Born March 26, 1914 - Died August 20, 2004

Buried Fern Park Cemetery, Natchitoches, LA

The Town Talk, Alexandria-Pineville, LA, pg A3, 23 August 2004

Sarah Dorothy Cohen

"Strength and honor are her clothing: She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of Kindness." Proverbs 31:25-26

Sarah Dorothy Cohen died peacefully on Friday, August 20, 2004.  She was a true native of the historic Cane River Lake having been born there on March 26, 1914 to Hymen Cohen and Sarah Dorothy Wallenberg Cohen.  She was the eldest of four children growing up on the family's Lakeview Plantation, between Melrose and Magnolia Plantations.

"Miss Cohen", as she was affectionately known by generations of students and friends, was a graduate of Natchitoches High School.  She earned her BA degree and teaching certificate from Louisiana State Normal College (Northwestern University of Louisiana) in 1934.  She was active in numerous campus organizations.  Inspired with the desire to learn, she set forth on a remarkable educational goal for her time.  She attended Columbia University, New York City, NY, where she received her MA degree in History.

With a graduate degree in hand, she returned to her beloved Natchitoches area to teach English at Natchitoches High School.  Hundreds of young students at Natchitoches High School and at Northwestern benefited from her role as a teacher and a supervisor.  She found the extra time needed to serve as advisor to "Chinquapin" NHS yearbook and her touch remains within the copies found in libraries of NHS alumni.

She was named to the honorary fraternity of Phi Beta Kappa.  She was a founding member of Geronimo Book Club, a member of the Natchitoches Garden Club and a member of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches where she served several years on the Board of Directors.  She was a member of the congregation of St. Augustine Catholic Church at Isle Brevelle.

Perhaps one of her most profound influences can be found on the increasingly recognized Cane River Plantation Trail.  Spending her childhood at Lakeview, she could not bear to let the history of the area go unrecognized.  Acting in her role as an Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches board member, she significantly influenced the establishment of the Melrose Historic Home Foundation.  Her recognition of and involvement with Clementine Hunter in her earliest days inspired others to give note to Hunter as an artistic historian of a period and time fast fading.  Dot devoted her retirement years fully to Melrose.  Through her efforts and those of countless others she inspired Melrose, and its heritage of artists, writers and planters, is now a thriving tourist attraction to Louisiana, reflecting a bygone period of Prosperity and culture on Cane River Lake.

Dorothy was recognized for her preservation efforts when one of two 200 year-old oak trees at historic Melrose was named for her, the other being named for Cammie Garrett Henry.  She was presented a certificate from the Live Oak Society of Louisiana commemorating this event.

Her brothers, Hyman Charles Cohen and Morris Simon Cohen as well as brother-in-law, Thomas Buffington Beale and sister-in-law, Virginia May Brinkley Cohen precede her in death.

Survivors include her sister, Lillian Cohen Beale of Baton Rouge; sister-in-law, Lillian Bell Cohen of Natchitoches.  Surviving nieces and nephews are Barbara Anne Cohen of Cane River, Rebecca Beale Browning and R. Reed Browning of Baton Rouge, Mary Patricia Beale of Baton Rouge, Barry M. Cohen of Streetman, Texas, J. Craig Cohen, Ph.D. and Jan Larson, M.D. of Mandeville, Bradford L. Cohen and Gayle Bellemin Cohen of Lafayette, Cathy Cohen Lepley and James M. Lepley of Raleigh, NC and Kelly Cohen Lavercombe and Richard G. Lavercombe of Houston, Texas.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches on Monday, August 23.  A Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Services will be at 10 a.m. at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home Tuesday, August 24 followed by interment at Fern Park Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Melrose Historic Home c/o Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, P.O. Box 2448, Natchitoches, LA, 71457.