Cleo Williams, 92, of Franklinton, departed this life on Sept. 28, 2015, at Heritage Manor Nursing Home.

Williams was born on March 19, 1923 to the late Ina Carter Shanks.  She was the oldest of 12 children.  She left Franklinton and moved to New York at an early age where she resided for many years, before returning to Louisiana in 2003.

The staff at Heritage Manor loved her and did a very good job taking care of her. She was known by everyone around the nursing home as “Miss New York” because of her style and grace. She loved to play bingo and do arts and crafts. She put many of her drawings and paintings in the Washington Parish Fair and won many ribbons for her work.

She leaves to cherish her memory one son, Latimore (Ada) Shanks of New York; a daughter, Odelia (Osborne) Burris of Franklinton; two granddaughters, Denise (Chaka) Brown of New York, and Sheila Burris of Georgia; one grandson, Mel of New York; four great-grandsons, Darrell Hamalor, Edward Finch, Elija (Delilah) Brown and Tireq Brown, all of New York; two great-granddaughters, Ebony Hamalor (James Redman) of New York and Rondizha (Jurail) Kizer of Georgia; two great-great-grandchildren, Jahmeen Redman and Addison Brown, both of New York; three sisters, Hazel Garrett of Folsom, Mildred Bennett (James Currie) of New York and Fannie Handy of New York; one sister-in-law, Mattie L. Shanks of Franklinton; one godson, Jerry Smith of New York; and a host of other family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ida Shanks Handy; three brothers, Willie Earl Handy, Julius Shanks and Otha Lee Handy; three sisters, Ida Mae Andrews, Clotile Thompson and Maida Burns; and three grandchildren, Vicki Lynn Burris, Edward Shanks and Sherri Denise Hamalor.

Visitation will be held at the Cook-Richmond Funeral Home in Franklinton, on Monday, Oct. 5, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a wake service from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  The funeral service will be Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 11 a.m. at Sweet Rest Baptist Church in Franklinton, with the Rev. Dr. Mallory Callahan officiating. Interment will be in the Bogalusa Cemetery.

Visit and sign the guest register online at cookrichmond.com.