In Loving Memory of

Life’s Journey

On September 16, 1939, a baby girl was born to Eugene Henderson and Bessie Ann Whitehead. They named her Leola, also known as Sister. Leola was the seventh child of ten children. She attended public school in Jonesville, Louisiana. She excelled in her schoolwork and graduated at the top of her class in 1958. After graduation, she attended Grambling College, now known as Grambling University, until her junior year. She moved to Houston, Texas, and lived with her sister, Bessie. Later, Leola moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with her other siblings. While in Chicago, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter and named her Diana. After living in Chicago for a while, she and Diana moved back to Houston to resume living with Bessie in hopes of going back to Grambling College. However, before leaving to finish her studies, she met a wonderful man named Cecil Franks. They married and had a beautiful daughter whom they named Latocha Shunte. Cecil had five children prior to meeting Leola. With a thirst for learning and a passion for sewing, she enrolled in Texas Southern University (TSU) where she earned a degree in Fashion Design.

Leola’s Christian walk began at an early age under the late Pastor W. W. Fletcher in Louisiana. While in Houston, she joined True Light Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Pastor E. L. Lott. She continued her membership under the present leadership of Pastor Craig S. Taylor, Sr. Her life journey ended on April 5, 2024.