Vanessa Efferson

Vanessa Howell Efferson, 66, passed away surrounded by family in her home in Bossier on September 18th, 2025. Born on the same day in 1959 in Shreveport to Van C Howell and Lou Grimshaw Howell, Vanessa is preceded in death by her father Van.

She is survived by her mother, Lou Howell; her brother Danny Howell; her sister Mary Virginia Howell; her husband Doug Efferson; her children Seth Butcher (wife Brittney Butcher), Samantha Walker, and Hannah Brown (husband Malek Brown); and her grandchildren Leah Walker, Kate Walker, and Leila Butcher.

Vanessa graduated from Bossier High School and went on to have a storied and fascinating life. She became a respiratory therapist, girl scout leader, Sunday school teacher, vacation bible school leader, a book review consultant, and even operated her own book stores. She loved driving cars like her old Camaro and T-Bird, playing the piano, and reading. She kept her own modest library and traveled to book conventions and events.

Visitation, service, and burial will all take place at the Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home in Haughton, Louisiana. Jacqueline “Jackie” Collins, a close friend of Vanessa’s, will officiate. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. The service and burial will take place Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 at 10:00 A.M.

Honoring Vanessa as pallbearers will be Sean Turner, Chris Grimshaw, Josh Grimshaw, Leah Walker, Gracie Walker, and Pete Butcher.

In lieu of flowers, she would have greatly appreciated donations to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate/).

Vanessa's Eulogy

I asked our children if I could say a few words about Vanessa because, during our 36 years together, she sacrificed herself for the benefit of others. Some of you know her from church, or Girl Scouts, or her bookstore, or some other part of her life. I want to honor her today by remembering all of the individual parts of her life that made up a very selfless, giving and loving person.

Vanessa loved her family. Seth, Samantha, Hannah were her life. She would do anything for them, protect them, and defend them whenever needed. She was a mama-bear for sure! Or, in Louisiana, should I say a mama-gator!

She was very close to her mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins, many whom lived close to her most of her life. She was a “Second Mom” for many of the Girl Scouts, church kids, and neighborhood kids. Many came to her when they needed someone to talk to, to get sage advice, or to just vent. She was always there for others, giving a hug, listening, and helping.

She loved her pets: Dachshunds, Basset Hounds, cats, finches, rabbits, turtles, a horse, a goat, white mice - field mice trying to get into the white mice cage, and even Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches!

Vanessa loved art, music and she loved writing for her personal fulfillment. Vanessa studied famous painters and loved to paint herself, but she rarely let others see her work. She loved concert piano players and was an excellent piano player herself, but she rarely let others hear her play. Vanessa loved writing and was even working on a book, but she kept the outline and writing to herself and never shared it with anyone.

Vanessa loved to travel. She visited Washington, DC and other US destinations with her parents as a kid; New York City and other destinations for bookseller conventions; she attended Girl Scout camps and special events in Houston and Galveston. But most of all, to special destinations like Galveston, Pigeon Forge, Hot Springs, and Fort Worth with her kids and grandkids.

Between her cancer treatments, she created a bucket list and was well on her way to completing it. Unfortunately, she ran out of time. Two things were missed and that was to take a trip to Paris with me and to go on an African Safari with Hannah.

As you all know, Vanessa loved books. Vanessa was a prolific book reader and frequently made recommendations to others on what she thought they would like. She was always right on the mark! Vanessa worked in school libraries and helped organize church libraries wherever we lived.

When we moved to Homer, she fulfilled her lifelong dream when she opened The Raven Bookstore. It quickly became the corner store where kids and adults alike came to buy their favorite books, drink a cup of Starbucks coffee and relax in a chair for a few moments of peace and quiet. She knew every book in her store, what it was about, and what age group it was written for. When we moved to Stonewall, she moved the bookstore to Grand Cane and a new group of kids and adults got to enjoy her hospitality and deep knowledge of books. After 7 years of working six days a week running the bookstore, she retired. She donated most of her inventory to Central School in Grand Cane and to the DeSoto Parish Library in Mansfield, but she did take ALL of her favorite books home with her! We had quite the library in our house!

Vanessa loved being a Facebook friend to over 200 folks, many of which she met while living in Center, Texas, Ringgold, Homer, Shreveport, Bossier, Stonewall, or Benton. Yes, we moved a lot for my career, but she was always supportive of these moves even though it uprooted her and our kids regularly. This was one of the many selfless acts she did for others, and Facebook was her way of keeping in touch with everyone she met along the way.

Vanessa loved her life. She fought hard to beat cancer time and time again. She wanted to be here for each and everyone of you, but God had other plans. She told me in the last few weeks of her life that she was not going to Heaven, but that she was being called to Heaven by God for a purpose. She did not know what that purpose was, but she was at peace knowing that she was needed there.

Finally at peace, fulfilling God’s work and purpose for her life, whatever that work may be. Rest easy my love. We will see you soon.