James Allen "Joe" Waters

Funeral services honoring the life of James Allen “Joe” Waters, 79, of West Monroe, Louisiana will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, March 6, 2026, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe with Dr. Kevin Stewart officiating. Interment will follow immediately after at Kilpatrick’s Serenity Gardens Cemetery, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe.

The visitation will be held from 9:00 A.M. until the time of service.

Joe was born on December 4, 1946, in Shreveport, Louisiana and passed away on March 4, 2026, in West Monroe, Louisiana.

Joe lived a life shaped by service, steady dedication, and a quiet, unwavering faith. As a young man, he answered his country’s call and served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War aboard the aircraft carrier Coral Sea. Those years at sea formed a foundation of discipline, courage, and brotherhood that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

After returning home, Joe built a long and respected career with Davidson Transport, where he drove eighteen wheeler tanker trucks with the same reliability and calm strength that defined him. Later, he continued his work with the company eventually Genesis Energy as a dispatcher. He retired with the admiration of coworkers who knew him as a man who could be counted on. He was a devoted member of McClendon Baptist Church in West Monroe.

He is preceded in death by his parents, James and Elma Waters; his in-laws, James and Augusta Sessum; and infant grandson, Aaron Waters.

Those left to honor and cherish his memory are his wife of fifty-eight years, Tanya L. Sessum Waters; son, Mark Waters (Jennifer); nephews, Ty Younse (Leslie) and Brian Younse (Amanda) as well as a host of church family and friends.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmie Morris, Roy Turner, Tracy Watson, Ted Johnson, Mike Gardner, and Kevin Stewart.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of Caring Hands Hospice for their exceptional and compassionate care of Joe. Also, the family deeply appreciates the faithful assistance of Amera Memory Care during Joe’s final weeks.

Memorials in honor of Joe can be made to the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter.