Mr. General Trass, Jr.

January 3, 1923 - March 20, 2013

Funeral Services for Mr. General Trass, Jr. are scheduled for Friday, March 29th, 12:00 noon at Lake Providence Senior High School, 700 Martin Luther King Drive in Lake Providence, LA. Visitation is 1 to 5 PM, Thursday, March 28th at the Brannum Funeral Home Chapel, 503 Sparrow Street, Lake Providence. A Memorial Service will take place from 6 to 8 PM at First Baptist Church, 615 Sparrow Street...the Omega Service of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will take place during that time. General Trass, Jr. was born January 3, 1923. General , or “Themie”, as he was affectionately known, transitioned into eternal rest on March 20, 2013. He was married to Elizabeth Brannum Trass who preceded him in death. General was the twelfth child of thirteen born to General Trass, Sr. and Mary Jordan Trass. A product of East Carroll Parish Schools, he went on to attend Southern University A&M College and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education with a major in Social Studies. While at Southern, he became a member of the Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. , and shared his melodious voice with the Southern University Choir. He later earned his Master of Arts Degree in Administration and Supervision from Tuskegee Institute. He became engaged to Elizabeth Brannum and they were subsequently married in 1949 while he was a senior at Southern University. Their daughter, Karen, was a product of their 60 year marriage. Mr. Trass worked closely with his wife in the management of Brannum Funeral Home and Pride of Carroll Life Insurance Company. In World War II, Soldier Trass served his country honorably in Europe and achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. He was Commissioned First Lt. at Southern University in Baton Rouge and, subsequently, was commissioned a Captain in the Army Reserve. As an educator, General was the first native son to be elected high school principal after a single year’s teaching experience. He became principal of the East Carroll Parish Training School in July 1954 and principal of the G. W. Griffin High School in 1955. He has been credited with the establishment of G.W. Griffin High School under his administration. Always concerned with excellence and high academic standards in the classroom, General Trass adhered to a policy of strict discipline and tough love for his students. He retired as principal of the Lake Providence Senior High School in 1991. A devoted and faithful member of First Baptist Church of Lake Providence, General served as the Superintendent of the Sunday School, Church Treasurer and was entrusted as a Deacon under the pastorate of the late Rev. Freddie Green. One of his favorite activities was the Easter Egg Hunt where he would dye eggs and stuff over fifty bags for the church community. As a community leader, while still a principal, General was elected and served one term as the Mayor of Lake Providence in 1982.Additionally, under his leadership, a new city hall was built. He also served as a member of the board of East Carroll Community Action Agency, Byerly House, Lake Providence Chamber of Commerce, East Carroll Parish Historical and Preservation Board, the Private Industry Council, and the North Delta Area Agency on Aging. Mr. Trass was a Mason, and, as a charter member of the Eta Delta Lambda Graduate Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. , served as its President and in many other roles. Mr. Trass received numerous awards, honors and recognitions over the years. He was especially proud of a 1987 Griffin High School reunion at His Lordships in Berkeley, California where graduates from across the United States came to honor him. Over the past few years, his daughter, Karen, who moved to Lake Providence to operate the family business, accompanied Mr. Trass. He also spent time with his grandson, Charles Carl Teamer III who is a junior in high school. His kind and generous spirit will be missed by all, especially by his daughter and grandchildren for whom his generosity and caring had no limits. He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth, her two sisters Martha Belle Brannum Christon and Albertine Brannum Hayes, PhD. His sisters and brothers: Wylie ,Sr., Minnie, Dorothy, Lafayette, Carmen, Reato, Elijah, Joshua, President, Janice, William, and Emma also preceded him in death. He leaves to mourn his passing his daughter Karen Trass Teamer and her husband Charles Teamer, Jr. and their three children: Cherie, Tulane University Law School; Ashley, a Senior at Boston University and Charles III; nieces, Toniilynn Trass, Candace Crute and nephews, Karl Piper, Kenneth Trass, Reginald Trass, Gregory Trass, Herman Trass, Rickey Trass, Wylie Trass, Leslie Trass, and Arthur Trass; Cousin, Arliss Jones and a very special cousin, Irene Barnes Burnett, and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.