Forest Hill-Celebration of Life services honoring Emma B Whitehead, 91, will be held on Thursday morning, June 18, 2026, at 11 o’clock a.m. at Elwood Baptist Church in Forest Hill, LA. Rev. Mike Evans will officiate. Emma will be laid to rest at Butters Cemetery in Forest Hill, LA. immediately following her services.

    Emma’s family will receive friends and visitors at Elwood Baptist Church on Thursday Morning, June 18, 2026, from 9 o’clock a.m. until time of service. All of Emma’s arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral home of Oakdale.

    It is with profound sadness that the family of Emma B Fairchild Whitehead announces her passing. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and servant of her church and community, Mrs. Whitehead lived a life defined by faith, selfless love, and steadfast dedication to those she held dear.

    Mrs. Whitehead was born on November 3, 1934, to William Martin Fairchild, Sr. and Olevia Mae Herrington Fairchild. She dedicated her life to her family and her faith. She faithfully served Elwood Baptist Church for 50 years as Secretary, Treasurer, and Bookkeeper. She was a devoted Sunday school teacher and led Acteens and Girls in Action (GAs) for 15 years, shaping the faith of countless young women. Her love for the church extended to the broader community as well; she was an active member of the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) and the Senior Adults Ministry, where she organized gatherings and led trips for the senior ladies.

     Before her years of ministry and service, Mrs. Whitehead worked for four years with Paul White Realty. Yet perhaps her most enduring calling was the one she answered at home — setting aside her own ambitions to raise her daughter and to care with unwavering devotion for her mother, father, and father-in-law in their later years. She was, in every sense, the steady heart of her family.

    Her grandsons were among her greatest joys. She poured herself into babysitting, loving, and spoiling them at every opportunity, and the warmth of her presence will remain with them always. Mrs. Whitehead also held a deep fondness for the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and treasured her many visits to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with her family.

    Those who knew Emma Whitehead knew a woman of steadfast faith, determined strength, and boundless love. She leaves behind a legacy written not in grand gestures, but in the lives she shaped.

   "Well done, good and faithful servant." — Matthew 25:23

     Emma is lovingly survived by her daughter, Debbie Whitehead McCann, and son-in-law Gary McCann, of Forest Hill; her grandsons, Matthew Robert McCann and his wife Joni, of Panama City, Panama, and Michael Dayton McCann and his wife Morgan, of Glenmora; and her cherished great-grandchildren, Jenna, John David, Molly, Noah, Micah, and Levi.

    Emma is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 69 years, Robert Charles Whitehead, as well as her parents and her siblings and their spouses: Hester Fairchild and Nila; Inez Melder and Price; Homer Fairchild and Dimple Doris; William Fairchild, Jr. and Rosie; Duthel Jouette and Ed; Eula Mae Gill and Travis; Maude Elizabeth Edelen and Leslie; and her siblings Charles Fairchild, Jeff Fairchild, and JP Fairchild.

    The family wishes to express sincere appreciation to all her caregivers in the recent months, as well as the staff of Christus Hospice for their compassionate service.

    Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared with Emma’s family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com or on Facebook-Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.