Funeral service for Clay Rush Shill will be at Refuge Baptist Church, Echo,LA at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 10, 2004, with the Rev. Arnold Norsworthy and the Rev. Larry Basco officiating. Visitation at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home, Marksville, from 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, until 9:55 a.m. Friday. Interment in Belledeau Baptist Cemetery. Clay Shill, devoted son, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, departed this life Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004. He was a member of Refuge Baptist Church in Echo. He was born in Natalbany, LA on Nov. 30, 1938. He passed away peacefully at his home in Hessmer, LA surrounded by family and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, John W. Shill; and sister, Ellen Bailey. He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Gail Franks Shill of Hessmer; mother, Sarah Shill of Monroe; daughter and son-in-law, Vickie Simmons and Capt. Douglas Simmons of Sierra Vista, Ariz.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Ricky and Sandra Ladner of Haughton and Dennis and Mary Shill of Baton Rouge; stepson and stepdaughter-in-law, Shane and Melissa Daigrepont of Hessmer; grandchildren Kristina Ladner, James Ladner, Sabrina Ladner, Sara Ladner, Bradley Simmons, Dexter Shill, David Shill, Daniel Shill, Brandon Daigrepont, Emily Daigrepont and Michael Guillory; great-granddaughter, Allyssa Guillory; four brothers and their wives, John and Mary Shill of Walterboro, S.C., Francis and Jo Shill of Merritt Island, Fla., George Shill of Powder Springs, Ga., and Jimmy and Shirley Shill of Prairieville; five sisters and their husbands, Margaret and Marvin Williamson of Jackson, Miss., Donna and the Rev. Tommy McCurley of Monroe,LA, Barbara Graphia and Emily and Jackie Seale, all of Baton Rouge, LA and Helen and Billy Lee of Savannah, Ga.; 24 nieces and nephews; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews. Clay never met a stranger. He worked all over the world and made friends with everyone he met. Since 1986, he had worked as a deck captain on the dredge Butcher for Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel. He also worked for Bean Dredging, Bauer Dredging, Mike Hooks Dredging and Standard Dredging. He worked in the dredging industry for 45 years. He loved his work and he will be missed by his co-workers. As a young man, Clay also worked for the Illinois Central Railroad with his father. He graduated from Mount Olive High School in Mount Olive, Miss., in 1958. His hobbies were reading western books and taking care of his chickens. Pallbearers will be Shane Daigrepont, Steve Soileau, Dale LaPrairie, Kenron LaPrairie, Charles Blanchard, Roger Cole, Wayne LeMoine and Danny Wade.