Kathleen Claudia Allums, 91, died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004, in Lake Charles. She was born the youngest of seven children to the late Dr. Claude C. Allums and Minnie Ola Pearce Allums. Miss Allums received her BA degree with a major in piano (1934) from Northwestern State University. She received her bachelor's in music and master's in music from LSU in 1936 and 1938 respectively. A native of Ringgold, Miss Allums moved to Lake Charles in 1939 to join the original faculty of the former John McNeese Junior College, now McNeese State University. She retired from McNeese as a full professor of music on June 1, 1979. She remained in Lake Charles and maintained a private piano teaching studio for a number of years. Her post-graduate studies included summers at Julliard School of Music in New York City, Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and a sabbatical year of study in Paris, France, and a study at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1958. Miss Allums activities in Lake Charles included serving as a member of the boards of the Lake Charles Symphony and Southwest Louisiana Concert Association. She was a member and former pianist and organist for Trinity Baptist Church. Miss Allums was a member of the Executive Council for the Messiah Chorus and program chairman from it's inception and continuing for a number of years. She organized the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity for women students on campus in 1955 and was a charter member of this fraternity. Her professional organizations included the Music Teachers National Association, Lake Charles Piano Teachers Association, Louisiana Music Teachers Association and the National Piano Guild.
Miss Allums in survived by her longtime companion and friend, D'Olive Benoit; her many sisters in Sigma Alpha Iota; nine nieces and nephews, Patsy Pendleton, Jean Clark, Elizabeth Butryman, Patricia Deaton, Harvey Claude Allums, Milford Allums Jr., Sherry Flatt, Ann Gardner, Jane Allums, and numerous great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters. The family gives special thanks to Dr. Norman Davidson, Brenda Hanchett, her loving caregiver for the past 12 years, Thelma Thomas and Catherine Arvie.
There will be a graveside service at Providence Cemetery in Ringgold at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, under the direction of Hixson Funeral Home of Lake Charles. Visitation is 3-8 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Kathleen Allums to the McNeese Music Department Piano Scholarship Fund.