Myrthlee Mathews Vanhoof, 93, of Alexandria, died Thursday, November 10, 2011, at her home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Sunday, November 13, 2011 at St. Frances Cabrini Church at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Jose Robles-Sanchez officiating. Burial will be in Alexandria Memorial Gardens under the direction of John Kramer & Son. A wake service will be held at Kramer Saturday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a rosary at 7:15 p.m. Visitation on Sunday will be from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the funeral home.

She was born March 16, 1918 as one of 12 children of the late Lawrence and Rosa Mathews. She married Fabian Vanhoof on February 9, 1938. She was a charter member of Cabrini Church and served on the original board of directors for the school.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 34 years, her son-in-law Marion Trosclair, Jr.; five brothers, John, Charles, Thomas, O'Hearn, and Huey Mathews; and three sisters, Inez Jeansonne, Oralee Vanhoof and Mary Mathews.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was an accomplished cook, seamstress and gardener. Her coconut cake was a reunion favorite and she was known for the chocolate chip cookies she made for her grandchildren.

She is survived by four daughters, Marilyn Veronica Joyner (Paul) of El Dorado, Arkansas; Carol Annette Wester (Richard) of Natchitoches; Janet Clare Tompkins (Bob); and Susan Marie Belgard (Billy); one brother, Alfred Mathews (Betty); and two sisters, Delores Perkins and Shirley Brouillette (Nap); two sisters-in-law, Alice Mathews and Helen Smart, all of Alexandria; eleven grandchildren, Jacqueline J. Drescher of Charleston, South Carolina; Ben Michiels of Bossier City; Jeremy Michiels of Richardson, Texas; Shana Natula of Houston, Texas; Matthew Tompkins of Charlotte, North Carolina; Sally Tompkins of Alexandria; Chris Tompkins of Austin, Texas; Megan Trosclair of New Orleans; Marion Trosclair III of Lafayette; Heath Belgard of Alexandria; and Jennifer Cleghorn of Shreveport; four great-grandchildren, B.J. Baham; Olivia Michiels; Jackson Michiels; and Zachary Drescher.

Pallbearers will be Ben Michiels, Jeremy Michiels, Scott Drescher, Matthew Tompkins, Chris Tompkins, Marion Trosclair III, Heath Belgard, and Nicholas Landry.

Memorials may be made in her honor to St. Frances Cabrini Church or School, or to Holy Savior Menard Development Fund.

Thanks to her most cherished caregivers, Angie Zubiate, Vickie Clifton, Sheryle Guillory, and Ronda McKinney. Our thanks to Compassionate Care Hospice for their care.

Published in The Town Talk on November 12, 2011