Funeral information for Eugene “Tunk” Arnold Andries Jr.

The following was communicated to us by Kramer & Son Funeral Home:

A Christian Burial Mass for Eugene Arnold “Tunk” Andries, Jr. will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 6, 2022 at St. Rita Catholic Church with Reverend Craig Scott and Reverend Anthony Dharmaraj officiating. Interment will follow Greenwood Memorial Park under the direction of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, May 5, 2022 and will resume from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 6, 2022 at the funeral home. The recitation of the Holy Rosary will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022, in the Kramer Chapel.

Eugene Arnold “Tunk” Andries, Jr, 93, of Bayou Rapides, died Tuesday, May 3, 2022, surrounded by his family.

Tunk is predeceased by his wife, Nanette Andries; daughter, Kathy Andries Holt; parents, Eugene Sr. and Maggie Andries; and his sister, Shirley Lee.

Tunk was born on September 17, 1928. He married his college girlfriend and they were together for 59 years. Tunk was a farmer and cattle rancher in Bayou Rapides. Tunk shared his love of cattle and farming with his children and countless 4-H kids in the parish. He was the last surviving founding member of the Rapides Fair Association. Tunk also served as chairman of numerous committees until his death. He has been recognized and received countless awards at the parish, regional and state level. Tunk served on the Rapides Parish Politics Jury for two terms and was instrumental in passing a tax for the construction of the Rapides Parish Coliseum. He served on the board of the Rapides Island Water Association and helped bring a water system to the community of Bayou Rapides. He helped form the Dixie Youth Baseball League and built Cruikshank Park for children in the community. Tunk was a member of LA. Prison Enterprise Board, LA and Rapides Cattleman Association, and McNutt Gin Board of Directors. He served as Justice of the Peace for Ward 8. Tunk also built Kincaid Boat Landing and Grocery which he operated with his wife for many years. He helped develop (along with his brother-in-law, John Douglas Verzwyvelt) Amelia Private Mobile Home Park on Lake Kincaid. He also imagined, planned and built Tunk’s Cypress Inn Restaurant on Lake Kincaid.

He was a lifelong parishioner of St. Margaret’s Catholic Church and recently a parishioner of St. Rita’s Catholic Church. Tunk enjoyed hunting and fishing, especially saltwater shrimp and crab fishing. He also enjoyed working with wood in his workshop. Tunk will be remembered as a devoted father with a mischievous spirit and a heart of gold.

Those who cherish his memory include his children, Sandra and her husband, Jimbo Thiels, Robbie and his wife, Glenda Andries, Dale and his wife, Donna Andries; son-in-law, Rusty Holt; grandchildren, Scotty Thiels (Michelle), Stefanie Watkins, Eric Thiels (Brandi), Julie DeKeyzer (Justin), Travis Andries (Tracy), Amy Holt Brown (Kyle), Jamie Holt (ReBecca), John Holt (Ashley) and Hunter Andries; great-grandchildren, Ethan and Oliva Watkins, Liam and Eli Thiels, Deklan and Lucy DeKeyzer, Tori and Trent Andries, Natalie and Sutton Holt, Cooper, Kathryn and Sawyer Brown, and Bailee Kathryn Holt; sisters, Faye Mathews, Mary Jo Broussard (Aaron); brother, Dr. John Andries (Patsy); a special companion, Betty Leavines, and lifelong friends, Leman Price and Mary Smith Recard.

The pallbearers honored to serve will be his grandsons, Scotty Thiels, Eric Thiels, Jamie Holt, Travis Andries, John Holt and Hunter Andries. Honorary bearers will be Ralph Gill, Joey Mathews, Doug Verzwyvelt, Mark Thompson, Dr. Trent James, Cecil Mathews, Matt Reed and members of the Rapides Fair Association.

Charitable donations may be made to Rapides Parish 4-H Foundation, 300 Grady Britt Dr, Alexandria, LA 71302, St. Margaret Catholic Church, 402 Ryan St, Boyce, LA 71409 or St. Rita Catholic Church, 3822 Bayou Rapides Road, Alexandria, LA. 71303, or a charity of your choice.

The Andries family would like to thank Dee Dee Gremillion of Harbor Hospice for the amazing care and love she showed Tunk during this time.

To send online condolence notes to the Andries family, please visit www.KramerFunerals.com.

Copyright 2022 Kramer & Son Funeral Home. All rights reserved.