Shelia Owens

Shelia K. Owens, of Bush, Louisiana, passed away on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, at the age of 68 years old.

Shelia was born on March 1, 1952, in Leitchfield, Kentucky. Though she loved her home, family and friends in Louisiana, Kentucky held her heart, for that is where her childhood memories and close family members still reside. She had gorgeous Auburn hair and a beautiful smile!

She was a mother of angel babies, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, a cousin and a well- respected employee and coworker. She was a vibrant, colorful, loud, proud woman! She loved big and loved hard!

Shelia was an avid candy maker from age old recipes, Pralines, Fudge of all flavors, divinity, and her newest age-old recipe of Kentucky cream candy taffy. She was spending hours making and stretching and pulling to get the perfect candy. She had her nephew cut her a marble slab and recruited her niece to help stretch and pull, she had called her Kentucky family to tell them that “Aunt Delphine’s taffy was kicking her butt!”

Shelia enjoyed many hobbies, most she shared with her husband, of 32 years, Truman. She was excellent with a sewing machine, making her husbands shirts and hemming his pants to the perfect length he wanted. She enjoyed gardening with her husband and bragged on his beautiful tomatoes. She enjoyed canning their vegetables and making jellies. She recently rescued two dwindling plants from her niece and her green thumb brought their beauty back! Her husband said she had coffee with the plants every morning and swore her talking to them gave them life. Perhaps, the same way she brought life to any room she was in! She also spent time with her husband, camping in Grand Isle crabbing and fishing. The woman loved some crabs! If she wasn’t catching them, they would go to the casino to eat them, she even had customers that would bring them to her. She would cook up some seafood gumbo, and pass it around! In previous younger years, they even enjoyed riding motorcycles together, to which she had her own Harley!

Shelia was a life-long waitress by choice. She truly loved serving the public and quickly made lasting friendships with her customers. All which describe her energy contagious and her smile warming.

Shelia was known as a survivor! She had some hard life situations through the years that could have been excuses to give-up or fold her cards. Instead she took was she was dealt and played them as if she had a winning hand every time! She woke each morning, said she “put on her face so she wouldn’t scare anyone,” and did something productive every day! She shared her laughter and love and she lived, even on her hardest days! She will be deeply missed.

Shelia’s wish was to be cremated and she will be laid to rest with a private graveside service in Bush, La beside her parents and her angel babies.

Shelia is survived by her husband, Truman D. Owens, SR. and a step-son and daughter-in-law, Truman D. Owens, Jr. (Tammy Owens). A sister, Patricia Dykes of Bush, La., Her nieces, Jennifer Waldrop (Curtis Waldrop) of Biloxi, Ms., Natasha Culbreath (Joe Travis) of Sun, La., Kema Dykes, Kayla D. Pounds (Mo Pounds) of Bogalusa, La. Her nephews, Richie Culbreath (Deana Burch) of Franklinton, La. And Brandon Dykes, of Bush, La. An Aunt, Delphine Brown of Lexington, Ky., Uncle Jim Tomes of Lexington, Ky and many cousins, great nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her Angel babies. Her parents, Herbert E. Culbreath and Edith Marie Tomes Culbreath, her brother, Herbert O. Culbreath (Hub), and her two nephews, Morgan Wade Hunt and Jesse O. Culbreath.

If anyone would like to give their support or offer a story, feel free to share on the Bagnell Funeral home memorial page or email her niece at NCulbreath34@gmail.com