A brother dead

and brothers mourning

Fill the heart

with grief today,

And the earnest

grasp fraternal;

Speaks, “a dear one

passed away.”

Yes, no longer

we shall greet thee

In the halls of DKE,

Yet thy name

in sweet remembrance

Graven on

our hearts will be.

We have parted,

Brother, parted,

As we trust, to meet again,

In a full unbroken circle,

Free from sorrow,

grief and pain.

Henry D. "Duke" Shackelford

Henry D. "Duke" Shackelford, ZZ '47, of Hollyhurst Plantation, Jones, LA, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Monday, September 24, 2007, at the age of 81.  Brother Shackelford was initiated into Zeta Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon on January 16, 1944.  He became president of the chapter and was a staunch supporter of LSU and the Zeta Zeta chapter throughout his life.  

Shackelford was a successful businessman and planter and a community leader widely known and admired in Morehouse Parish, LA.  A personal note on Brother Shackelford's generosity and sense of humor comes from Judge D. Milton Moore, ZZ '73:  "When I first ran for judge, in 1988, he made a contribution to my campaign fund and advised that, if he ever came in front of me, he wouldn't be looking for justice, only mercy."  

Shackelford was born at the state line north of Jones in 1926, the youngest of five sons of James Barnes Shackelford and Gladys Parks Shackelford. He was a cotton planter and ginner from the time he returned from World War II until his retirement several years ago (but he kept his eye on his farm, as anyone who had the pleasure of riding the fields with him will remember). 

He is survived by his son George Shackelford of Boston, Massachusetts; his son and daughter-in-law John Francis III (ZZ '79) and Lucy Shackelford of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, and their daughters Lucy Parks, Susan, and Elizabeth Shackelford; and his son and daughter-in-law Parks and Julie Anna Shackelford of Arlington, Virginia, with their daughters Ella and Olivia and their son, Duke. 

His beloved wife of 45 years, Sue Madison Shackelford, died in 1996.  In his professional life, he was active in a wide variety of agricultural organizations, including the National Cotton Council. For many years, he served as a director of Cotton, Inc., Entergy, and the Hibernia National Bank. He was known for his pointed intelligence and his strong ironic wit, which many of his friends and family will recall with both smiles and blushes. Above all, he was known for his generosity of spirit and his great hospitality. 

Funeral services will be held for Brother Shackelford at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, September 27, 2007 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Mer Rouge, LA under the direction of Golden Funeral Home.  Interment will follow in Christ Church Cemetery in Bastrop.  Visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, September 26 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. 

Parish mourns passing 

of 'Mr. Duke'

By Mark Rainwaters
Published: Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Venoy Kinnaird and Ronald Hopkins can each tell stories about how, if it weren't for Duke Shackelford, they probably wouldn't be farmers today.

To hear them and others, there are a number of people in Morehouse Parish who wouldn't be what or where they are today were it not for the efforts of the 81-year-old farmer and philanthropist who died at his home Monday morning.

Shackelford, whose family came to Morehouse in 1918, was one of parish's most substantial landowners. Through his Hollyhurst Plantation, "he became double rich," said long-time friend Dick Revells.

"But that wasn't his mark," said O.L. Harper. "He was one of the kindest me you would ever meet. And he had such a heart to help people."

Kinnaird was a young farmer struggling to make ends meet. Having known Shackelford all his life even made it tougher to go to Shackelford when he found himself in a pinch when his FHA loans came due.

	Brother Shackelford, pictured in 1992.

"I told him my problem, and he called Miss Doris into his office and asked her when he had some CDs maturing. She told him on Friday, and he told me to come back Monday," Kinnaird said. "He gave me the money and I paid him back, like we all did. I wouldn't be farming today if it weren't for him."

The "Miss Doris" Kinnaird referred to is Doris Sisson, Shackelford's secretary for 48 years. She came to Hollyhurst doing part time work "that became full time and overtime," Sisson said.

"I haven't just lost a boss, I've lost a friend," Sisson said. "The entire community and parish have."

Even if the help he offered wasn't direct as it was with Kinnaird, Hopkins said he pointed you in the right direction. In addition to his own farming and ginning operations, Shackelford for years sold seed and chemicals to other farmers in the area.

"It was probably the second or third year I was farming and we had a short crop," Hopkins said. "I ran into him and he asked how we'd done that year. I told him things were tight. He asked were we going to have much after we paid everyone and I told him a little. He told me, 'Don't worry about paying me just yet.' That's just the kind of man he was. He would help just about anyone who came to him."

Debbie Shackelford Mock was his niece. Shackelford provided her with a college education, which she parlayed into a career in education, teaching today at Morehouse Junior High.

"There were people who never knew the things he did for them," Mock said. "He paid for my education, but there were other graduates from the parish who went on to college and graduated, and he paid every dime of their education, too, and many of them never knew that he paid for every dime."

Education was something Revells said Shackelford saw the importance of. During desegregation, Shackelford supported tax proposals that provided improved facilities for students.

"Here was one of the wealthiest men in the parish, who paid as much or more taxes than just about anyone," Revells said. "But he supported that tax and just about every other one that dealt with education.

Harper had lunch with Shackelford on Sunday. The last conversation they had, Harper said, was indicative of how he cared for the community. Over the years, Harper said hundreds of people throughout the parish received handwritten notes of appreciation or encouragement from Shackelford. As his health began to deteriorate, he was unable to write any longer.

"He told me, 'Harper, I want you to draft a couple of letters for me -- one in support of the AgCenter tax and another in support of the hospital tax. You draft them and I'll sign them,'" Harper said. "He saw how important those things are to the community and he wanted to urge other people to support them, too. That's the legacy he leaves, one of compassion for others."