The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame was the setting for Rotary’s program on June 26, 2024, which honored the good works Jane Purser, member of our local Rotary club for 35 years, has done in our community. The museum’s meeting room was festively decorated by the museum director, Shonna Moss, and her staff with photographs of Mrs. Purser and family members on each table, purple and yellow flowers, a banner reading “Thank You Jane Purser” and a board bearing a placard for most of the organizations and causes to which Mrs. Purser has contributed over the years. A few could not be posted because the board was not large enough.
Mrs. Purser’s children, Paul Purser, Donnie Purser and his wife, Leah, Pam Purser Gunter, and Matt Purser, attended the meeting, as well as several other guests, including Winnfield’s mayor, Gerald Hamms, and former mayor, George Moss. Former mayor Kiah Beville was also present as a member of Rotary and a speaker about the honoree.
The program was in the form of “This is Your Life, Jane Purser,” with many people speaking about Mrs. Purser’s impact on their lives and the organizations in which they served the public together. Eddie Jenkins, Winnfield native and frequent visitor to Rotary, was in Mrs. Purser’s eighth grade English class. He told of his enjoyment of her class, and how she let the kids know she loved them.
The next person to speak about how much Mrs. Purser means to her was Jan Beville, whose uncle was married to Mrs. Purser’s sister-in-law, so that she considered her “Aunt Jane.” Jan was in junior high when Mrs. Purser served as the school’s guidance counselor and often spent recess in her office. She also spoke of being a member of a prayer group with Mrs. Purser.
Mrs. Purser next served as the student personal services officer at the VoTech, where she did counseling, testing, orientation, coordinated financial aid, developed first employability skills program, coordinated GED and literacy programs in area school systems. She also developed a work- place literacy program integrating academic and vocational education skills.
Mrs. Purser also worked in the education department at CCA for many years, providing a pre-release program which showed the men being released from the facility how to access services they needed, helping identify their interests, and how to apply for jobs, conduct interviews and be a good employee. She also followed up with the men after release to see how interviews went and if they got a job.
While Mrs. Purser was actively employed, she also participated in many programs for the benefit of the community outside her work and continues to do so even today at the age of 90. One such organization was KAIROS, which brings the message of Christ into the prisons so the inmates can hear the word of God and have the opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and turn their lives around. Helene Walker told the crowd of Mrs. Purser’s involvement in this ministry.
Mrs. Purser served on the local school board from 1995 through the end of 1998.
Mrs. Purser was instrumental in developing a literacy program to teach adults how to read fluently for the local area in the late 1990’s. She taught others how to tutor adults in reading not only in Winn Parish but in the surrounding parishes as well. The literacy program here is ongoing and she continues to train reading tutors.
Mickey Simmons related that, as a Rotary member for at least 35 years, Jane has served as president and vice president and been intimately involved with the group’s service projects, school uniforms for underprivileged students, dictionaries for all 4th graders in the parish, Christmas gifts for foster children, the scholarship committee and the like.
Mrs. Purser is also actively involved with the Winn Community Food Pantry, as related by Kiah Beville. She began working at the food pantry when she retired from full-time work and has continued to serve there faithfully ever since. She is there to help distribute food to those in need most Thursdays of the month.
She has also continued to serve in the Presbyterian Church from the time she moved to Winnfield in 1967 until today, as has Carolyn Phillips, who spoke of working with Jane to keep the church doors open. According to Carolyn, Jane is one of the most faithful members, present at every event for as long as she can remember.
Mary Lou Blackley related that Mrs. Purser was also instrumental in beginning a ministry called Tuesday School, a Sunday School on Tuesdays after regular school which ministers to children to teach them about Jesus and how to become a Christian and live a Christian life. She also participates in the annual Winn Community Feast and Back to School Bash sponsored by the group Caring & Sharing in Unity, of which Jane is a member.
The end of the program was a presentation to Mrs. Purser of a plaque in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle piece, saying that she is an essential piece of the puzzle and an inspiration to those who observe her service. She was also presented with certificates recognizing that she has observed the instructions from Christ in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16 about letting others observe her good works and glorifying our Father in Heaven, Matthew 25, verses 34-40 about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving the thirsty water, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and James 3, verse 13 about a wise woman.
