Services for Van Nick Mercier Jr., of the Central, La.,community near Baton Rouge, are 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at BakerFuneral Home Chapel in Baker, La., with entombment in HillcrestMausoleum. Bro. Wilson Chaney will officiate.

Visitation is Wednesday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home,and on Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.

Mr. Mercier, 71, died Feb. 5, 2007, at Our Lady of the LakeRegional Medical Center.

He was a retired boilermaker, and a member of the InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers Union, Local 582. He was a member ofthe Masonic Lodge No. 372 F&AM. He loved to piddle in his shop,restoring antique cars and trikes. Every day in his golf cart, hewalked his dog, Casper.

Preceding him in death were his mother, Zornell Bush; hisfather, Van Nick Mercier Sr.; his brother, Billy Avants; and hissister, Nelda Faye Avants.

Survivors are his wife, Vandal Wallace Mercier, of Central; hisdaughter, Vanissa M. Kelly, of Central; his son anddaughter-in-law, Van Martin and Angela Thames Mercier, of Central;his sister, Ruby Stevens, of Brookhaven; his grandchildren, ChadKelly, Kimberly Kelly, Todd Kelly, Christina Mercier and VanNicholas Mercier and wife Rebekah Mercier; his great-grandchildren,Kara, Parker and Van Thomas Mercier, who will be born in May2007.

Pallbearers are Van Nicholas Mercier, Chad David Kelly, Matthew”Todd” Kelly, Kirk Wallace, Wayne Wallace and JamesSchexnaider.

Honorary pallbearers are Kyle Dixon, Russ Watts, RobertHenderson, Robert Hodges, John Wallace, Gordon Lear, Bobby Hodges,Tom Day, Gary Bond, Claude Ray and I.P. Henry.