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Roll Call Tribute
Franklin "Mike" Mikell '44 March 6, 2012 10:19 AM
Published in The (Alexandria LA) Town Talk on March 6, 2012
Franklin Haas Mikell
1924-2012
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 7, 2012, for Franklin Haas Mikell, who passed away at home Sunday night. The service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria officiated by the Reverend Fred H. Tinsley,Jr., Rector. Visitation will be in the church Parish Hall from 1:30 p.m. until the Service of Holy Eucharist in the church at 3:00 p.m. The committal will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Pineville, and arrangements have been trusted to John Kramer & Son.
Mr. Mikell's family includes his wife of 63 years, Minnie O'Shee Mikell; his three children Melinda Mikell, Franklin O. Mikell married to Leslie Edwards Mikell, all of Alexandria, and Martha M. Abshire married to Stephen G. Abshire, M.D. of Lafayette; his six grandchildren Christopher Mikell Wilder, Margaret Lynn Wilder, Franklin Edwards Mikell, Stafford Paul Mikell, Caroline Frances Mikell, and Selia Grace Abshire; and his sister Nancy Mikell Carruth of Bunkie.
Mr. Mikell was born in New Orleans September 27, 1924, to Franklin Trezevant Mikell and Nanie Haas Mikell. They lived in Bunkie at Oak Hall Plantation and he graduated from Bunkie High School in 1940.
At the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Mikell was attending Texas A&M University studying Industrial Engineering when his entire Corps of Cadets volunteered to the U.S. Army. He was sent to Stanford University for Advanced Special Training in teletype communications before beginning active duty during World War II. He was stationed in Calcutta, India (China-Burma-India theatre) as Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps with the world-wide radio/teletype network. When honorably discharged to the Reserve as a First Lieutenant, Mr. Mikell resumed his studies at Texas A&M, and graduated in June, 1948, with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and was awarded the Distinguished Student Honor.
After early engineering careers with Montgomery Ward in Chicago and Gaylord Paper in Bogalusa, Mr. Mikell returned his young family to Alexandria and assumed family business interests. Over his lifetime these interests included The Quality Appliance Store and Maple Shop, Haas Investment Company, Inc., Haas Land Company, Ltd., Louisiana Central Land & Improvement Company, Bunkie Lumber & Supply, Avoyelles Wholesale Grocery, Ltd., Union Cotton Seed Oil Company, MICAR Management, Inc., Mikell Management, Inc. and Mikell Farms, LLC.
Mr. Mikell served on the Board of Directors of Rapides Bank & Trust for 26 years, The Meeker Sugar Co-op, the Louisiana Forestry Association for 23 years and as Treasurer, and on the Louisiana Forestry Foundation for 22 years and as Secretary. He also served on the Board of Directors of The Coastal Club, Inc. and was a member for 51 years. He was a member of the Alexandria Golf & Country Club, serving 8 years on the Board of Directors and as President. Mr. Mikell was a member of St. James Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry as Junior Warden and Senior Warden. He was very supportive of Kent Plantation House, especially the sugar house. Additionally he was an Eagle Scout, Mason, Knight Templar, and Shriner.
He was honored to be named King for the Krewe of Parlangua in 1998 and also King for the Krewe of Twelfth Night in 1991. He was a member of the Bienville Club in New Orleans.
In 2004 Texas A&M, Department of Industrial Engineering, awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award to Mr. Mikell. He funded an Endowed Scholarship Program for the Department of Engineering at his alma mater, Texas A&M. He also funded the Franklin Mikell Scholarship through the Louisiana Forestry Foundation benefiting a forestry student at Louisiana Tech.
Pallbearers will be his three grandsons, Christopher Wilder, Franklin Mikell and Stafford Mikell, his son-in-law Stephen Abshire, his nephews William M. Tebow and Wayne E. Taylor, M.D., and Major-General (retired) William G. Bowdon, III and Richard C. Broadwell. Readings during the service will be done by his grandsons, Christopher M. Wilder, Franklin E. Mikell, and Stafford P. Mikell.
Memorials may be directed to St. James Episcopal Church or the charity of the donor's choice .
Online notes of condolence may be sent to the family at kramerfunerals@aol.com.
Franklin Haas Mikell
1924-2012
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 7, 2012, for Franklin Haas Mikell, who passed away at home Sunday night. The service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria officiated by the Reverend Fred H. Tinsley,Jr., Rector. Visitation will be in the church Parish Hall from 1:30 p.m. until the Service of Holy Eucharist in the church at 3:00 p.m. The committal will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Pineville, and arrangements have been trusted to John Kramer & Son.
Mr. Mikell's family includes his wife of 63 years, Minnie O'Shee Mikell; his three children Melinda Mikell, Franklin O. Mikell married to Leslie Edwards Mikell, all of Alexandria, and Martha M. Abshire married to Stephen G. Abshire, M.D. of Lafayette; his six grandchildren Christopher Mikell Wilder, Margaret Lynn Wilder, Franklin Edwards Mikell, Stafford Paul Mikell, Caroline Frances Mikell, and Selia Grace Abshire; and his sister Nancy Mikell Carruth of Bunkie.
Mr. Mikell was born in New Orleans September 27, 1924, to Franklin Trezevant Mikell and Nanie Haas Mikell. They lived in Bunkie at Oak Hall Plantation and he graduated from Bunkie High School in 1940.
At the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Mikell was attending Texas A&M University studying Industrial Engineering when his entire Corps of Cadets volunteered to the U.S. Army. He was sent to Stanford University for Advanced Special Training in teletype communications before beginning active duty during World War II. He was stationed in Calcutta, India (China-Burma-India theatre) as Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps with the world-wide radio/teletype network. When honorably discharged to the Reserve as a First Lieutenant, Mr. Mikell resumed his studies at Texas A&M, and graduated in June, 1948, with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and was awarded the Distinguished Student Honor.
After early engineering careers with Montgomery Ward in Chicago and Gaylord Paper in Bogalusa, Mr. Mikell returned his young family to Alexandria and assumed family business interests. Over his lifetime these interests included The Quality Appliance Store and Maple Shop, Haas Investment Company, Inc., Haas Land Company, Ltd., Louisiana Central Land & Improvement Company, Bunkie Lumber & Supply, Avoyelles Wholesale Grocery, Ltd., Union Cotton Seed Oil Company, MICAR Management, Inc., Mikell Management, Inc. and Mikell Farms, LLC.
Mr. Mikell served on the Board of Directors of Rapides Bank & Trust for 26 years, The Meeker Sugar Co-op, the Louisiana Forestry Association for 23 years and as Treasurer, and on the Louisiana Forestry Foundation for 22 years and as Secretary. He also served on the Board of Directors of The Coastal Club, Inc. and was a member for 51 years. He was a member of the Alexandria Golf & Country Club, serving 8 years on the Board of Directors and as President. Mr. Mikell was a member of St. James Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry as Junior Warden and Senior Warden. He was very supportive of Kent Plantation House, especially the sugar house. Additionally he was an Eagle Scout, Mason, Knight Templar, and Shriner.
He was honored to be named King for the Krewe of Parlangua in 1998 and also King for the Krewe of Twelfth Night in 1991. He was a member of the Bienville Club in New Orleans.
In 2004 Texas A&M, Department of Industrial Engineering, awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award to Mr. Mikell. He funded an Endowed Scholarship Program for the Department of Engineering at his alma mater, Texas A&M. He also funded the Franklin Mikell Scholarship through the Louisiana Forestry Foundation benefiting a forestry student at Louisiana Tech.
Pallbearers will be his three grandsons, Christopher Wilder, Franklin Mikell and Stafford Mikell, his son-in-law Stephen Abshire, his nephews William M. Tebow and Wayne E. Taylor, M.D., and Major-General (retired) William G. Bowdon, III and Richard C. Broadwell. Readings during the service will be done by his grandsons, Christopher M. Wilder, Franklin E. Mikell, and Stafford P. Mikell.
Memorials may be directed to St. James Episcopal Church or the charity of the donor's choice .
Online notes of condolence may be sent to the family at kramerfunerals@aol.com.
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