Feb. 17, 1916 – July 28, 2011

NEWELLTON, La. — Services for Edwin G. Preis, 95, of Newellton, La., who died Thursday, July 28, 2011, after a short illness, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Newellton Union Church with Clyde Ray Weber officiating.

Burial will follow at Legion Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home.

Mr. Preis was born Feb. 17, 1916, in Waterproof. He was married to Pat Preis for 67 wonderful years.

Edwin lived in Newellton with his wife for 65 years. He was the mayor of Newellton for 28 years. He served as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association and had a number of friends around the state of Louisiana. He loved Newellton and Tensas Parish and was dedicated to the public school system and improvements in the town of Newellton.

The people of Newellton said of him that “if you sent him to Washington with a credit card, he would bring back a new water system or sewer system.” He was a founder of the Little League Baseball Association in the parish. One of his greatest loves was serving as announcer along with his long time friend, O.R. Barnes, at the Newellton High football games during the 1960s when Newellton won two district championships and was state runner-up. During his tenure as mayor, he was asked to represent Louisiana in a meeting at the White House with then President Bill Clinton.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Edwin Preis and wife, Chris, of Lafayette, La., and Phillip Preis and wife, Terry, of Baton Rouge; one daughter, Patricia Preis Thompson and husband, Dr. Tony Thompson of Nacogdoches, Texas; 12 grandchildren whom he loved and followed their lives to adulthood, Elise Colomb and husband, Brian, Meredith Lalonde and husband, Jonah, Meghan Thibodeaux and husband, Garett, all of Lafayette, Philip Preis Jr. and wife, Emelie, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Caroline Preis Graham and husband, Eric, of Baton Rouge, Michael Preis of Austin, Texas, Jennifer Preis of Dallas, Matt Thompson of Baton Rouge, Graham Thompson and Ben Thompson, both of Shreveport, La., step-grandchildren, Todd Adam and wife, Jennifer, of the Woodlands, Texas and Ginger Adam of Baton Rouge; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be grandsons.

Honorary pallbearers will be Frank Burnside Jr., Sonny Kifer and Billy Guthrie.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Newellton Union Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 265, Newellton, LA.