Dr. Luther Lois Farrar

Dr. Luther Lois Farrar, 82, a long time resident of Auburn, Alabama passed away on 22, January 2007 following an extended illness. He was born on 4, November 1924 in Pisgah, Union Parish, Louisiana. His careers in the U.S. Navy and as a contributing member of the agricultural community spanned almost seventy years. As a young man, he joined the navy during WWII, and rose to the rank of Chief Fire Control Man on the destroyer USS Smalley (DD565). Later in the war, he served on the USS Little Rock (CL-92) in the Mediterranean theater. Following his Navy service, he completed his doctorate in Plant Pathology at LSU, and married the former Doris Ann Heard of Shiloh, LA. Dr. Farrar accumulated an extensive and influential career in agricultural development, particularly in the analysis and identification of plant diseases and the development of herbicides and pesticides to attack those situations. Dr. Farrar specialized in the study of nematodes and set up the first laboratory in the area to study those particular organisms. He spent long hours as a scout for crops and diseases in Alabama and Georgia and the implementation of programs to address those conditions. His efforts resulted in higher crop yields and a brighter future for agriculture in the South. When he wasn't tramping through fields, Dr. Farrar raised two daughters, (Melanie Lois Farrar and Elizabeth Ann Farrar) as well as a multitude of four-legged family members, primarily daschunds. He also excelled as a historian and archivist, with his "Peeps into the past" articles for "The Banner" of Bernice, LA being a poignant blend of historical fact and personal remembrances of an era past. Dr. Farrar had a firm list of priorities in life, his family, church, community and war time companions being the highest. He was a long time member of Auburn First Baptist Church as well as the Auburn Lions Club. He is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth Ann Farrar of Auburn and Melanie Farrar Clark of Prattville and grandchildren Miles Fitzgerald Bugg (sophomore at Berry College, Rome, GA) and Miss Mary Elizabeth Bugg (Junior at Auburn High School), Auburn, Alabama. Arrangements are being coordinated through the Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home, Opelika, Alabama. Visitation is scheduled for 23 January 2007 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. CST and services will be held at the funeral home beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 January 2007. www.jeffcoattrant.com Sign the guest book online at www.oanow.com