Della Frances Munguia Chartier

A funeral Mass for Della Frances Munguia Chartier, 94, will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church, 4700 Palmetto Rd., Benton, Louisiana. A rosary will be held at 10:00 a.m. and a visitation from 10:30 to the time of the service. Interment will be on Monday, March 2, 2026, at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Keithville, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Father Matthew Long.

On the evening of Monday, February 2, 2026, Della Chartier peacefully passed away at age 94, surrounded by her family. This was after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 1, 1931, to Caroline Hernandez Munguia and Martin Munguia during the Great Depression. Her generation, The Greatest Generation, worked hard, fought for good, celebrated life, and rose above challenges, including the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean War. They sang love songs, danced to Big Bands, and fell in love, married, and birthed the Baby Boomer generation in wholesome environments dedicated to God and country.

Della met the love of her life while serving in the USO (United Service Organization), which met at the YMCA on McNeill Street in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1953. The USO is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors, and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Della, an extraordinarily beautiful young lady, was part of a square dance organization and was a caller of the intricate squares. She needed a photographer and was given the number of Air Force Active Duty TSgt, Paul Earl Chartier, Jr. She reached out to the Airman, and the rest is history. They married on January 28, 1954, in Marksville, Louisiana. Earl used many enduring terms for Della, especially Sweetie!

Della and Earl shared their life adventures together for 55 years. They continued to court each other during their marriage. This included date nights, dancing, holding hands, and occasional stealthy smooches, even while and long after raising four active children. They made their homes in Air Force Bases around the world, including Wiesbaden AFB, Clark AFB, St Louis, and England Air Force Base.

Following Earl’s military career, they settled in Cheneyville, Louisiana, to care for her mother and father. Della’s managerial and accounting skills implemented better financial controls in many positions she worked. She organized and directed mass mailing campaigns, solicited donations for shelter workshops, chaired several committees motivating them toward achieving their goals, and was a commissioner in charge of the election polls. Della was a medical manager of an orthopedic unit at Confederate Memorial in Shreveport, Louisiana. She also worked for the late Tommy Wilson, Sr., in the law office in Shreveport, Louisiana.

During the Vietnam War, she volunteered for the American Red Cross at Clark Air Base. It was the busiest airport in the world. Here, Della assisted active-duty military in emergency communications, community services, and morale support programs to enhance the well-being of service members and their families, including many wounded soldiers. As a member of this organization, she connected families with additional resources and financial assistance during hardships, ensuring humanitarian assistance at the disposal of service members.

After moving to St. Louis, Della was the working supervisor at the Lighthouse for the Blind from 1970 to 1972. The organization employed those who were blind, providing them with a place where they could develop new, productive skills while earning a steady income. The organization grew from making brooms, mops, and doormats to making ballpoint pen cartridges for the government and contracting with the General Services Administration.

After Earl’s military retirement to Louisiana, Della served as the legal secretary of Pharis & Pharis in Alexandria, Louisiana from 1972 to 1974. Out of necessity of being closer to her elderly parents, she then worked at the Farmer’s Dusting Company, Inc in Cheneyville, Louisiana, as the secretary and bookkeeper from 1974 to 1985, and then she worked in the Town of Cheneyville as the Town Clerk from 1985 to 1988. This included assisting the town with acquiring grants for development and improvements.

Her education included the Executive Secretarial Course from Meadows-Draughton Business College, General Business Courses, LSU-Alexandria, and Notary Public from Alexandria, Louisiana. Della received Certificates of Appreciation for years of outstanding service to the Barksdale Air Force Base Family Services Program in the early 1960s. For her service at Clark Air Force Base in the late 1960s, she received the achievement of Community Service Award. She completed ground school in Private Pilot Preparation from Northwest High School in Cedar Ridge, Missouri, and completed her course study for Horticulture for Nursery at Alexandria Regional Technical Institute of Alexandria, Louisiana. Della also completed the Legal Assistance Program and the Paralegal Certification from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Louisiana. She cherished the Certificate of Appreciation for the United States Air Force at the retirement of her husband for her own unselfish, faithful, and devoted services, unfailing support, and understanding. Della loved sewing, cooking, horticulture, and her family. Della volunteered for years of service to the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America as Den Mother, Troop Committee Member, and Girl Scout Leader. Notably, each of her five male descendants was directly or indirectly inspired to reach the highest rank in scouting, Eagle Scout. With a beautiful smile, Della attended and participated in each of their award ceremonies. Her life was a careful balancing of home, military, and community activities.

Della loved God first and family second. She was a faithful, active member of the Catholic Church at Barksdale Air Force Base, Christ the King Catholic Church in Bossier City, Clark Air Force Base, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cheneyville, Louisiana, and finally attended St. Jude Catholic Church in Benton, Louisiana, the last two years of her life. Della and Earl were faithful to our Lord and attended mass, having a strong prayer life. They were engaged in Worldwide Marriage Encounter. Della served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for the Diocese of Alexandria. She ingrained the love of the Lord in her family and often in the prayer of the rosary. She served in the Altar Society, prepared altar clothes, sang in the choir, and cleaned the church. She and Earl loved decorating the church at Christmas time. She loved her family dearly and would do anything for them, her legacy. She loved the holidays in which she prepared large meals and shared the festivities. She loved tending to her plants, gardens, and her many dogs and cats, sewing, cooking, and drawing. Della sang as a beautiful alto with the voice of an angel. Earl often called her Angel.

With a green thumb, she grew a variety of flowers and plants, avocado trees, pineapples, Japanese Plums, pear trees, plum trees, satsuma oranges, pecan trees, and magnolia trees.

Family time was wonderful. Della and Earl would have the grandchildren over as much as possible to enjoy fishing and boating on the bayou, or the local lakes, taking the grandchildren to the YMCA for swimming lessons, or playing in the garden. Many bonfires were held on the bayou for New Year's Eve. She was well-liked by those who met her, and she was always ready to help others.

Della was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Paul E Chartier, Jr.; her parents, Caroline Munguia and Martin Munguia; newborn granddaughter twins, Christine and Pauline Chartier, and many of her in-laws.

She is survived by her sister, Margaret (Maggie) MacGonegal; four children, Martin Chartier and his wife, Betty, Josephine Chartier, Caroline Chartier, and Paulita Chartier. Surviving descendants also include grandchildren: (Roy) Martin Chartier and his wife, Emily, Paul Chartier and his wife, Monica, Christopher Chartier, Michelle Anderson and her husband, Tommy; and James Willis and his wife, Teryn. Della is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Maize Chartier and Betty DeCelles, and numerous nieces and nephews. Great-grandchildren, Rosemary Christine Chartier, Olivia Lorraine Chartier, Lily Della Pauline Chartier, Chloe Jean Willis, and Claire Willis (coming soon). Bonus grandchildren, Tayler Anderson, Bailey Anderson, and Brock Murphy.

Honoring Della as pallbearers will be Martin Chartier, Marty Chartier, Christopher Chartier, Gene Willis, Tommy Anderson, and Paul Chartier.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society at https://donorservices.alz.org or St. Jude Catholic Church in Benton, Louisiana, to honor Della’s memory.

The family thanks the St. Jude Catholic Church Ladies Guild for the beautiful cards and prayers, as well as the St. Jude family for the prayers. The family offers thanks to Father Fidel Mondragon, of Christ the King Catholic Church in Bossier City, for coming to Della’s bedside and providing the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on January 7, 2026, which coincides with the birthday of Della’s deceased husband, Earl. The family also thanks the wonderful staff at Christus Hospice for the care they gave Della, especially Dr. Robert Massingill, RN Candy, and RN Latonya, and a special thank you to CNA Debbie. Debbie cared for Della as if she were her own mother. During a difficult time, they eased the transition for Della and the family by the caring grace given to the family’s much beloved “sweetie, angel, wife, mom, grandma, and great grandma” as she lived her final days.

The family is grateful that Della was able to walk into the family Christmas celebration to share a meal and family time for one last Christmas together. Hearing Della call us by name or call us her sweet little girls or boys up until the end of December was a blessing. Even with Alzheimer’s Disease, Mom would often smile as she sat with us. The gentle squeeze of her hands was reassuring that better times were waiting for her in heaven. It is comforting to know that Earl met Della at the pearly gates to begin the next part of the journey. They are probably dancing in heaven. Most of all, our family thanks God for loaning Della Frances Munguia Chartier to us, for she loved each of us. Thank you, God.

May God unite us all in peace.