride in watching them make progress in the classroom and later in their respective positions in schools and in life.

She was a member of Marksville Baptist Church, where she directed Vacation Bible School for many years, sang in the church choir, and served in many other roles as an active member of the church. She later played a significant role in the creation of The Church at Marksville, where her faith in God continued to grow.

She served on the Board of Directors for the Avoyelles Parish Charter School from 2000–2025. She provided mentorship and supervision utilizing her skills and years of experience in the classroom.

Jeanette’s biggest passion was traveling the world. She loved traveling all over the United States as well as other countries overseas. She had the pleasure of visiting Europe numerous times and loved coming home to share all the excitement with her family. She continued exploring new lands until her final trip to Europe with her daughter in 2019.

The family would like to thank Allegiance Home Health and Hospice along with her wonderful caretakers for the love and compassionate care given throughout the last few years, specifically since March of this year.

Those left to cherish her memory include her sons, Bruce Dugas (Becky) of Moncla, LA; Joey Dugas (Lori) of Marksville, LA; Blaine Dugas of Marksville, LA; and Richard Dugas of Marksville, LA; daughter, Brenda Hale (Mark) of Marksville, LA. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home.

Pallbearers honored to serve are Joey Dugas, Blaine Dugas, Richard Dugas, Mark Hale, Taylor Ponthier, and Terry Stephens.