Kinder-A Mass of Christian Burial honoring Raella Brown Armand, 97, will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 12 o'clock noon at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Kinder. Rev. Fr. Alan Trouille will officiate.  Raella will be laid to rest at Carter Memorial Cemetery in Kinder immediately following her services.

Raella's family will receive friends and visitors at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home in Kinder on Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. until time of service with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 11 o'clock a.m. All of Raella's arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder.

Raella Brown Armand, 97, slipped away peacefully on November 28, 2023, at Calcasieu Community Care Center in Lake Charles with her loving family by her side. She achieved her final destination, Heaven with Jesus, a journey she so desired. She amazed all with her spirit and her ability to battle and win most health issues, even at her advanced age. Raella was born to the union of Linzay and Merzie Brown on September 16, 1926, at her home in the Evangeline Parish community of L'Anse Bourbeuse. She was a lifelong resident of Kinder until moving to Lake Charles in 2000. The second of eleven children, she graduated from Chataignier High School in 1942, and soon after would marry her sweetheart, Lester Armand in 1943. Within their union they had eight children, where Raella would become not only a full-time mom but and overtime mom. Preparations of three meals a day, keeping house, and beaucoup cloth diapers hanging on the clothesline kept her a very busy lady! Throughout her tenure as a mother and grandmother, Raella would receive several names of endearment, including Rae, Mawmaw, and Momma. Raella wore many hats and was a faithful and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Anyone that knew her could tell you she was always there, always nurturing, always patient, always loving, always giving, but most of all, always forgiving. Despite her hectic schedule, she still managed to be involved in a Cursillo retreat, Catholic Daughters of America, Come Lord Jesus, and serve as a Pink Lady at Allen Parish Hospital. Rae enhanced her social life by enjoying her beloved coffee with her close-knit girlfriends as often as possible. Raella was very proud of her Catholic heritage and a faithful member of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Kinder and Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church while residing in Lake Charles.  Faith was the core guiding principle of Rae's life. Her devotion to being a "servant of Christ" could be witnessed by her commitment to family and friends. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary who no doubt sustained her. When it came to pure enjoyment, Rae could be found working in her flowerbeds, she loved to till the soil, plant the seeds, pick the weeds, add some water, and behold, her beautiful flowers would grow! Another hobby that ranked high on her joy scale was oil painting. During her younger years, her busy hands turned out masterpieces that were enjoyed by many. Unfortunately, in her later years, "Arthur" arrived, as in arthritis and together with declining vision made the hobby, she loved so dearly much more difficult. Rae was a humble person. If you were to look up the definition of humble in a dictionary, you would find her picture along with the words, "don't think less of yourself, just think of yourself less".  When faced with an event or situation with no clear resolution, you could bet she would say, "we shall see what we shall see", followed by her classic wink. Raella will be forever missed and unconditionally loved by all who knew her.

Those left to cherish Raella's memory include her children, Ann (Joe) Canizaro of The Woodlands, TX, Phillip (Cheryl) Armand of Fulshear, TX, Ramona (Nic) Labarbera of Amite, LA, Rosanna (Jay) LaFleur of Lake Charles, LA, Andy Armand of Lake Charles, LA, Rachelle (Chris) Schexneider of Lake Charles, LA, and Troy Armand of Grand Lake, LA; 21 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren plus two arriving shortly, her siblings, Willa Wagoner, Pris Kees, Terry "Coonie" Brown, Bruce Brown, Becky Longman, Bobby Brown, Cecil Brown, and Cindy LeBlanc; and one sister-in-law, Heartsease Rozas.

Raella is preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Lester A. Armand; one son, Kevin Armand; one grandson, Christopher; her parents, Linzay and Merzie Brown; and two sisters, Flo LaFleur, and Jen Nagata.

Raella's family would like to express a very special thank you to Shea Veillon and staff at Heritage Manor of Ville Platte, LA, and Calcasieu Community Care Center of Lake Charles, LA, and St. Joseph's Hospice for their loving care and support.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Raella's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or a charitable organization of your choice.

Condolences and words of comfort may be expressed to Raella's family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com or our Facebook page at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.