Edwin Gustav Preis

Funeral service for Edwin G. Preis, 95, of Newellton, Louisiana, will be held at 2 P.M. Sunday, July 31, 2011, at the Newellton Union Church with Clyde Ray Weber officiating. Burial will be at Legion Memorial Cemetery. Edwin was born February 17, 1916, in Waterproof, Louisiana. He was married to Pat Preis for 67 wonderful years. He passed away Thursday, July 28, 2011 after a short illness. Edwin lived in Newellton with his wife, Pat, for 65 years. Edwin was the Mayor of Newellton for 28 years. He was president of the Louisiana Municipal Association and had numerous 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 1960’s 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. Edwin is survived by his wife Pat; two sons, Edwin Preis and his wife, Chris of Lafayette, and Phillip Preis and his wife, Terry of Baton Rouge and his one daughter, Patricia Preis Thompson and her husband, Dr. Tony Thompson of Nacogdoches Texas. Edwin had twelve grandchildren whom he loved and followed their lives to adulthood. He is survived by Elise Colomb and her husband, Brian, Meredith Lalonde and her husband, Jonah, Meghan Thibodeaux and her husband, Garett all of Lafayette; Phillip Preis Jr. and his wife, Emelie of Brooklyn, New York, Caroline Preis Graham and her husband, Eric Graham of Baton Rouge, Michael Preis of Austin, Texas, Jennifer Preis of Dallas, Texas, Matt Thompson of Baton Rouge, Graham Thompson and Ben Thompson of Shreveport and his step-grandchildren, Todd Adam and his wife, Jennifer of the Woodlands, Texas and Ginger Adam of Baton Rouge; and ten great-grandchildren. The pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be Frank Burnside Jr, Sonny Kifer and Billy Guthrie. The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Newellton Union Church Memorial Fund, Box 265, Newellton, La.

Edwin Gustav Preis

February 17, 1916 - July 28, 2011