Ethelyn Lunsford

A funeral service for Ethelyn Lunsford, 99, will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City, Louisiana. Burial will follow at Rose-Neath Cemetery in Bossier City. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Bossier City. Officiating the service will be Pastor Robert Beadle.

Ethelyn was born on April 11, 1926, to Edwin and Ruth Popenoe in Topeka, Kansas, and passed away on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Bossier City, Louisiana. She lived a life rooted in faith, kindness, and devotion, first to her calling, and always to the people she loved.

She earned her master’s degree in education from Ball State University and poured her heart into the classroom, guiding kindergartners in California and first graders in Indiana with patience, joy, and grace. Her legacy as a teacher lives on in the countless lives she nurtured, one lesson, one smile, one story at a time.

Ethelyn’s faith was her foundation. She found fulfillment in serving her church and cherished the fellowship of dear friends, especially her lifelong confidante, Ginny Stickel. She was happiest in moments filled with gospel and bluegrass music, a crochet hook in hand, crafting towels to give away, or tending to her windowsill garden at Brookdale—each potted plant a quiet testament to her care.

She married the love of her life, Earl Lunsford, on December 23, 1990. Together, they shared years of service and adventure through The Shrine, the Marine Veterans and Purple Heart organizations, and their church community. When Alzheimer’s made it necessary for Earl to move to the Veterans Home, Ethelyn’s devotion never wavered—she visited him as often as she could, a steady presence and a reflection of enduring love.

She was a loving mother, a dedicated wife, a faithful servant, and a woman whose life was touched by grace—and in turn, touched many others.

Ethelyn was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Ruth Popenoe; beloved husband, Earl Lunsford; son, David Cousins; and brothers, Edwin Popenoe, Ward Popenoe, and Charles Popenoe. She is survived by her daughters, Joanna Sasher and Kathleen Cousins; grandchildren, Beth Sizemore and Scott Harmon; four great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; stepdaughters, Carol Lupton, Lynn Lee, and Kay Zamberlan; 10 step-grandchildren; 28 step-great-grandchildren; and four step-great-great-grandchildren.

Honoring Ethelyn as pallbearers will be Ken Lee, Jared Lee, Eric Lee, Jimmy Lupton, Jim Wilkinson, and Scott Harmon. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be the Deacons of First Baptist Church of Benton.

The family suggests memorials may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, www.cff.org, First Baptist Church of Benton, www.fbcbenton.net, or to Nina’s Road to Rescue, www.roadtorescuela.org.