Johnnie Mae Sandifer Marshall

Funeral Services for Johnnie Mae Sandifer Marshall will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, LA. Interment will follow at Forest Park Cemetery, St. Vincent Ave. Officiating will be Rev. Dr. Chris Currie. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, 2015. A second visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until time of service on Thursday. Johnnie Mae was born February 19, 1926 in Catahoula Parish, (Manifest) LA, to John Newburg Sandifer and Eunice Smith. Johnnie Mae was the fourth baby girl born to the Sandifers'. They later had three boys, including a set of twins. Johnnie Mae was baptized in the Bursley Creek and attended Pisgah Baptist Church in Manifest. She attended Manifest Schools and graduated from Manifest High in 1943 and she was the tennis champ of her class. She was a momma's girl, always pulling on her mother's dress and keeping close by. At age five, on the first day of kindergarten, it rained and she told her classmates she had to go home to check on her mother; and she didn't return to school until the next year. During high school, she became interested in Nursing, when she saw the Community Health Nurse working with patients, and told her friends that's what she wanted to do. The summer after high school she moved to Winfield, LA and lived with her sister, Dot. She worked at the Phenix Drug Store as a soda jerk. She loved working there and loved to talk with people, give her five minutes and she could find out all about you and where you came from. Governor Earl Long would come in and always ask her for a root beer soda and they could talk about what was going on in the world. She started Nursing School through the first Cadet Nursing School Program in our nation, at Centenary College of Louisiana, in Shreveport, LA. She was the first one to register and made Shreveport Times. Her hometown was impressed and proud. She attended two years before starting the Highland Nursing School program. She lived in the Highland dorm behind the hospital. They were paid very little and worked very hard. She trained six months at Charity Hospital in New Orleans for OB and returned to Highland and completed her training as a Registered Nurse. She loved working in Surgery and soon was promoted to floor supervisor. She worked as Dr. Richard Drummond's nurse for years before she met and married Kenneth Sentell Marshall. She and Ken built a house on his beloved Cuba Plantation. Ken farmed and Johnnie planted and maintained her five acre garden. They loved having friends come and visit them there. Their daughter Margaret was born in 1961 and they spent time between Cuba and their house on Robinson Place in Shreveport, LA. Johnnie was a true southern lady; she had the drawl, manners and gift of gab. She could make anything better. She knew everyone in town and if she didn't, give her five minutes and she could find out. She loved working with patients and met many wonderful folks during her career. After her career at Highland, she was House Supervisor at Schumpert Medical Center for years. She later worked in Professional Home Health, and finished her nursing career in dialysis. It was there she met and worked with Dr. Sheldon Kottle, she was his nurse until Dr. Robert McCoy came into the practice, then she worked for Dr. McCoy, Dr. Phil Garavaglia and the Nephrology group. She served on the board of directors for the National Kidney Foundation and received an award for her distinguished service to the foundation. Her nursing career expanded over 60 plus years. During these years she met many wonderful people and was nicknamed "the head nurse of Shreveport". After retirement, she spent her time with her beloved grandson, Marshall and daughter, Margaret. Johnnie Mae was a very special, unique, and personable southern lady. She will be missed tremendously by her family and friends. Johnnie is preceded in death by her parents John and Eunice Sandifer, her husband Kenneth Sentell Marshall; sisters, Annie Bailey, Daphne Dawson, and Dorothy Waller; brothers, Dale Sandifer, Tillman Sandifer, and son-in-law, Kenneth Craig John. She is survived by her daughter, Margaret Marshall John; grandson, Marshall Kenneth John of Shreveport; brother, Waymon W. Sandifer and wife, Norma, of Jena, LA; special friends, John Jackson of Winfield, LA, and Danny Causey of Shreveport, LA, Robert McCoy and wife, Ike, Phil Garavaglia and wife, Dee; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Honoring Johnnie Mae as pallbearers will be Tommy Horn, Patrick Jordan, nephews, Joel Kees, Troy Sandifer, Ben Bordelon and Eric Bordelon. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be the Staff and Physicians of Frenius Dialysis Centers and Northwest La Nephrology. The family wishes to thank The Oaks SNF unit, Willis-Knighton ECC, W-K North/Pierremont: W-K Pierremont ICU, Tristate Internal Medicine, Dr. Le and Staff, Dr. Ray Smith and Staff, Dr. Posner and Staff, Dr. Liu, Dr. McCoy, Dr. Garavaglia, Dr. Shuler, Dr. Green and Dr. Danzell. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, www.kidney.org/donate, Pisgah Baptist Church, 11432 Hwy 8, Jonesville, LA 71343, The First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport, LA, 900 Jordan Street Shreveport, LA 71101, or to the charity of the donor's choice.   A mother's love endures forever, I love you Mom, Margaret